Use this working method to prepare a specific, testable project. It is an editorial planning guide, not an eligibility decision or a promise of funding.
Start with a public problem
Name the community, the decision or service they struggle with, and the evidence that the problem exists. Avoid starting with an app specification. Interview a few intended users and document what they already do to get help. Include people who cannot use your preferred digital channel.
Specify the response
A reporting platform needs somebody to act on reports. Identify the responsible institution or community organisation, a realistic response mechanism and an escalation route. Describe how people will know whether their contribution made a difference.
Make the first version smaller
Choose one place, one issue and one user group for an initial test. Reuse an existing open-source tool if it fits the workflow. Set a stopping condition: what evidence would tell you to change or abandon the idea?
Budget the whole intervention
Include community engagement, accessible design, translation, moderation, connectivity, training, maintenance and evaluation. Distinguish one-off development from recurring operating costs. Record the basis of each estimate instead of hiding uncertainty in a single total.
Use a one-page brief
Write five short sections: community and problem, proposed intervention, responsible institution, first test and evidence, and data safeguards. For each section name an owner and one unanswered question. The project brief tool below keeps this work on your device and can export a text file.
Check the actual call
Read the current programme terms before submitting. Check registration, geography, eligible costs, required documents, submission route and time zone. A historic PDF can explain the earlier process but does not replace the current call.