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Use of this template
Instructions throughout this document are in colour text (as per this section). Please remove all colour text before finalizing this document. You may find it convenient to print this document out before modifying the template.
To change to project name in the footer – select: View | Header and Footer
Version number : -- Date : --/--/----
Note: this document complements the Teaching Project Proposal template. It is adapted from the University of Tasmania Draft Project Planning Template produced by the Project Office and material developed by the University of New England through a CUTSD- funded project titled Project Management for Success in Teaching and Learning Projects . For the full set of materials see: http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/projects/ - _blank

CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION, RATIONALE AND SCOPE .......................................................... 3
O UTLINE OF PROJECT .............................................................................................................................. 3
S TATEMENT OF OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 3
S TATEMENT OF THOSE WHO ARE TO BENEFIT .............................................................................................. 3
S TATEMENT OF
‘
OUTPUTS
’
OR DELIVERABLES ............................................................................................. 3
S COPE OF THE PROJECT .......................................................................................................................... 3
A SSUMPTIONS AND / OR CONSTRAINTS ........................................................................................................ 3
PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................... 4
PROJECT ORGANISATION ..................................................................................................... 5
S TEERING / MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ........................................................................................................ 5
P ROJECT TEAM ....................................................................................................................................... 5
C ONSULTANTS ........................................................................................................................................ 6
R EFERENCE GROUPS ............................................................................................................................... 6
PROJECT TIMEFRAME AND GENERAL WORK BREAKDOWN .......................................... 7
B ROAD WORK BREAKDOWN ...................................................................................................................... 7
D EPENDENT PROJECTS ............................................................................................................................ 7
RESOURCES AND BUDGET ................................................................................................... 8
P EOPLE ................................................................................................................................................. 8
F
UNDS
................................................................................................................................................... 8
E QUIPMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 8
O
THER
................................................................................................................................................... 8
QUALITY MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................ 9
ISSUES MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................... 9
RISK MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................... 9
COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING .................................................................................. 10
PROJECT EVALUATION ....................................................................................................... 11
FURTHER DETAIL / ACTIONS .............................................................................................. 12
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................... 13
R ISK M ANAGEMENT P LAN ...................................................................................................................... 14
R EPORTING P LAN ................................................................................................................................. 15
To reset this Table of Contents once the document is complete:
1.
Select the whole table (above)
2.
Hover over the selected are (with your pointer) and right-click.
3.
From the pop-up menu click “Update field”
4.
Select “Update entire table”
5.
Click “Ok”.
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Briefly describe the nature of the project, the issues/problems it addresses, and what it is generally intended to do – i.e. its objectives.
Clearly detail the particular teaching and learning benefits that will flow from the project. (Note: a definitive statement – e.g. a series of dot points – is crucial here if you are to effectively evaluate your project. The statement should clearly flag how success can be measured.)
Specify those who will benefit from the project, both directly and indirectly; e.g. students, teaching staff, School, Faculty, University, broader community.
These are the actual product(s), structure(s) or service(s) you will develop, and which you hope will deliver the desired outcomes.
Describe what is to be included in the deliverables – e.g. what’s to be included in a learning package; scope of delivery, and any other boundaries drawn around the project.
Specify any assumptions made in planning which, if prove erroneous, will impact on the project.
Specify known constraints (obstacles etc.) that will impede/limit progress – e.g. budgetary constraints, staff release etc.
Outline any strategies to work within, or around these constraints.
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Constraints/assumptions Strategies
Detail the significant people/groups who have a vested interest in the project outcomes, and what that interest is. (These include people who will/may be impacted by the project, or have an impact on the project itself.)
Name Project role / relationship
Interest Contact details
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This section details the organisational structure for planning and managing the project. Note: For smaller projects, a steering/management committee may not be required.
The Steering/Management Committee is charged with overseeing the management and achievement of the project’s objectives. It should have a Chairperson and include the project leader as a member (who may be the chairperson). Key stakeholders should be represented on the committee .
Position Name
Chairperson
Project leader
Other members
Outline the responsibilities and activities of the Committee here. For example:
‘It will have responsibility for policy and resource decisions essential to the delivery of the project’s objectives. It will do this by managing the following project attributes:

The scope of the project as defined in this document.

Approval of priorities set.

