EWB projects are broken down into four stages. It is our goal to make our designs not only effective but also maintainable by the community. To ensure this, each project is usually completed over a 4-5 year span. The project stages are as followed:
Stage 1: Assessment
Assessment of community needs, conditions, and feasibility of different possible engineering solutions. It is during this phase that we embark on our first internal travel trip. The purpose of this first trip is to survey the land and to meet the community. It is imperative that we understand the communities needs and wants before beginning to sign a solution.
Stage 2: Planning
Creating an action plan for the implementation of the best of the proposed engineering solutions. This is the pen and paper part of the project. It is during this stage that we really start brainstorming, drafting sketching, and calculating aspects of our design. Many designs may solve our community’s problem, but only a couple will be the most money, time, and labor effective.
Stage 3: Implementation
Implementation of the action plan by installing the engineering design. It is during this stage that our second internal travel trip begins. We begin and finish the installation of our design, usually within 7-10 days, but it may take longer depending on the complexity of our design.
Stage 4: Post-Implementation
Ensuring the integrity and functionality of the engineering solution, changes, and repairs as necessary. Our final international trip is taken during this project stage. We return to evaluate our design and make any necessary design changes before officially ending this project. We want to ensure that in the years to come, our product is still serving the community in the way we had intended.
Covid 19 Update:
With Covid-19, our phases have had to adjust so we’re getting data sent to us through a remote assessment and creating a probable action plan to be implemented during our first on-site visit to El Rancho. Our updated implementation date will be sometime in January 2023 over winter Break.