Transcript Web Project Management for Libraries

Web Project Management for Libraries
Making Project Management Work For You
Jason A. Clark
Reference/Web Services Librarian
Williams College Libraries
[email protected]
Computers in Libraries
Washington D.C.
18 March 2005
A little background…
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My background – UW Division of
Information Technology, Academic
Libraries
5 person team – systems, ref, web
services team members
My Workplace - Williams College
A private, residential, and liberal arts college with graduate programs in the
history of art and in development economics. The undergraduate enrollment is
Approximately 2,000 students. Williamstown is located in the Berkshires in
northwestern Massachusetts, 145 miles from Boston and 165 miles from New York
City.
Nature of web projects
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Web project = any business service delivered
via web to end user
Unique nature of web project as part
application/part web document needs to be part
of planning
Communication tools with global reach
Wide range of user requirements
Shorter project life cycles
What does a library web project look like?
It can look and feel something like this…
but it doesn’t have to…
Particular challenges of a library
Web project
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Ad-hoc committees, varying expertise
Sporadic project work
Shifting deadlines, shifting priorities
Team members and many hats
Limited funding for third-party software or
contract work
Shifting information needs and user
expectations
Project Management: A Solution
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Defining a goal – a deliverable
Identifying strengths and risks
Opening communication about the process
Establishing timelines and tracking progress
Gather those requirements
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Define boundary and scope of project
Agree on goals of project
Establish a realistic schedule
Identify strengths of team or look for possible
expertise outside of team
Earmark strengths and weaknesses in proposed
plan
Williams College Libraries Web Team
Project Definition Report
Project:
Project Champion:
Project Manager:
Redesign of Library Web Site
Christine Menard, head - research services
Jason A. Clark, web team chair
Purpose: Create a central conduit for library information and services that is easy to use, simple to maintain and highlights the research role of
the library
Why?
- bring library services online to reach out to remote users that may never visit physical library
- need to streamline paths to research and instruction information in site
- reduce web workers time in adding, updating, and deleting web pages
- need for a more modern look and feel to reflect modern research library
Outputs: The project will deliver a new web site comprising:
What?
- site template that allows for global navigation, headers and footers adding a composite feel to the site
- design that allows for different layouts to accomodate all types of content within the site – informational, instructional, research
tools, interactive
- improved navigation with simple categories for users and multiple points of entry to web pages
- site that answers information needs of primary users – student researchers
- reorganization (including deleting and archiving of directories and files) of site directory; each directory will have a “table of
contents” index page with a link to all files contained in directory
The project will be complete after proper testing and educating of users has occurred and the site is live.
Scope:
Define stages of web redesign project and describe actions within stages
How?
Discovery: Gather requirements and define objectives
Research: Analyze current user data and site files, draft design plan
Design: Create working model of site
Evaluate: Assess achievement of user requirements
Deploy: Train users, create documentation to aid in use and maintenance of site
Author(s): Jason A. Clark, Lori DuBois
Date: 02 February 2005
Divide project into manageable tasks
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Assign team members to tasks that appeal to
interests
Break project into tasks with dependent
beginning and ending phases
Declare a critical path for the project to follow
Stage
End of Stage
Key Issues and Design Criteria
Assigned Team
Members
Timetable
Discovery
Write a clear brief of objectives
Background, context, project deliverables, define staff
and user needs, discuss appropriate timetable,
consider realistic workflow
Lori, Jason
2 weeks
Deadline:
Feb. 2, 2005
Research
Analyze current user data, derive
plan for implementation
Usability Testing, Card sort, Content Inventory,
Consider options for deploying site, Define critical path
for project to follow
Jason, Jodi
3 months
Deadline:
May 2, 2005
Design
Create working model of new site
Weed/Archive outdated content, Create new look,
Decide on navigation and format of pages, Decide on
types of pages needed, Reformat old content, Test
new designs iteratively
6 months
Deadline:
Nov. 2, 2005
Evaluate
Assess achievement of user
requirements
Survey and test possible users, Adjust design
according to findings
2 months?
Deadline:
Jan. 15,
2006
Deploy
Train users and create
documentation to aid in use and
maintenance of site
Communicating changes to public, scheduling for the
rollout, educating users, Draft documentation
2 weeks
Deadline:
Jan. 29,
2006
Building and Designing
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Create project with idea that multiple
drafts/versions may be needed
Promote a supportive development
environment where team members can learn
and ask for help without impacting production
side of web site
*a playground or web sandbox - let your colleagues learn in a live
environment
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Pair team members with complementary skills
Offer tutorials on essential aspects of project –
writing for the web, xhtml, css, programming
Document the project
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I’m using the word broadly - meeting minutes,
blog conversations, text documents, paper
documents
A means to open communication to other library
staff; create forums for discussion
Generate “buy-in” for a project
Provide a framework for assessing project
status
Blog it! (Documentation cont.)
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Centralize team communications
Archive team communications
Use webfeeds to keep team members updated
Open your comments for other perspectives students?
Talk online, save time
wclwebteam.blogspot.com
Web Project Tracker
(Documentation cont.)
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Records current status of library web projects
Built with open source, DIY - MySQL and PHP
Ability to assign owners to projects
Central web submission form - updates, deletes,
edits and new proposals
Creates a working agenda for every meeting
www.williams.edu/library/admin/projects/
Giving up ownership
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Recognizing the power of delegating
Williams Indexes and Databases
www.williams.edu/library/indexes/
Hidden benefits – Subject Guides, Trials
Closing the project
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Test your prototype and leave time for changes
Educate your primary users
Draft promotional communications
Draft a maintenance plan
Roll it out!
Tips for Library Web Projects
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Define your objectives
Open up your communications
Document for your team and others
Know your strengths and weaknesses
Build around flexible schedules (“Bend don’t
break.”)
Look at how newer technologies can streamline
your workflow
*Think strategically about a web management structure for
your library.
Other Project Management Tools
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ScratchPad: A Quality Management System
for Library Web Sites - University Libraries at Albany
library.albany.edu/scratchpad
BaseCamp: Free, Web-based Project Management Tool
www.basecamphq.com
Ta-Da Lists: Free, Web-based List Management Tool
www.tadalist.com
Microsoft Project: Office Software for the PC
www.microsoft.com/office/project
phpCollab: http://www.php-collab.org/blog/
dotproject: http://www.dotproject.net/index.php
Useful Project Management Resources
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Gantthead – www.gantthead.com
Project Management Institute – www.pmi.org
Content and Workflow Management for Library
Web Sites: Case Studies edited by Holly Yu
Managing Web Projects by J. Rodney Turner
Questions?
Jason A. Clark is currently the
digital initiatives librarian at
Montana State University.
www.jasonclark.info
Email him at [email protected].