Managing Projects for Ministry

Append i x 179

The Continuing Reign of Adhocracy: TUMI’s Prototype Shop, continued

What precisely then is the thinking behind the TUMI Prototype Shop ?

Simply put, the Shop will enable us to organize our entire TUMI project portfolio around the idea of creating workable prototypes which have passed through our agreed-upon gauntlet for selection and funding. Once a prototype is finished, we will archive it for future production and distribution based on the priority of the item and the monies available. The purpose of the Shop will be to create a catalog of materials and resources which could be reproduced offsite, once the need and funds are available. We will develop a catalog and make our friends, staff, and partners aware of what is available for production, but we will not produce until we have settled on quantity, funding source, and felt need. In other words, we will not assume that TUMI materials will be indiscriminately produced and distributed. Not everything we create will be found to be important enough for production. We will prioritize our Shop products, and will out-source only the ones we can afford, as well as add significant value to our catalog. As a rule, we will strive to get approval in our budget for outsourcing productions before we pursue them. Why Does TUMI Need a Prototype Shop ? The rationale for a Prototype Shop is clear. Our aim will be to produce an ever-increasing number of innovative and creative resources and place them into the hands of urban leaders and churches for their use. Our desire must be to grease our creative cogs and allow for the creation of new, hands-on products and processes that can lead to new levels of support for urban missions and church growth. Further, a Prototype Shop can help to unleash the creative power of the Institute staff to find new ways to thrust into urban Christian culture attractive, useful products and events that they will experience and find to be edifying, refreshing, and inspiring. Below are some initial reflections about the Prototype Shop and how we will engineer it.