Case: The Valle Festival – Part 1

In recent years, it has become very common for towns, villages and cities to organize their own festivals. The intentions have been manifold, including increasing cultural interest, but also to put the venue on the map and attract more tourists.

In Valle in Setesdal, there are several people who in recent years have been thinking about starting a cultural festival. In the neighboring municipality, a country festival has been organized for several years with success and many visitors. In Valle, they hope to achieve something similar, but they are aware that the festival should have a different focus. The cultural life is strong in Valle and Setesdal, and they have long traditions in, for example, fiddle playing, mouth harp, dance, traditional costumes, singing, local food, crafts, etc. Initially, the organizers envision a two-day cultural festival to be held in August 2017. Furthermore, they see the possibility of events both outdoors and indoors. The initiators consist of Knut, Åse, Valborg, Siri, Åsulv, Olav and Anne. The group has been in contact with the municipal leadership and the cultural chief who has shown great interest in the festival. The municipality has even expressed willingness to act as the commissioner for the festival as a pilot project. Valle is a relatively wealthy municipality with significant revenues from hydropower and has allocated $50,000 to the festival but has also emphasized the need to secure additional funding, for example through sponsors. Based on the case above, the cultural chief in Valle, who is now the commissioner, has asked the initiators to provide a concrete overview of what the cultural festival will encompass and contain.

Develop a simple Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for the project that covers level 1 and 2 (i.e. project and sub-projects). Also identify some activities at level 3.

Here is an example of what the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) might look like for the Valle Cultural Festival.

Level 1: Project – Valle Cultural Festival.

Level 2: Sub-projects.

• Marketing and Promotion.
• Program and Events.
• Infrastructure and Logistics.
• Financing and Sponsorship Agreements.

Level 3: Activities.

1. Marketing and Promotion.

• Develop marketing strategy.
• Design and print marketing materials.
• Digital marketing and social media.
• Collaborate with local tourism stakeholders.

2. Program and Events.

• Identify and contact cultural performers and artists.
• Plan and coordinate concerts and performances.
• Develop program and schedule.
• Ensure necessary equipment and technical support.

3. Infrastructure and Logistics.

• Rent and prepare the festival site.
• Provide restrooms, power connections and other infrastructure.
• Plan and organize parking and transportation.
• Security measures and emergency planning.

4. Financing and Sponsorship Agreements.

• Develop a sponsorship strategy and identify potential sponsors.
• Contact and negotiate with sponsors.
• Prepare sponsorship contracts and follow up on commitments.
• Budget management and financial monitoring.

There may be more activities and sub-projects relevant to the project, depending on the specifications and needs of the festival.

Develop a proposal for the project mandate. The mandate should clarify the following points:

• Project name.
• Background for the project/cultural festival.
• Project owner and contact point.
• Project’s impact objectives (purpose) and performance objectives.
• Framework conditions and limitations.
• Budget.
• Time.
• Responsibility and organization.
• Communication management.

Proposal for the mandate of the project “Valle Culture Festival”:

Project name: Valle Culture Festival

Background for the project/cultural festival: Valle aims to establish a culture festival to increase interest in culture, promote the village as a cultural hub and attract tourists. The festival will build upon the area’s strong cultural heritage and traditions in violin playing, mouth harp, dance, traditional costumes, singing, local food, handicrafts, etc.

Commissioner and point of contact: The commissioner for the project is the municipality of Valle, represented by the head of culture. The contact person for the project is X, and his/her position is Y, who will be the project owner and responsible for the follow-up of the project.

Project’s impact objectives (purpose) and result objectives:

Impact Objective: To strengthen cultural interest in Valle, put the village on the map as a cultural center and attract tourists.

Result Objectives:

• Successfully conducting a two-day culture festival in August 2017.
• Create a varied and appealing program that includes concerts, performances, activities and food experiences based on local cultural expressions.
• Increase the number of visitors to the festival compared to previous events in Valle.
• Establish collaborations with local cultural players, artists and sponsors to ensure the festival’s sustainability and success.

Framework conditions and limitations:

• The festival is to be organized within the allocated financial budget of $50,000 from Valle municipality.
• The festival will be executed as a pilot project in 2017, with the possibility of continuation based on evaluation and financial viability.
• Previous experiences from similar festivals in the neighboring municipality should be used as a reference, but the Valle Culture Festival should have its own unique focus and concept.

