Developing a Project Plan and
Budget
October 28, 2009
Laura Dorman, Resource & Policy Analyst, Institutional Research
Patrick Mullen, Assistant Professor, Public Administration
Deb Koua, Grants and Contracts Coordinator, Academic Affairs
Developing a Realistic Plan for Data
Collection
Establishing your data collection plan should be viewed as a
fundamental step in any research project.
Laura Dorman
Office of Institutional Research
Data Collection Planning

Ask this question: “Who will
collect what, when, and from
where?
Advantages to Developing a Plan for
Data Collection

Understanding of needed tasks

Identification of staff assignments

Overview of the time needed to complete
tasks

Organization of resources to boost
efficiency

Minimization of errors and delays
When Should You Develop Your Data
Collection Plan?




Data collection plan and budget go handin-hand.
Develop the “first-draft” of your data
collection plan while developing your
project proposal.
Make revisions of your data collection
plan as needed during the project
proposal stage.
You’d rather make changes prior to
funding as opposed to after a contract has
been signed.
Data Collection Plan
Once you’ve defined your research
questions and identified the data
needed, think through these questions:




How will you gather your data?
Do you need permission
(internal/external)?
Is there an order or natural sequence
to the data collection?
How long will data collection take?
Work Plans
It is helpful to create a project work
plan.


One possibility is to identify the major
task, subtasks, time-frame, person(s)
responsible, and the resources needed.
Another possibility is to link the task to
the primary issue, also identifying
activities, person(s) responsibility and
time-frame.
Work Plan Example 1
Major Task
Task 1: Assessing
Program
Implementation
Subtask Area
Timeframe
Responsibility
Resources
Task 1.a:
Initial contact with correctional facilities
Month 1
LD, EC
personnel, travel
Task 1.b:
Compile list of interview subjects
Month 1
LD, MP
personnel
Task 1.c:
Conduct document review
Month 1
MP, LD
personnel, travel
Task 1.d:
Document analysis
Month 1
LD
personnel, travel
Task 1.e:
Finalize interview protocol
Month 1
LD, EC
personnel
Task 1.f:
Receive Human Subjects Permission
Month 1
LD
personnel
Task 1.g.:
Conduct interviews
Months 2 & 3
EC, LD
personnel, travel
Task 1.h:
Collect offender-based data from OTS
Month 3
MP
personnel, travel
Work Plan Example 2
Issue
Improving
Court
Performance
Activity
Task 1.a:
Solicit Membership in
Multidisciplinary Task Force
Task
1.b:
Research existing data
sources
Timeframe
Month 1
Month 2
Responsibility
Outcome
AH
Task force members
notified
AH, AR
Sources of acceptable
data identified by
collaborative effort
Task 1.c:
Meet with Task Force
Month 2
AH, AR
Identification of pilot
sites of representative
demographics
Task
1.d:
Assemble Survey Test Group
Months 3 & 4
AH, AR
Meeting set
Key Points

Establishing a data collection plan should be a fundamental step in
any research project.

Your data collection plan and your budget go “hand-in-hand”.

Your should develop your “first draft” data collection plan while
working on your proposal.

Always slightly overestimate the period needed for data collection and
analysis to allow for unforeseen delays.

Check with the “owners” of data for scheduling concerns. Talk with
them early and often.

Don’t underestimate the time needed for IRB approval. Contact them
early.

Don’t over-promise in your proposal.
Pat Mullen
http://www.aabpa.org/
Budget Categories

Personnel




Fringe Benefits



Faculty and staff
Students and hourly workers
Travel


Faculty and staff normally as a % of time
GAs at monthly rate
Students and hourly workers
State travel rates and regulations apply
Equipment

Threshold varies depending on sponsor
Budget Categories cont…

Supplies




Printing/Mailing/Duplicating
Contractual


Must be specific for the project
At times can include computers & software
Outside entities contributing to the project
Indirect


State and non-profits grants - 10%
Federal grants - 44.1%
University Rates
www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/rates.h
tml
www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/policie
s.html#budget
General Principles



Inflate costs in multi-year budgets
Be realistic, but estimate a bit high
Indirect costs are real costs to the
University and are not normally
waived