You're faced with conflicting decisions on a social impact project. How do you prioritize effectively?

Align with the Mission: Start by revisiting the core mission and objectives of the project. Any decision you make should advance the project’s mission and contribute to its overarching goals. Evaluate Impact: Consider how each decision aligns with the desired outcomes of the project. Prioritize options that maximize positive impact on the community or cause you are serving.

Ask those most affected by your decision: the target group (beneficiaries), your team, network organizations,… You will be surprised, how easy some decisions will turn out!

Understand Stakeholder Priorities: Consider the needs, concerns, and expectations of the key stakeholders, including beneficiaries, partners, funders, and your team. Identify which decisions align best with their priorities. Involve Stakeholders: Where possible, engage stakeholders in the decision-making process. This can help ensure that their perspectives are considered and that the final decision is more likely to gain their support.

Resource Availability: Assess the resources (time, budget, personnel) required for each option. Prioritize decisions that are feasible given your available resources and constraints. Risk Assessment: Consider the risks associated with each decision. Prioritize options that present the least risk or have the most manageable risks, particularly in terms of potential negative impacts on the community.

When you're faced with what feels like impossible choices, it is essential to weigh the risks. I like to take a step back and think about how each option might affect stakeholders- customers, clients, employees and shareholders. It's not always easy, but by looking at the bigger picture, we can usually find a way to minimize the risks and get an outcome that works for everyone involved.

Decision Matrix: Consider using a decision matrix to weigh different options against key criteria, such as impact, feasibility, stakeholder alignment, and risk. Assign scores to each criterion to help clarify which option is the best overall. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to quantify the potential gains and losses of each decision. This can help you objectively assess which option offers the most value.

Immediate Needs vs. Sustainable Impact: Weigh the short-term benefits against the long-term impact. While addressing immediate needs is important, prioritize decisions that contribute to sustainable, lasting change. Scalability and Replicability: Consider whether the decision will allow the project to scale or be replicated in other contexts. Prioritize options that have the potential for broader impact.

Be Prepared to Pivot: Recognize that circumstances can change. Choose options that allow for flexibility and adaptability in case the situation evolves. Monitor and Adjust: Once a decision is made, closely monitor the outcomes. Be prepared to adjust your approach if the decision does not yield the expected results.