Oversight of the major project plans:

Project timeline

Communications & reporting

Risk management

Project budget

Project evaluation
The Committee will also monitor the progress of the Project Team and provide ongoing guidance as required.
The Committee will meet on a ……… basis (specify meeting details)’
The project team is charged with the execution of appropriate tasks so that the objectives of the project are achieved. It should have both a project leader and a
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project manager. The project leader is the link between the Steering Committee and the project team. The project manager is responsible for planning, coordinating and monitoring the day-to-day activities of the team, managing the budget, and reporting to/liaising with the project leader and other personnel. The project manager is directly responsible for the outputs/’deliverables’ of the project.
Depending on the project, project leadership and management functions may or may not be undertaken by the one person. The one person may carry out both roles if the project is relatively small and that person has the time to do both jobs. In other situations it’s preferable to split the roles; e.g. academic member of staff as leader; dedicated support staff member as project manager.
Name Project role
Project leader
Project manager
Contact details
Include a note if it will be necessary to employ consulting services; e.g. ‘the project will employ ……….from ….. for planning, training, implementation, evaluation assistance. At this stage it is considered that no more than two weeks of consulting is likely to be required.’
Your project may benefit from establishment of a reference group to provide advice to the project manager and/or Steering Committee.
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Indicate how the project will be divided up into major phases/stages and/or list the broad activities and tasks that must be done to complete the project. Include their timelines. For example phases could include:

Planning and design

Development

Piloting/testing

Delivery/implementation

Evaluation
Note: phases may overlap; e.g. evaluation may be undertaken across other phases as well as following implementation.
Phase/stage/activity/major task Duration Beginning Ending
Project management software such as Microsoft Project can be used for scheduling major projects, where numerous tasks need to be clustered under each of the major phases and where a detailed work breakdown sheet is required.
Resources—people, equipment etc.—will need to be assigned to these more specific/detailed tasks . This can be set out in a Resource Allocation Plan (e.g. See
UNE’s ‘Resource Allocation Schedule) or within
Microsoft Project .
List here any projects that will affect the outcomes or deliverables of this project, and how so.
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List the resources that have been made available to the project – people (and time fraction/costs), money, equipment, facilities, etc. This should link to the Budget Plan for the project.
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Briefly describe critical activities/tasks (i.e. processes) that are likely to raise quality issues, and how you plan to deal with them.
Briefly describe how you will ensure quality of outputs
Briefly describe any issues or concerns that will need to be addressed, and how you propose to approach/deal with them
Every project has areas of risk that may create major problems or failure. Summarise the key risks associated with the project; i.e. risks that will need to be managed – refer to the Risk Management Plan here. Note that risks can be associated with the project itself (‘project’ risks) as well as with the impact of the project on other programs, personnel, etc. (‘strategic’ risks).
For further information see UNE’s
Project Management for Success in Teaching and
Learning Projects , Section 3.4.
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Outline how communication will occur between the various levels in the project’s organisational structure, and within the project team itself . Also consider communication with key stakeholders outside the immediate project management structure.
Communication between X and Y
Means of communication
Frequency Key purpose(s)
For planning with regard to reporting on the project, see the Reporting Plan attached.
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Outline what phases/stages/aspects of the project will be evaluated, and how they will be evaluated (for example, evaluation of outputs – ‘fitness for purpose’; evaluation ff outcomes). This statement should articulate with the quality management plan (see earlier) and the more detailed Evaluation Plan . For assistance on how to construct such a plan, see the Project Evaluation Toolkit . – from the Teaching and Learning website
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Insert here any further plan items pertinent to the project.
: -----------
------------
: ------------------------- (Project Leader)
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A. Risk Management Plan
B. Reporting Plan
These two more detailed planning sheets complement this project plan.
To summarise, in addition to the main Project Plan, you are advised to develop more detailed plans:

Budget Plan

Detailed Work Breakdown Plan

Resource Allocation Plan

Risk Management Plan

Reporting Plan

Evaluation Plan
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Give each risk factor a value of High (H), Medium (M) or Low (L) in terms of likelihood of happening, and H, M, or L in terms of seriousness of impact upon the project should the risk eventuate. (Note that likelihood of each risk eventuating, and even impact, may alter over the life of the project, so risks will need regular monitoring.)
Also include the nature of the impact should a risk be realized. For those risks identified as either H/H, H/M or M/H, outline the strategies to minimize those risks (in terms of reducing likelihood and/or impact). [Note: these are the risks that need managing.]
Risk factor
Likelihood
(H, M, L)
Impact
(H, M, L)
Nature of impact Minimisation strategy
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Audience for report
Content/intent of report
(e.g. progress; budget)
Format of report To be prepared by Date/frequency
How report is to be delivered
Project team
Head of
School/Faculty Dean
School/faculty staff
Steering Committee
Students
University at large
Other
[Adapted from Brinkerhoff, R.O., Brethower, D. M., Hluchyj, T. and Nowakowski, J. R. (1983). Program Evaluation: A Practitioner's Guide for Trainers and Educators .
Design Manual, pp. 83-84. Kluwer.Nijhoff Publishing. Boston.]
University of Tasmania
Last updated: 26/08/03
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