Practical guidance on using AI, software, and digital tools to work smarter
Project management technology has exploded in recent years. There are hundreds of tools promising to make you more productive, organised, and successful.
The good news: many are genuinely useful, and many are free (or very cheap) for small organisations. The bad news: tool overload is real. It's easy to spend more time managing tools than doing actual work.
TIP: Start simple. Don't buy expensive software until you've proven you need it. A spreadsheet and free tools can handle most small organisation projects. Add complexity only when simplicity is genuinely limiting you.
SECTION 1
What Tools Do You Actually Need?
1
Task & Schedule Management
Track what needs to be done, by whom, by when.
Free: Trello, Asana (free tier), Google Sheets, Microsoft To Do
Paid: Monday.com, Basecamp, Smartsheet
Best for small orgs: Trello (visual, intuitive) or Asana (more structured)
When you need it: Any project with more than 10 tasks or 3+ people.
3
File Storage & Sharing
Central repository for documents, version control.
Free: Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox (free tier)
Paid: SharePoint, Dropbox Business
Best for small orgs: Google Drive (free, easy sharing) or OneDrive (if using Microsoft)
When you need it: When you have more than a handful of project documents.
2
Communication & Collaboration
Team communication, file sharing, real-time collaboration.
Free: Slack (free tier), Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, WhatsApp
Paid: Slack Pro, Microsoft 365
Best for small orgs: Slack or Teams (depending on whether you're already using Microsoft or Google)
When you need it: When email threads become unmanageable.
4
Design & Presentation
Create visuals, presentations, reports.
Free: Canva (free tier), Google Slides
Paid: Canva Pro, PowerPoint (Microsoft 365)
Best for small orgs: Canva - its free tier is remarkably powerful for non-designers
When you need it: When you're presenting to stakeholders, boards, or funders.
5
AI Tools
Drafting, research, brainstorming, analysis, learning.
Free: ChatGPT (free tier), Gemini, Perplexity, Claude
Paid: ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro
Best for small orgs: Start with the free version of ChatGPT or Gemini. Upgrade if you find yourself using it daily.
When you need it: Whenever you need to draft, research, brainstorm, or learn - see the detailed AI sections below.
SECTION 2
Decision Framework: What Tool Should I Use?
Don't choose tools based on features. Choose based on your actual needs and constraints.
1) What problem am I trying to solve?
Be specific. "We need better organisation" is vague. "We keep losing track of who's responsible for what" is specific - you need a task tracker.
2) Who will use it?
Tech-savvy team → more complex tools. Volunteers with varied tech comfort → simple, intuitive tools. External stakeholders → web-based, no login required.
3) What's our budget?
Many tools have generous free tiers for small teams. Start there.
4) What are we already using?
Leverage existing tools. If you use Google Workspace, use Google tools. If you use Microsoft, use Microsoft tools. Integration matters.
5) How much training time do we have?
Sometimes a simple tool used well beats a powerful tool used poorly.
SECTION 3
AI for Project Managers: An Introduction
AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others represent the biggest shift in knowledge work in decades. For project managers, they're incredibly useful - if used correctly.
What AI Can Do
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Draft charters, reports, agendas, emails
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Summarise long documents
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Research best practices and regulations
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Identify risks and brainstorm solutions
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Break down tasks and suggest timelines
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Explain PM concepts clearly
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Generate options for decisions
What AI Cannot Do
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Replace your judgment and experience
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Understand your context without explanation
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Make decisions for you
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Guarantee accuracy
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Replace human relationships
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Know your stakeholders' personalities
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Access your internal documents
AI is a thinking partner and productivity amplifier,
not a replacement for thinking.
SECTION 4
Using AI Responsibly and Effectively
AI is powerful, but it comes with responsibilities and limitations. Here's how to use it well.
1
Provide Context
AI doesn't know your organisation, your stakeholders, or your constraints. The more context you provide in your prompt, the better the output.
2
Iterate
Your first prompt rarely gives perfect output. Refine and ask follow-up questions.
3
Verify Everything
AI makes mistakes - especially with facts and figures, Irish-specific regulations or processes, technical details, and names and dates. Always cross-check important information against authoritative sources.
4
Use Multiple AI Tools
Different tools have different strengths:
1) ChatGPT - Versatile, conversational, good for drafting
2) Claude - Strong at structured analysis, complex instructions
3) Gemini - Integrates with Google Workspace
4) Perplexity - Best for research with source citations
5
Save Good Prompts
When you find a prompt that works well, save it. Build a personal library. See our downloadable prompt guide below.
Ethical Considerations
Data Privacy (GDPR)
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Don't paste confidential information into AI tools
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Don't include personal data of identifiable individuals
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Be especially careful with beneficiary data (charities)
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Check your organisation's AI policy
Transparency
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Consider disclosing AI use for major documents
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Accuracy is your responsibility, not the AI's
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Don't use AI as an excuse for errors
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Cite when you use AI-generated content
Bias Awareness
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Language may default to American phrasing
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Cultural context may miss Irish norms
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May make assumptions that don't fit your reality
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Always review outputs with a local lens
When NOT to Use AI
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Sensitive stakeholder negotiations
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Final decision-making
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Anything needing 100% accuracy without verification time
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Replacing consultation with affected people
THE GOLDEN RULE
Use AI to speed up work you understand.
Don't use AI to do work you don't understand.