Statement of Need
Project Management is the art of keeping projects on track and pushing them through to successful completion. Project management can be as complex as involving staff from various departments over a period of time, or as simple as one person coordinating a large task. The purpose of improving project management skills among library staff is to provide methods to approach and organize projects, no matter the size or complexity.
Project management was identified in the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan as one of three areas of greatest need in the library. Expertise in project management is a critical skill needed to help staff address the increasing complexities and demands of the work environment. Ultimately, better project management skills will help library staff work smarter, faster and may even reduce stress by having projects flow more smoothly.
Benefits
- Setting priorities and having a focused way to achieve them will help projects run more smoothly.
- Projects will be better planned, organized and focused on the goals.
- With standardization and documentation of practices, new staff can be trained and work together more effectively by knowing what’s expected.
- Understanding common barriers to productivity will help avoid them.
Project Summary
To support the Library’s goal of becoming a Learning Organization, this project team is responsible for the following:
- Creating a timeline for the project team’s activities and results which will be regularly reported to the SDC by the SDC Ex-Officio Member.
- Developing a budget proposal which includes: trainer costs, materials, photocopies, refreshments, etc. for the SDC no later than May 31, 2006.
- Recommending a vendor or facilitator to the SDC (which must be approved for budget and contract purposes).
- Working with a vendor or facilitator to create a standard project management format which outlines the components of successful project management specifically for the Vanderbilt libraries.
- Selecting a training method. Will we use: “train the trainer”? Computer based training? A combination of these, or another option?
- Organizing the training session details (time, place, participant registration) and scheduling the programs.
- Creating communications that encourage people to want to learn about project management.
- Presenting project management as an interactive and useful skill to learn.
- Recording key points or feedback from participants that arise in the training sessions and reporting them to the SDC. This might be feedback on the meeting, training, vendor tools, or other staff issues that the Staff Development Committee should be aware of. Develop the course so that this training is offered to new staff and a refresher for existing staff.
- Developing the course so that this training is offered to new staff and a refresher for existing staff.
Project Champion/Owner
The Project Management Project Team will report directly to the Staff Development Committee.
Project Leader/Coordinator
Cindy Franco will serve as project leader.
Documentation and Reporting
The project leader will report on participation and attendance, quality of discussion, key points learned, and proposed future topics to the Staff Development Committee on a basis to be determined by the team. Facilitators or vendors of the project management sessions will capture feedback and learning from the sessions and report them to the Project Team Leader.
Other Staff Members Involved/Required
- Sylvia Grant (Management Library)
- Russ Mason (TV News Archive)
- Kathy Smith (Special Collections)
- Joe Collins (Annex), Ex-Officio Staff Development Team member
Related Projects and Stakeholders
The team should coordinate its efforts by working directly with other groups who support the initiative. Potential examples are the Library Management Council and the committee chairs, who support and communicate the value of effective project planning.
Budget
There are some funds available for this initiative and costs. A budget proposal will be prepared by the team and submitted to the SDC in a timely manner.
Timeline
This team will begin in May 2006 after approval by the Strategy & Planning Council, with initial training beginning in August 2006.
Assessment
The team will develop a way to track participation and assess the success of the training through survey instruments and other assessment tools deemed appropriate. It will track participation in the training program; survey participants to assess program content; and, report how the new system is being used in projects. A final report will be made to the SDC at the completion of the project.