This document discusses digital project management and success. It begins with learning objectives around developing and executing project ideas. It then shapes the workshop around discussing traditional project management, how digital projects differ, planning projects, setting goals, conceptual approaches, tools, and tips. It defines projects and typical lifecycles. It emphasizes starting with the end in mind by planning for project completion and follow up. The document discusses balancing project constraints, user-centered design, communication tools, documentation, and dealing with challenges. It also presents various digital project management tools for planning, managing, and sharing projects.
3. How Many of You Have Taken any
Training in Project Management?
4. Shape of Our Workshop
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What is Project Management in the Traditional Sense?
How is Digital Different?
How to Plan Projects
How to Set Goals
How to Conceptually Address the Digital Challenge
Tools
Tips
5. Defintions
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So what is a project? (digital or otherwise)
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A working definition:
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“one-off, non-repeated set of tasks,
which achieves clearly stated objectives
within a time limit"
6. Defintions
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What is a typical project lifecycle?
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Define ->
Plan ->
Implement and Control
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Close/Handover ->
Evaluate
->
7. Why the End belongs at the Beginning
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The importance of finishing
The importance of finishing well
The importance of knowing what finishing means
The importance of planning for what happens 'after you
finish'
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Build into budget
8. The Cynical View of Project Management
Good
Choose any two:
Fast
Cheap
10. Exercise 1 (c.10 minutes )
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Please break into small groups of 3;
Decide on the top five (5) things that you learned from
previous projects—things project participants should
never forget - These can be dos or don’ts;
Brainstorm and then one member from each group to
report back.
12. Before you jump in …the ‘cycle’
Study /Consider the likely Audience
for your Research Product - Potential Users
in order to
Set Project Goals and Create a Project Plan
in order to
Manage the Project and Achieve those Goals
14. The Conceptualisation
(re)process after Funding
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Take a look at process at TAPoR2
Why? A very robust Digital Humanities Project … and an
exercise in User-Centred Design
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Objective -> Scan -> Stories -> Scenarios -> Use Cases ->
Wireframes -> Prototype -> Test -> Iterate -> Document ->
Release -> Repeat!
16. Study the likely audience of your digital
collection (or resource)
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Think like an editor, indexer or cataloguer:
Who will use the resource?
What will they do with it?
What questions can you ask of your digital creation?
17. Study the likely audience of your digital
collection (or resource)
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Think like an editor, indexer or cataloguer:
Who will use the resource?
What will they do with it?
What questions can you ask of the digital creation?
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Conduct focus groups and/or surveys
Get feedback at early stages of website or database design
Project presentations or poster sessions at conferences will
keep people updated
18. Not just at the beginning …
Study users not only at the beginning but at all stages of
the project.
‣ !!User testing is on ongoing, iterative process.!!!
‣ In addition to focus groups at the beginning, have these
or other potential users look at mock-ups and test out
site prototypes.
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19. User Guided Tools
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Persona
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Scenario
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Imaginary or real
If imagined need to think in real terms
A task - as granular as possible
A problem faced and resolved
A feature exploited
Use Case
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Actor and response from product/real world
Inspired by Don Norman (Everyday Things)
20. Set Project Goals and Create a Project Plan
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It’s important to define exactly what the project aims to
achieve.
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What will be achieved, and under what conditions and
partnerships will it succeed?
Rank your goals in terms of importance.
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In case time, money, or both run out, what is most important?
21. The Project Charter
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put it on paper
formally a statement of work
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Objectives
Maybe even values in a forward thinking project
Where will the project be at the end?
Can Change as project progresses - ideally should be organic
22. Again before you start...
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Take a good look around - Environmental Scan
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Don’t re-invent the wheel
Good digital project managers don’t re-invent
They adapt and innovate
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Steve Jobs: Good Artists Copy - Great Artists Steal!
23. Write it down - Document!
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Not everyone interprets or recalls the same initial or
subsequent project discussion the same way!
Often when groups involved, it’s crucial to have memos of
understanding...but these make sense for individuals too.
Write out your objectives and plan and turn to it
throughout
Revise and document why revised
24. Your project plan should contain
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Project phases
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In case limited resources prevent you from accomplishing all
that you plan to, the most important and/or easiest work (in
the earliest stages) will still get accomplished - remember
our priorities?
