© Tanner, KCL 2005 Fundamentals of managing digital projects Session 1: Planning and project management Simon Tanner Director Kings Digital Consultancy Services

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Overview Key elements of management Assessing the feasibility to digitize Building selection criteria Project planning Why technology projects fail Vision, risk and resource management Management toolkit Skills base and organization change

© Tanner, KCL 2005 The Key Elements of Management (1) Goals not just technology Institutional buy-in & long term policy commitment Project to programme and/or service development Economic considerations Collection development

© Tanner, KCL 2005 The Key Elements of Management (2) Technical development and integration User issues of access, authentication and needs Digital preservation policy Organisation change issues Staff and skills development

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Assessing the feasibility to digitise (1) Can the originals be handled safely Accurate information of the number of items? Adequate catalogue? Copyright and intellectual property rights Sufficient hardware/software and technical infrastructure?

© Tanner, KCL 2005

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Assessing the feasibility to digitise (2) Suitably skilled staff? Enough time available to plan and manage the project? Preserving the physical reliability of the data Ensuring the continued usability of the data Costs versus benefits

© Tanner, KCL 2005 What can be digitised? Paper Text content Bound volumes or manuscripts Photographs - prints, slides & transparencies Microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards Video and audio Maps, drawings and large paper formats Original art works, textiles etc. Physical 3-dimensional objects or views

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Durham Libae Vitae Penny Illustrated Paper, October 1868 Design Council Archive, University of Brighton Lambeth Palace, church plan of St. James Sheldwich

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Building selection criteria Stakeholder studies Understand your audience Address actual information needs and goals Avoid online brochures Avoid repetition Create a narrative Add value

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Building selection criteria policy and information goals identify collections of value to goals plan most effective route to create resource seek funding

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Project planning Planning is an unnatural process. It is much nicer to just get on with the job: failure then comes as a complete surprise instead of being preceded by a period of worry and doubt. Sir John Harvey-Jones (with thanks for quote to Hazel Anderson - Testaments Project, Scottish Archive Network)

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Why technology based projects fail 32% - inadequate project management & control 20% - lack of communication 17% - failure to define objectives 17% - lack of familiarity with project scope & complexity 14% - incorrect technology, project size & other. Figures courtesy of KPMG

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Project Planning: 3 Key Factors Vision can you see the whole picture? Risk management ensuring the vision is achievable. Resource management putting vision into practice.

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Planning: Vision Describe the complete project Understand how the elements fit together Be holistic - think about the lifecycle! Do not need to understand the detail of every technical element but must understand its project implication Be able to define solid objectives, goals and deliverables. The Hollywood pitch !

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Planning: Risk and Resource Management Employ a good project manager Empower the right people Ensure good communications Training - invest Define your acceptance criteria and assign ranking Ensure early scheduling of equipment delivery Have a quality plan Be honest about the problems and risk of failure

© Tanner, KCL 2005 The Managers Toolkit Clear vision = clear goals = clear success criteria Stakeholder studies: defining the value of the asset base according to users/policy makers Feasibility studies: to extend the evidence base Infrastructure survey: can your goals be achieved with the technology available? Matrix of requirements: supports technology implementation Risk assessment: enables planning to mitigate future risk

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Organisation Change and People Managing digital assets changes the organization Supporting the users requires everyone to be skilled New technologies = new skills, same principles There is an overall understanding that digital and electronic library development will lead to new management styles and changes in organisations, but these changes, and the problems connected with them, are usually underestimates. Carpenter, J. What makes a digital librarian? A critical analysis of the management culture needed for effective digital library developments, BLRIC, Report 174 Training is the solution

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Unrealistic Requirements Means Failure!! Qualifications required for this post are detailed knowledge of the technical and managerial processes involved in setting up a production facility, including scanning, benchmarking, workflow, production metadata, quality assurance; knowledge of a wide range of formats of original materials, their handling, and their optimal digitization requirements; experience of training scanning operatives in a production environment; good interpersonal skills; knowledge of digital camera operation, with preferably at least one year's experience of managing a digital production facility and knowledge of image compression, storage and transfer. Temporary Digital Production Co-ordinator Salary 19, ,213 Pounds Sterling Closing date 4th December 2000 As advertised on various Mailbase lists. Post was never filled.

© Tanner, KCL 2005 The Skills Base Professional skills - management & subject skills Technical & IT skills Project management skills Skills are overlapping and interwoven Transferable skills are essential e.g. planning, communication, negotiating, team working. There is a skills shortage look for aptitude and lateral experience have flexibility in the post and in job specifications

© Tanner, KCL 2005 How Do We Proceed? Focus on goals not just technology Shape achievable goals Gain institutional policy commitment Turn projects into programs and/or services Gather a dynamic and flexible workforce Establish best practice - document it and apply it Manage risks and be aware of opportunity costs Implementation is not research - do it because there is an evidence base for success.

© Tanner, KCL 2005 Fundamentals of managing digital projects Session 1: Planning and project management Simon Tanner Director Kings Digital Consultancy Services