5.3 Planning Your Project

You’ve made incredible progress thinking through your app idea, your users, your MVP, and even potential partners. Now it’s time to get organized for the busy weeks ahead: let’s talk about Planning Your Project to ensure you reach the finish line successfully for the ICT Club submission!

Think of this phase like planning a journey from Jinja to Kampala. You know your destination (a finished project), but you need a map and a schedule to make sure you get there efficiently and without getting lost.

Lesson Topic: 5.3 Planning Your Project

Part 1: Why Plan? (Avoiding Last-Minute Panic!)

You might be eager to just code, code, code! But taking time now to create a clear plan will:

• Manage Your Time: Helps you see how much work is left and allocate enough time for everything before the deadline.
• Ensure Completion: Makes it less likely you’ll forget important tasks (like parts of the submission!).
• Reduce Stress: Knowing what needs to be done and who’s doing it lowers anxiety.
• Improve Teamwork: A shared plan keeps everyone on the same page.
• Increase Success: A well-planned project has a much higher chance of being completed well and on time.

Part 2: Smart Planning Strategies

Here are some practical tips for planning your remaining ICT Club work:

1. Make a Schedule (Timeline):
   • Look at the final ICT Club submission deadline. How many weeks are left?
   • Work backward from that date. Block out time needed for major phases: coding the MVP, testing, fixing bugs, coding extra features (if time), creating the pitch video, demo video, writing the business plan, final checks.
   • Crucial: Leave a significant chunk of time for coding your MVP. The lesson suggests at least 5 weeks if you were following a 12-week schedule – adjust based on your reality, but don’t underestimate coding time!
   • Set specific deadlines for smaller milestones (e.g., “Finish login screen coding by [Date],” “Draft pitch script by [Date]”). Use a shared calendar (Google Calendar?) or even a simple written timetable posted in your meeting space.
2. Divide and Conquer (Break Down Tasks):
   • Big goals like “Code the App” or “Make Pitch Video” are too vague. Break them down into smaller, specific tasks (e.g., “Code user profile screen,” “Record voiceover for pitch,” “Edit demo video footage,” “Write ‘Market Analysis’ section of business plan”).
   • Assign these smaller tasks to team members. Consider skills and interests.
   • Work in Pairs: The lesson suggests pairing up on tasks – this can speed things up and allow for collaborative problem-solving.
3. First Things First (Prioritize):
   • Remember your MVP! Get the core 2-3 features working reliably first. That is your top priority.
   • Worry about making the app look beautiful (perfect colors, fonts, animations) after the core functionality is solid.
   • Only add features from your “Future Features” list if you have extra time after the MVP is done and tested. Don’t get distracted by cool but non-essential additions early on.
   • If you’re struggling to prioritize, ask your mentor for advice!
4. One Thing at a Time (Focus):
   • Try to finish one task before jumping to the next. Constantly switching between different types of work (coding, writing, video editing) can actually slow you down.
   • Minimize distractions during your dedicated work time. Put away phones (unless needed for testing!), mute WhatsApp groups, find a quiet space if possible.
5. Keep Records (Document & Backup):
   • Document your process: Keep notes from meetings, decisions made, research findings. This will be invaluable for your submission documents!
   • BACK UP YOUR WORK REGULARLY! This is critical!
     • Use App Inventor’s Projects -> Save Checkpoint or Thunkable’s Duplicate Project feature often (e.g., at the end of every work session or after finishing a significant feature).
     • Consider downloading the project file (.aia for App Inventor, .thunk for Thunkable) to your computer or cloud storage as an extra backup. Losing weeks of work is devastating – protect yourselves!

Part 3: Look at the Finish Line (Submission Requirements)

The Mentor Tip gives excellent advice:

• Review the official ICT Club Submission Guidelines NOW. Don’t wait until the last week! Understand exactly what you need to create and submit (App Code, Demo Video, Pitch Video, Business Plan/Pitch Document, Reflection, etc.).
• Work Backwards: Make a checklist of every single required submission item. Then, list the tasks needed to produce each item. This ensures nothing gets missed.
• Submit Early & Often (Pro Tip): The submission platform usually allows you to upload parts of your submission as they are ready (e.g., upload your business plan draft one week, your demo video the next). Don’t wait to upload everything in the final hour – technical problems can happen! Submitting pieces early reduces stress.

Part 4: Your Project Map (The Project Canvas Tool)

A Project Canvas is a simple one-page visual tool to summarize the most important aspects of your project. It helps everyone on the team see the big picture and stay aligned. The sections often include (based on common models like the Lean Canvas):

• Problem: The core user problem you are solving.
• Customer Segments: Your specific target users.
• Unique Value Proposition (UVP): What makes your app special? Your core promise to users.
• Solution: Your key MVP features.
• Channels: How will users find out about or get your app? (e.g., through partner clinics, school announcements, maybe online).
• Revenue Streams: How will the app sustain itself financially? (Link back to your Business Model discussion – ads? subscription? partnership fees?) Okay if this is N/A or ‘Grants/Donations’ for non-profits.
• Cost Structure: Main costs involved (e.g., maybe cloud database fees if used, marketing costs?).
• Key Metrics: How will you know if your app is successful? (e.g., Number of active users, number of reports filed, improvement in user knowledge).
• Unfair Advantage: What unique strength does your team/project have? (e.g., Strong community partnership, unique technical skill, first-mover advantage?).

Part 5: Let’s Plan! (Activity – Project Canvas & Task List)

Time to create your roadmap!

Your Mission: Use the Project Canvas structure to summarize your project and create a detailed task list.

Tool: The Project Canvas worksheet provided (or use the sections listed above as a guide).

Task:

1. Fill the Canvas: As a team, discuss and fill in each section of the Project Canvas for your project. Use your problem statement, user research, MVP plan, etc. Keep it concise!
2. Generate Task List: Based on the Canvas (especially the Solution section) AND the official ICT Club submission requirements, create a detailed list of ALL the remaining tasks your team needs to complete. Be specific! (e.g., “Code user login screen,” “Write pitch video script – problem section,” “Test prototype with 3 more users,” “Research competitor apps,” “Record app demo video,” “Design app logo”).
3. (Highly Recommended): Add Details: Try to assign a team member (or pair) responsible for each task and estimate a realistic deadline or target completion week for each.

Part 6: Stick to the Plan (But Be Flexible)

Your plan is your guide. Refer to it regularly in your team meetings. Track your progress against your deadlines. However, sometimes things take longer than expected, or you discover a better way to do something. It’s okay to adjust the plan if needed – just make sure you communicate changes within the team and update your timeline accordingly.

Part 7: Quick Review (Key Terms)

• Project Canvas: A one-page tool to organize and summarize key aspects of your project.
• Timeline: A schedule outlining tasks and deadlines for project completion.
• Milestone: A significant point or achievement in your project timeline (e.g., “MVP coding complete,” “Pitch video finalized”).
• Stakeholders: People or groups with an interest in your project (e.g., users, team members, mentors, judges, community partners, your school).

Part 8: More Resources

• The lesson links to the original Project Canvas Manual if you want more detail.
• There’s also a video clip linked showing how past ICT Club participants planned their projects.

Conclusion

Mwebale kwetegeka! (Thank you for preparing!) Taking the time to create a solid plan now is one of the best investments you can make for your team’s success in ICT Club. The Project Canvas helps clarify your vision, and a detailed task list with deadlines keeps you on track. Work together, support each other, and follow your plan! Tubasabira Omukisa! (We wish you luck/blessings!)