Budget: The project has a budget of $50,000 allocated from Valle municipality. A detailed budget breakdown will be prepared by the project manager and approved by the project owner.

Time: The project is to be executed in the period from January 2017 to August 2017. The festival will be organized in August 2017.

Responsibility and Organization: The project manager is responsible for the execution of the project and will have the overall responsibility for coordinating the project team and reporting to the commissioner. The project team consists of the initiators Knut, Åse, Valborg, Siri, Åsulv, Olav and Anne, as well as other necessary resources that will be allocated during the project’s duration.

Communication Management: A communication plan will be prepared to clearly define communication channels, target groups and responsibility for communication. The project manager is responsible for coordinating all external communication and ensuring a consistent and positive representation of Valle Culture Festival.

Develop a matrix in which you discuss and decide the prioritization between cost, time and scope/quality for the festival.

Prioritization matrix for Valle Cultural Festival: In project management, it’s common to evaluate and prioritize among three central factors: cost, time and scope/quality. Below is a matrix that discusses and determines the prioritization among these factors for the Valle Cultural Festival:

Based on the assessment of the factors in the matrix, the following prioritization can be proposed:

1. Cost: High priority

• It is important to stay within the allocated budget of $50,000 from Valle municipality.
• The need for additional financing through sponsors should be emphasized to ensure financial sustainability.

1. Time: Medium priority

• The festival is to be held in August 2017, and there is a relatively short timeframe for planning and execution.
• Previous experiences from neighboring municipalities can be used to streamline the planning process.

1. Scope/quality: Low priority

• The festival should have a strong focus on local culture and traditions, but the scope and quality can be adjusted within the financial and time constraints.
• Collaboration with local cultural stakeholders and artists should be secured to achieve the desired scope and quality, but it may be necessary to adjust expectations based on available resources.

It is important to understand that prioritization may change during the project depending on various factors and needs.

It is extremely important for the cultural head of the municipality that the festival should create positive values and effects for the local community. Discuss what the greatest effects and benefits of the festival would be. Develop a proposal for a benefit realization plan.

The biggest effects and benefits of the Valle Culture Festival could include:

• Cultural preservation and promotion: The festival can help preserve and promote local culture, traditions and art forms such as jaw harp, dance, folk costumes, singing, local food and handicrafts. This can strengthen local identity and instill pride among the residents.
• Tourism and economic growth: The festival can attract tourists and visitors from other areas, leading to increased revenue for local businesses, hotels, restaurants and stores. This can contribute to economic growth in the community and create jobs in the tourism industry.
• Local interaction and community: The festival can serve as a venue for local interaction, where residents of Valle can meet and participate in shared cultural experiences. This can strengthen social ties and foster a strong sense of community.
• Marketing and reputation building: The festival can put Valle on the map as a cultural destination. Through positive coverage and marketing, the festival can help build a strong reputation for Valle as a place with a rich culture and unique cultural events, attracting even more visitors and investors.

Benefit realization plan:

• Identification of benefits: A thorough review of the potential effects and benefits from the festival should be conducted, as described above. This will help map out the specific benefits expected to be achieved.
• Definition of measurable indicators: For each identified benefit, measurable indicators should be defined that can be used to evaluate whether the benefits are realized. For instance, the number of visitors, revenue increase in local businesses, participation from local cultural players and positive media coverage might be relevant indicators.
• Timeline and responsibility: A timeline should be developed for when the various benefits are expected to be realized, along with clearly defined responsibilities for the follow-up of each individual benefit.
• Monitoring and reporting: Ongoing monitoring of benefit realization should be established to ensure that the implemented measures are producing the desired results. Reports should be prepared regularly to communicate the status and progress of benefit realization.
• Corrections and measures: If it turns out that some benefits are not realized as expected, there should be a system to identify the reasons and take measures to correct the course. This might involve revising plans, altering the execution of the festival or other relevant actions.

With a good and thorough realization plan, the cultural head and the project team can ensure that the festival is not only a successful event but also brings about lasting and positive effects for the Valle community.

This case is taken from the book “Prosjektledelse – fra initiering til gevinstrealisering” – 2016, 4. Edition, by Jan Terje Karlsen.