MANP Nonprofit Resource Library

MOCHA is a tool for establishing clear roles on projects. In most settings, projects involve contributions from multiple people. 

MOCHA stands for:

• Manager: Supports and holds owner accountable through delegation. Serves as a resource, shares feedback, asks probing questions, reviews progress, and intervenes if the work is off-track. This person may or may not be the owner’s supervisor.
• Owner: Has overall responsibility for driving the project forward and coordinating steps to accomplish the goal. Ensures all the work gets done (directly or with helpers) and involves others (consults) in a meaningful way. There should only be one owner.
• Consulted: Provides input and perspective. May share resources or referrals.
• Helper: Implements aspects of the work and actively contributes to project success. The helper may own a significant area of work with its own MOCHA (we call this a cascading MOCHA).
• Approver: Signs off on the final product or key decisions. May be the owner or manager, though it can also be a person or group with a clear decision-making role on the project.