Sophie Buck · Project & service delivery
Think in two phases
Mobilisation establishes the service: recruitment, referral routes, partner arrangements, operating processes, budgets and monitoring. Ongoing management keeps the work coordinated and accountable. The same person may cover both, but the time needed can differ between phases.
Make management work visible
List the responsibilities rather than treating management as an unexplained overhead. Include staff coordination, budget monitoring, funder contact, milestone tracking, evidence quality and reporting. Work out which responsibilities already sit with the charity and where additional capacity is needed.
Cost an explicit allocation
An agreed number of days per month is easier to budget than an open-ended commitment. Four days each month is 48 days a year, not the same as one day every week. At £400 per day, that exact monthly allocation is £1,600, or £19,200 over twelve months. Keep travel, specialist support and other agreed costs visible too.
Read the programme’s cost rules
Funder rules differ. For example, the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s £10,000–£250,000 programme describes eligible project staffing and professional fees, and full cost recovery for qualifying organisations. That is not a blanket promise that every funder will pay for every management cost. Check the programme you are applying to and explain why the allocation is necessary.
Agree responsibility as well as time
A part-time manager needs a clear remit, decision-making authority and escalation routes. The charity still needs appropriate finance, governance, safeguarding and specialist oversight. Agree how the arrangement will work outside the commissioned days and plan for a useful handover at the end.
Source: National Lottery Heritage Fund programme guidance
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