Many have wondered “Why and how do we get a project started in AgGateway?” From time to time, AgGateway members decide that bringing together a group of companies to work on a collaborative project will benefit their company, the segment and the industry as a whole. AgGateway, through its staff, well defined project methodology and its antitrust policy, provides an ideal venue for members to pursue such projects.

The following step-by-step approach has been developed to maintain a consistent orderly approach to initiating projects in accordance with AgGateway policies.

1. Ideas for collaborative industry projects often start out as a conversation among one or two members that share a common need, or the idea may be the result of a planning process carried out by a council. To become an AgGateway sponsored project, two or more members must develop a project charter that explains the project, its goals and objectives, cost and duration. The first step in that process is to contact AgGateway’s Enabling Services Director to begin the process.
   
   
2. Project ideas need champions and advocates if they are going to get enough traction to move forward. The second step in the process is to work through the AgGateway council structure to get support and rouse interest. The Enabling Services Director and/or project champion(s) will consult with appropriate council/committee leadership as necessary to inform and begin dissemination of the project idea
   
   
3. The third step is to provide information and identify interested parties. The services director will schedule and host an informational meeting to provide a forum to discuss the idea. The services director and project champion(s) will determine if a notification to the entire membership or to just one or two councils is more appropriate
   
   
4. Step four is to recruit a working group from those who indicated interest to begin development of a charter
   
   
5. The working group will meet to review the project guiding principles, define the project in more detail, and then develop the project charter and value proposition documents
   
   
6. The project champion submits the charter and value proposition documents to an AgGateway officer. One or more members of the Management Team will review the charter to ensure that the project complies with AgGateway policies and procedures, guidelines and bylaws. The appropriate council/committee chair person will be advised when the review is completed and will schedule a council/committee meeting to consider council/committee approval
   
   
7. The charter must now be approved by a sponsoring council/committee to become an authorized AgGateway project. According to policy, approval cannot be unduly withheld. The sponsoring council appoints an interim governing body to oversee the project formation until such time as the project participants select their own governing body from among the committed participants
   
   
8. The council or committee chair notifies the AgGateway Board of Directors and Management Team of the approved charter. The services director notifies the entire membership of the approved charter.

After the initiation process is complete, the Enabling Services Director works with those members who want to participate in conducting the project, and leads the interim governing body through the commitment process.

The above guideline does have some flexibility, and may be accelerated to meet member needs.

If you have questions regarding the process, or if you want to initiate a new project, please contact AgGateway’s Enabling Services Director, Marilyn Hunter (Marilyn.Hunter@AgGateway.org - office phone: 916-429-0509 or cell: 916-833-5593).