A timeline showing how things come together:
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what and when, including dependencies
25. Projects and Time Management
Divide (as much as possible) the project into discreet and
manageable tasks
‣ Identify all tasks that need to be performed for a particular activity
‣ divide tasks into component parts
‣ don’t overlap of tasks within different sub-elements
‣ don't leave gaps
‣ Be realistic about the time an activity will take
‣ Break down tasks into reasonable time-units
‣ no point in setting unrealistic goals
‣ assess progress and revise
‣ Leverage the Tools
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27. You are the project manager
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The PM is responsible for implementing the project plan
(and perhaps formulating it in detail).
The PM is proactive:
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Seeking out information
Involving people who are critical to the project
Sharing information with those who need it
Putting information in writing
The PM must be committed to the project’s success and must
encourage others to also be committed.
28. Working the Plan
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Perhaps the most crucial part of project management is
an ongoing process involving:
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Flexibility: know when to stop and change plans
Adherence: know when to stick to the plan
Communication: know who needs to know what when
Damage Limitation: when things go wrong how to fix them
29. Things Go Wrong
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Delays often arise because time estimates are too short.
That’s why you plan for project phases.
On the other hand, internal deadlines are useful for
keeping forward momentum, especially on any long-term
project.
Revisit the project plan often and decide when to revise
the plan and when to stick to it.
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Project planning is iterative … like user testing!
30. People have different communication
styles and preferences
Asynchronous (delayed)
Synchronous (instantaneous)
in writing
‘live’
does not necessarily break
concentration
requires interruption from work
allows time for reflection
easier to keep track of discussions
Find an appropriate mix of the two and appropriate tools
for each.
31. Some communication tools
Asynchronous (delayed)
Some of both
Synchronous (instantaneous)
Email
Online forums
Word Docs
Wikis
Google Docs
Google +
PiratePad
Instant Messaging
VoIP (like Skype)
Meetings
Chatting at someone’s desk
Over the phone
Later we’ll talk a bit more about some of these,
plus look at software designed specifically for
project management.
32. Types of documentation
For the project and future stewards of the digital resource:
‣ Internal documentation on decisions reached and how to
carry the work forward (in case of changes in people
involved or in case the project is revived in the future)
‣ Commented computer code
‣ For stakeholders (institutional funders, grant agencies) and the
PR division:
‣ Promotional material (online and/or in print)
‣ For users:
‣ Documentation (if necessary)
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33. Like user testing and project planning,
project management as a whole is iterative
Evaluate
Design
Monitor
Implement
34. The Big Picture
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All the projects you will be working on will reside in a larger context of
digital projects worldwide
‣ What is the current expectation by potential users?
‣ What new communities may benefit from your resource?
‣ What other projects will yours be in dialogue with?
‣ Digital arts and humanities projects in Ireland and the UK
‣ how will these projects fit together?
‣ what interoperability and synergies can be achieved
‣ in the rapidly changing environment of the web
‣ how do new technologies affect your project plan?
‣ changing expectations of users?
35. Exercise 2 (in groups again 20 Minutes)
1.What has happened?
2.Why has it happened?
3.How can it be put back on track?
36. What’s Gone Wrong with the Collaboratory?
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Project Leader is afraid to
delegate
Project Leader is trying to be
friends with everyone
Deadlines have slipped
Budget was unrealistic
WBS was not detailed enough
WBS was too rigid and
assumed all was known in
advance
Two rivals on the team are
sabotaging one another
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No complete Project Team
meeting
Another project is infringing
time/resources
No clear leader
Conflicting personal
agendas…assumed that all
on same page
Missing expertise
Missing detailed plan after
getting the initial grant
Poor communication
39. How Many Would Turn to Wikipedia for
Answers?
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_project-management_software
40. Tools: Defining and Planning
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In a Professional World focus on Process
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PMP - Project Management Professional PMP™
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Microsoft Project (Windows)
MicroPlanner Pro (Windows)
OmniPlan (OSX)
Open Source
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project.net (All Platforms)
58. Delivering/Sharing
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Come out to our next Visualisation, Omeka, Exhibit,
Neatline Workshop!
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Omeka
Neatline
Simile Exhibit 2.0 or 3.0 (note Zotero connection)
Palladio
59. Upcoming Seminars and Workshops
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Survey of Digital Humanities Ecosystem
An Introduction to Data Visualisation Tools and Methods
Data Visualisation for Presentation
An Introduction to Omeka
An Introduction to Exhibit
Social Scholarship – Tools for Collaborative Research
Data Visualisation for Textual and Spatial Analysis
More to come: http://qubdh.co.uk
60. Thank You
Shawn Day - s.day@qub.co.uk - @iridium
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The Library/Institute for Collaborative
Research in the Humanities
http://qubdh.co.uk