VRE Programme Initiation Programme Management

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VRE Programme InitiationProgramme Management

• Maia Dimitrova
• 12th January 2005

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Programme Overview

• Runs from April 2004 to October 2007
• Is financed from a 3.2million grant from the
  Comprehensive Spending Review
• Most of the funds have been allocated, apart
  from 200,000 for a programme formative
  evaluation study, and an additional amount for
  small-scale supporting studies

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Programme Structure

• Strand (i) large scale projects based on
  existing frameworks, such as Sakai or OGCE
• 6 projects
• Strand (ii) projects to identify deploy
  functionality
• 2 projects
• Strand (iii) projects to develop and deploy
  lightweight, proof-of-concept VRE demonstrators
• 4 projects
• Cross-strand
• 3 projects
• Strand (vi) programme formative evaluation

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The Programme and You

• The programme is here to support you and your
  project
• development
• To achieve this we provide
• JISC programme manager
• JISC programme meetings
• JISC project management guidelines
• JISC support services
• JISC workshops, seminars and town meetings

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Programme Manager

• The main responsibilities are
• Strategy contribute to the strategic
  development of the programme
• Management monitor projects and prepare
  detailed reports on progress support
  dissemination and evaluation activities
  commission supporting studies
• Financial monitor and report on expenditure
• Project Support provide advice and support
• Evaluation liaise with evaluators and projects

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Programme Manager

• The main responsibilities are
• Dissemination develop materials for the
  community
• Sustainability develop proposals plans to
  sustain access and preservation of outputs
• Coordination promote synergy between projects
• Representation presentations at conferences
  etc

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Programme Meetings

• These brief projects and share knowledge within
  and across programmes. These are bi-annual and
  attendance is mandatory
• They will enable you to
• Get out of the office and network
• Strut your stuff
• See how your work and results fit into the
  programme
• See how to maximise success in the community

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Project Visits

• Once a year
• Take about ½ a day
• A chance to the programme manager to get to know
  project staff project work
• A chance to each project to demonstrate progress
• made

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Key Dates
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JISC Project Management Guidelines

• Overview of core project management documents
• Templates for core project management documents
• Make reporting easier
• Complement in-house management approaches, such
  as Prince 2
• URL http//www.jisc.ac.uk/proj_manguide.html

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Core Project Documents
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Project Plans

• Projects starting October/November 2004
• 1st Drafts 17 December 2004
• Final 11 February 2005
• Projects starting December/January/February 2005
• 1st Drafts 6 weeks after start date
• Final end of February/March/April 2005
• Documents to be submitted
• Cover Page
• Project Plan, including a new QA Plan
• Budgets
• Workpackages
• Consortium Agreement (if applicable)
• Project Web Page

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Project Monitoring

• Projects monitored according to
• Scope (Project Plan)
• Budget (Project Budget)
• Time (Work Package Plan)
• Quality (Quality Assurance Plan)
• Notify Programme Manager of accomplishing
  milestones and submit associated deliverables
• Major changes/revisions need to be approved by
  JISC Executive
• Programme needs to know of any problems
• affecting the project work outputs

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Communication

• JISC web site programme page
• http//www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?nameprogramme_vre
  
• eMail lists
• JISC-VRE_at_jiscmail.ac.uk (for project
  management/organisational issues)
• JISC-VRE-OPEN_at_jiscmail.ac.uk
• www.jiscmail.ac.uk
• m.dimitrova_at_jisc.ac.uk
• tel [phone]
• mob [phone]

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Future Events

• 14 March 2005
• E-Learning Framework Developers Forum - Oxford
• 12 April 2005
• JISC Conference - Birmingham
• 20-22 Sep 2005
• UK e-Science All Hands Meeting (AHM 2005) -
  Nottingham

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EvaluationDisseminationExit/Sustainability

• Maia Dimitrova

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Project Plans Feedback

• Use the correct templates and complete them as
  much as possible, including a full budget
• Read and adhere to the grant letter
• Specify measurable objectives and tangible
  outputs
• Describe the methodology and critical success
  factors in section 3. Overall Approach
• Provide mapping between objectives and outputs in
  the plan and those in the workpackages
• Include project management, QA, and dissemination
  activities in the workpackages

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Programme Evaluation

• Formative
• Done during the programme duration
• ITT to be issued in February/March 2005
• Aim to
• Assess how effectively projects are meeting the
  aims of the programme
• Gather and disseminate best practice
• Identify gaps
• Raise awareness of the programme and stimulate
  discussion on VREs in the community
• Projects are expected to co-operate

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Project Evaluation

• Aims to evaluate the overall success of project
  activities and outputs
• Conduct formatively throughout project duration
• 3 main elements
• QA Plan, as specified in section 17
• Reflection on projects scope and strategic
  direction
• Assessment of dependencies and changes in
  external factors

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Dissemination Plan

• Explain how projects will share outcomes and
  learning with stakeholders and the community
• Raise awareness let other know what you are
  doing
• Inform educate the community
• Engage get input/feedback from the community
• Promote sell your outputs and results

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Dissemination Plan

• Audience
• Key messages - different messages for different
  audiences
• Timing
• Methods
• Conferences, workshops demonstrations
• Case studies
• Web sites
• Online discussion email lists

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Exit/Sustainability Plan

• Exit The planning needed to complete the
  project and get the best value from the work that
  has been funded
• Sustainability An assessment of which project
  outputs should be sustained after the project
  ends, how and by whom

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Sustainability Plan

• Actions for take up
• What embedding is needed for the change you
  envisage?
• Your project outputs may also include tools,
  models, guidelines methods, case studies,
  knowledge or recommendations dissemination will
  be important to inform the community about your
  work which will aid sustainability

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Sustainability Plan

• Variety of routes
• Open Middleware Infrastructure Institute (OMII)?
• Open source (various options)
• Continued in-house support
• Other partnerships
• Other project funding