Defining digital projects
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The document outlines the essentials of digital project planning and management, including the definition of projects, key skills for project managers, and the importance of planning digital projects to enhance access and educational value. It covers factors like audience targeting, stakeholder roles, communication strategies, and the steps involved in the planning process, such as environmental scans and needs assessments. Additionally, it discusses evaluation methods like gap analysis and cost-benefit analysis to help ensure project effectiveness and alignment with organizational goals.
Defining digital projects
- 1. 1 2 Source Part of Digital Project Planning and Management Basics Original design: Mary S. Woodley, CSU Northridge Revised: Danielle Plummer, TSLAC; Bill Walker, Amigos Library Services Partially funded by: IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarians Grant 3 What is a project? A limited endeavor having specific start and completion dates undertaken to meet particular goals and objectives usually to bring about beneficial change or added value "Project Management." Wikipedia. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management. Internet; accessed 7 July 2009.
- 2. 2 4 People and Projects Project managers may or may not have authority over people doing project Responsibility but no authority Key project management skills: Negotiation Listening and facilitation Time management Leadership Discussion Why Do Digital Projects? 6 Why Plan Digital Projects? To improve access to resources To add value to resources To preserve fragile original materials To support educational and research activities To fulfill the strategic mission and goals of institution
- 3. 3 7 Defining Digital Projects Why you are undertaking the project? What you want the project to achieve? For whom you are undertaking the project? When you will achieve it? How you will achieve it? Institute of Museum and Library Services. "NLG Project Planning: A Tutorial." Available from http://www.imls.gov/project_planning/index1.asp. Internet; accessed 7 July 2009. 8 Defining Projects: Why? Why do we want to do this? What are our priorities? Who decides the priorities? What do we want to achieve? How will we know when we’ve succeeded? 9 Defining Projects: What? What are we trying to accomplish? How does this relate to our organizational mission? What strategic goals will this project support? What have we already accomplished? What activities of the organization can be redirected towards the digital project? Survey digital collections and resources
- 4. 4 10 Selection for Digitization What is the value of the item in terms of the goals of the project? What is the physical nature and condition of the original? Is the material out of copyright? Does the institution have a deed of gift that allows dissemination? 11 Defining Projects: Audience Who is your target audience? Primary audience Secondary audience How are their needs being met? Where are the gaps in service? What skill, knowledge, or behavior can be improved? 12 Defining Projects: Constraints Scope What is the total amount of work required to complete the project? Time What is the timeline? When will the project start? When will it end? Cost What resources are available? To develop the project To sustain the products
- 5. 5 13 Steps in the Planning Process Identify the key players Conduct an “environmental scan” Know your users Needs and Gap Analysis Create a planning team who will be responsible for research, planning and managing the project 14 Stakeholders Any individual, group, or organization that influences your project or is affected by it External: Partners, boards, funders, consultants, target audiences or users Internal: Management, team members, other staff 15 Stakeholder Roles Project Director Task Performers Project Sponsor Subject Matter Experts User Representatives
- 6. 6 16 Steering Committee Group composed of key decision makers In a partnership project, often involves one representative from each of the partners Collaborative decision-making Agreements define responsibilities 17 Advisory Board Group composed of influential outsiders Provides key skills or knowledge that the project team may not have Lend reputation to project Increases trust in project outcomes 18 Communication Strategy Stakeholders want to know what is happening in your project Communication tools: Meetings Presentations Email lists Blogs
- 7. 7 19 The Environmental Scan Steps in the Environmental Scan Gather information Look both inside and outside the organization Scan for both content and context Use both formal and informal information Analyze and interpret this information Apply this analyzed information in decision making 20 Organizational SWOT Strengths of the organization helpful to achieving the goal Weaknesses of the organization harmful to achieving the goal Threats in the environment harmful to achieving the goal Opportunities in the environment helpful to achieving the goal 21 Sample SWOT Strengths Qualified professional staff Existing set of print finding aids Weaknesses IT department controls website No budget for software to create XML Opportunities Training course in XML offered in region Funding available from collection donor Threats New version of standard due to be released
