Client Project Coordinators oversee and support project volunteer teams for a specific Client/Entrepreneur. Think of the Client Project Coordinator as the “Relationship Manager”, the relationship being between 4AP and the Client. Client Project Coordinators are typically added when there is significant “pull” from the entrepreneur in terms of project and/or Ask an Expert requests. The Client Project Coordinator is responsible for understanding the needs and goals of a client and ensuring the success of volunteer teams in addressing those needs. Many 4AP clients have multiple projects that can take place simultaneously over many months. The Client Project Coordinator is typically asked for a One Year Commitment of approximately one hour per week. The 4AP Team supports the Client Project Coordinators to make this task simpler and very manageable.
Client Project Coordinators may perform account or project management roles such as:
While it can be helpful for a Client Project Coordinators to have familiarity with their client’s business, it is not required. Unlike project team volunteers, no specific technical or business expertise is required to serve in this role. Good communications, project management and relationship skills are most important. In some cases Client Project Coordinators with relevant expertise may serve on a project team as well.
Please note: Not every 4AP client relationship has a Client Project Coordinator. Only those with capacity for multiple projects and/or a longer-term relationship will have CPCs.
Client Project Coordinators oversee and support project volunteer teams for a specific client. The Client Project Coordinator is responsible for understanding and communicating the needs and goals of a client and ensuring the success of volunteer teams in addressing those needs.
Ask an Expert volunteers have both broad and deep food industry/agribusiness knowledge in more than one area of expertise. Ask an Expert volunteers have extensive experience in a particular area of the food business, agribusiness and/or food processing and normally engage only temporarily with clients, as opposed to serving as team members with a client or project start to finish.
Ask an Expert volunteers:
Project Team Members serve on specific, defined projects to assist 4 AP clients. They are selected for projects based upon their skills and experience, which are identified either in the profile information they provide or by referral from other colleagues. A project team normally consists of 2-3 individual volunteers who may come from different corporate partners. Their work is facilitated by a 4AP staffer that helps scope the work and assist with communications between the client and the project team. At times a project team will simultaneously work on more than one project or for more than one client.
The projects worked on can be from an area/function of the Food Business or Agribusiness.
Project Team Members serve on specific, defined projects to assist 4AP clients. They are selected for projects based upon their skills and experience.
Coaches provide 1-on-1 assistance to Clients as they seek to navigate and build their skills on a specific topic (e.g. Distribution, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, etc.) 4AP has developed a series of guides on various Food Industry and Agribusiness topics. Volunteer Coaches will be trained on how to coach clients and use the guides as a basis for discussion. 4AP partners with coaches to understand when Clients may need more targeted assistance in the form of a chartered 4AP project.
4 AP Instructors and Subject Matter Experts design, develop and deliver content on a variety of topics related to the Food Industry and Agribusiness. 4AP offers cohort-based trainings that are typically 6-8 weeks in length. Volunteer cohort instructors typically teach 1-2 sessions over the course of the program. There are two main opportunities for volunteers:
Instructors and Subject Matter Experts should have extensive experience in a particular area of the food business, agribusiness and/or food processing. They should also seek to understand the needs of the entrepreneurs and students that 4AP serves and be able to tailor their teaching to that audience.
Champions serve as an advocate for 4AP within your company. You will use your network and relationships to grow the 4AP volunteer community and get the word out about what we do.
Key responsibilities include: