Producing Online Heritage Projects

1. Project Planning

1.4 Establishing a Schedule

You may want to celebrate an event or anniversary with the launch of your online heritage product, or set a deadline based on your current long-term schedule. Either way, once you establish a launch date, you can work backward from the date and identify everything that needs to be done to meet the product launch date. If your launch doesn't have to be tied to a specific event, then you can, of course, work forward through the various production steps to set a launch date.

Develop a detailed list of activities, with the time required for each. Once this has been done, priorities can be set for the activities, which can often be conducted concurrently rather than sequentially. Establish milestones to mark the completion of all tasks and activities related to specific phases of the project, or types of work required. Include project resources as a critical part of this list.

It is crucial that you establish a detailed project schedule listing every step, activity and milestone, and their deadlines. Schedule contingency time, or a "buffer zone" to allow for contingencies or for tasks taking longer than anticipated. Unforeseen circumstances arise during the course of even the best-planned and managed projects. Also consider the learning curve. Is your team experienced in this kind of work? Or will an initial task take longer as some team members hone their skills?

Identify key points throughout the development process for contacting project stakeholders, such as partners and sponsors, to request feedback and approval. These can be identified as milestones in your project schedule.

It is important for you and your team to obtain the approval of stakeholders from the very beginning, to ensure that your approach, content and technology choices meet project objectives. Use this initial planning period to identify any significant changes made to the original project plan and inform everyone about these. During later development phases, request detailed feedback on elements of design, usability and content. Responding appropriately to the feedback you receive will be much easier if you allocate generous time periods for stakeholder reviews, for making the resulting modifications or changes, and for receiving approvals.

Allow time for testing throughout the project, not just at the end. It is better to decide early that something is not working, so that you can make other arrangements to accommodate or change it, if necessary.

Figure 5: Sample Project Schedule

Project Milestones—Are We on Target?

Throughout the project schedule, you need to identify milestones that can be measured. Identify specific tasks to be completed, reviewed, and reported on by target dates. Depending on the size of the project and the length of the schedule, there should be several measurable milestones.

Keep track of who is responsible for each step or milestone. It is important to keep your project on track and on time. Figure 5 shows a Sample Project Schedule. Appendix E, Sample Project Plan Checklist, is a tool to help you develop your own project schedule.

Testing and Focus Groups

It is important to test and evaluate your product after every milestone, whether by getting feedback from stakeholders, testing product functionality or consulting a focus group. Catching errors as each stage of work is completed is far more efficient than reviewing and testing all elements together as they near completion. Testing and focus group evaluation should be planned ahead and incorporated into your schedule.

Focus groups

A group of potential users that is identified to review, test and discuss your developing Web product is referred to as a focus group. These users should represent your product's target audience. Where do you find people willing to become part of a focus group? That depends on who the target audience is.

Suggestions of places to reach your target audience:

• local schools, colleges, universities, night schools, art schools
• local library
• gallery or museum Web site or member newsletter
• community events/volunteers section of the local newspaper or Web site
• professional association or society
• churches, synagogues, temples and mosques

If the product is targeted at a young audience, try:

• organizations and institutions that have youth groups
• children of friends, colleagues and museum or gallery members or volunteers
• scouts, guides and other youth groups

The number of participants can vary depending on the size of the facility for the focus group meeting. Groups should not be too large. If you have more then ten people, dividing the group into separate sessions, will keep discussion useful and focused.

Unless your group is very small (two or three people), you will need an overhead projector connected to a computer that has the prototype running on it. The prototype can be copied to a CD, or to the hard drive of the computer. If possible, tape record the session. This can be useful in capturing all of the comments for reference afterwards. Ask the focus group subjects for permission before recording the session. If you wish to use their comments as testimonials for the product launch, inform the group of your intentions and ask their permission for this as well.

Prepare a list of specific questions for the focus group participants. Some of the questions can gather information about your target market and others can be specific to the product. Questionnaires with multiple-choice answers and comments are easy to use. Compiling results is easier using weighted choices, and comments can support and illustrate the analysis following compilation.

Expert Advice

Collecting comments from users when testing gives you testimonials, which can be used in marketing your product when it is ready to launch.

Important steps for successful focus groups:

• Explain what you are doing and why you are developing the Web presentation.
• Remain objective. Leave your own preconceived notions and biases at the door. Consider having someone else lead the discussion.
• Keep to your list of questions, or to the discussion guide that has been prepared, but be flexible.
• Let the participants do most of the talking. Encourage them to express their feelings and thoughts.
• Give everyone an opportunity for input.
• Record the session and/or ask the participants to write down their comments on the provided answer sheet.
• Have relevant observers present but not actively participating.
• If possible, do not involve team members with the focus group, as members may be too close to the project. Instead try to hire an independent person for the project who will work with the focus group and report to you.

Most people who agree to become part of a focus group understand they are volunteering their time. An incentive, however, is an effective way of ensuring you do not end up with no-shows. If a small honorarium payment is not possible, perhaps a poster, a book or free admittance pass would be suitable. Another reason for a gift is to show participants that you value their time and input.

Following your testing, review all of the comments made. Play back the session recording, and add to the notes taken during the session. Consider all suggestions for changes and improvements. Then quantify them. How long will that take to change? What will it cost? How much value will it add? Then proceed to plan the modifications that make the most sense within your budget and schedule.

Getting the Team On-Side

Ensuring that team members understand their roles and responsibilities makes it easier for you to manage the project budget, schedule and resources.

After identifying the individual strengths, experience and preferences of team members, assign specific activities and add them to your task list. Hold a team meeting to discuss the list and assignments, as well as individual meetings with each team member to review responsibilities in detail and address any questions they may have.

Once you have completed the project schedule with the input of team members, stakeholders and possibly some expert advice, it should be shared with all team members. This is an important buy-in phase. If the people who will be carrying out the tasks do not feel that the schedule is realistic and achievable, then you'd better go back to the drawing board.

Individual team members must recognize that if they miss a deadline in their work it could affect the work of another team member. Make sure the team understands these kinds of limitations (of time, budget or a specified deadline), and that they are prepared to follow the schedule.

As the project manager, confer with each team member on a regular basis to be sure that his or her assignment is on track. Hold regular group meetings to inform everyone about progress and to resolve issues, in accordance with the team operating rules that have been established.