- 8. 8 22 Formal Information Sources US Census statistics Institutional statistics Size and scope Visitation statistics Customer service statistics Website analytics and usage logs Published studies Surveys and focus groups 23 Informal Information Sources Anecdotes and observations Email lists and discussions Popular culture Television Movies Books Magazines 24 Targeting the Audience Characteristics of the target audience: Population size Language skills Disabilities Education level Geographic area Summarize the similarities and differences between the target audience and the broader population your organization serves
- 9. 9 25 Outcomes and Outputs Outcome: Changes or gains in knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, status, or life condition that you would like the target audience to achieve Output: A measure of the amount, quality, or volume of use of the service or product that you want the project to achieve 26 Identifying Outcomes Type of Outcome Definition Example Knowledge What someone knows Students will increase their knowledge and understanding of Texas history Skill What someone can do Students and teachers will be able to search a database of digitized objects Attitude What someone feels or thinks about something Students will demonstrate increased interest in history Behavior How someone acts High school social studies teachers will find, analyze, and use digitized primary source materials in their lesson plans Status Someone's social or professional condition The number of high school graduates in the community will increase Life Condition Someone's physical condition The rate of teen pregnancy will decrease among students who have studied history 27 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Self- Actualization Ego (Esteem) Social (Belonging) Safety and Security Physiological Opportunities for innovation and creativity Recognition from others; prestige and status Acceptance as part of a group or team Physical safety and economic security Physical survival needs: food, water, air, shelter
- 10. 10 28 Needs and Wants Needs Gap between the desired results, on the one hand, and the current condition of the audience, product or service, on the other Wants Wishes or desires of the target audience(s) that should be taken into consideration in determining the most appropriate solution or solutions to meet an identified need 29 Needs and Wants Need Want To develop a more accurate budget To hire a budget analyst To reach an underserved audience To use social media to promote services To improve quality control for metadata To develop a metadata creation tool 30 Gap Analysis Needed Services – Available Services = GAP For a given audience:
- 11. 11 31 Gap Analysis Time Services Needed Services GAP Available Services 32 Gap Analysis Example Need: • 450 7th grade students need access to primary sources for Arkansas history Services: • Museum provides traveling trunk to 2 schools (150 students) • 3 classes visit museum and library (120 students) Gap: • 450 – 270 = 180 students need service 33 Closing the Gap Benefits provided by solution Short & Long-term Cost of implementing solution Personnel Equipment and Supplies Risks Of implementing proposed solution Of doing nothing
- 12. 12 34 Cost-Benefit Analysis Cost of proposed solution ÷ Benefits of proposed solution 35 Cost-benefit example 1 Solution: Digitize 1,000 items Cost: Equipment: $500 (one-time cost) Personnel: $1,500 (one-time cost) $200 (annual cost) Benefit: Immediate: 250 students access sources Long-term: 400 students/year access sources 36 Cost-benefit example 1 Solution: Digitize 1,000 items Cost/benefit of solution: Immediate: $8 per student Long-term: $0.50 per student (cost of maintaining service)
- 13. 13 37 Cost-benefit example 2 Solution: Provide 2 more traveling trunks Cost: Equipment: $1,000 (one-time cost) Personnel: $1,500 (annual cost) Benefit: Immediate: 300 students access sources Long-term: 300 students/year access sources 38 Cost-benefit example 2 Solution: Provide 2 more traveling trunks Cost/benefit of solution: Immediate: $5 per student Long-term: $3 per student (cost of maintaining service) 39 Cost-benefit comparison Solution: Digitization Cost/benefit: Immediate: $8.00 per student Long-term: $0.50 per student Solution: Traveling trunks Cost/benefit: Immediate: $5.00 per student Long-term: $3.00 per student
- 14. 14 40 Risk-Benefit Analysis Proposed solution: Digitize 1,000 items and put them online Risks Benefits High initial cost Low cost (ongoing) Obsolete formats Items can be reused in other projects Copyright concerns Potential revenue from licensing images Unproven educational value Support from management and teachers 41 Checking the Plan Will the project achieve the desired result for your target audience(s)? Are the project goals achievable, given the opportunities and constraints your organization may face in the near future? Do the key stakeholders support the decisions that have been made?