Funding and Managing Projects Matthew Woollard and Mark Merry History Data Service University of Essex

Matthew Woollard and Mark Merry

History Data Service

University of Essex

Planning stage From concept to funding Effectuation stage From funding to delivery Planning and Effectuation

Planning stage

From concept to funding

Effectuation stage

From funding to delivery

Arts and Humanities Research Board http://www.ahrb.ac.uk Joint Information Systems Committee http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding Economic and Social Research Council (especially the Teaching and Learning Research Programme) http://www.esrc.ac.uk http://www.tlrp.org The Leverhulme Trust http://www.leverhulme.org.uk Funding Bodies I

Arts and Humanities Research Board

http://www.ahrb.ac.uk

Joint Information Systems Committee

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding

Economic and Social Research Council (especially the Teaching and Learning Research Programme)

http://www.esrc.ac.uk

http://www.tlrp.org

The Leverhulme Trust

http://www.leverhulme.org.uk

Research Support Libraries Programme (RSLP) http://www.rslp.ac.uk/circs/default.htm British Library Co-Operation and Partnership Programme http://www.bl.uk/concord/concord.html National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) http://www.nesta.org.uk/insidenesta/hwf_education.html The Nuffield Foundation http://www.nuffield.org.uk Funding Bodies II

Research Support Libraries Programme (RSLP)

http://www.rslp.ac.uk/circs/default.htm

British Library Co-Operation and Partnership Programme

http://www.bl.uk/concord/concord.html

National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA)

http://www.nesta.org.uk/insidenesta/hwf_education.html

The Nuffield Foundation

http://www.nuffield.org.uk

Further information on potential funding sources: http://www.ceangal.com/diglibs/funding.html Funding Bodies III

Further information on potential funding sources:

http://www.ceangal.com/diglibs/funding.html

Project Scope Aims and objectives Goals Concrete deliverables Avoid creeping scope

Aims and objectives

Goals

Concrete deliverables

Avoid creeping scope

Project Plan Cover everything! Address the aims and deliverables indicated in the project scope

Cover everything!

Address the aims and deliverables indicated in the project scope

Pilot Project Best way of understanding workload Identify problems Clearer picture of what project will require in terms of staff, equipment, time etc. Test methods Looks good in funding applications… BUT … don’t be fooled into believing a pilot solves all your problems. Good planning is just as important

Best way of understanding workload

Identify problems

Clearer picture of what project will require in terms of staff, equipment, time etc.

Test methods

Looks good in funding applications…

BUT … don’t be fooled into believing a pilot solves all your problems. Good planning is just as important

Management/Steering Committee Oversees project Facilitates reporting/monitoring Assists in demonstrating clear management structure

Oversees project

Facilitates reporting/monitoring

Assists in demonstrating clear management structure

Budget I Accurate in-depth assessment of costs Quotations Costs valid for life of project University Research Office

Accurate in-depth assessment of costs

Quotations

Costs valid for life of project

University Research Office

Budget II University Computing Services Installation Maintenance Fit for purpose

University Computing Services

Installation

Maintenance

Fit for purpose

Workflow Activity path Consider workflow carefully… Effective and efficient from start to finish Projects fail on poorly specified workflows Allow for slippage (but not too much!)

Activity path

Consider workflow carefully…

Effective and efficient from start to finish

Projects fail on poorly specified workflows

Allow for slippage (but not too much!)

Human Resources Recruitment is sometimes difficult Recruitment money Identify potential project staff Training Overseeing

Recruitment is sometimes difficult

Recruitment money

Identify potential project staff

Training

Overseeing

Time Management/Scheduling Ensuring project finishes on time Hierarchical decomposition/PERT Estimation of duration of each process Creating a proper schedule Include milestones?

Ensuring project finishes on time

Hierarchical decomposition/PERT

Estimation of duration of each process

Creating a proper schedule

Include milestones?

Quality Control/Quality Assurance This should be ongoing Check ‘actuals’ against plan Ensure all deliverables (databases, images, texts AND metadata) meet specified standard(s)

This should be ongoing

Check ‘actuals’ against plan

Ensure all deliverables (databases, images, texts AND metadata) meet specified standard(s)

Communications/Monitoring Clear lines of communication between: Management and staff Project and users Monitoring: What you plan and what you achieve should be similar Frequent and regular

Clear lines of communication between:

Management and staff

Project and users

Monitoring:

What you plan and what you achieve should be similar

Frequent and regular

Risk Management Anticipate risks, if possible ‘ Don’t hide problems…manage them’

Anticipate risks, if possible

‘ Don’t hide problems…manage them’

Delivery Various potential strategies: Phased Completed Market: Planning stage – identify market Effectuation stage – ‘do’ the marketing

Various potential strategies:

Phased

Completed

Market:

Planning stage – identify market

Effectuation stage – ‘do’ the marketing