Project Management Managing Community Partners and EPICS High Teams

Find a Community Partner What are the needs in the community that are consistent with curricular topics? What are the capabilities of the students? What is the duration of the partnership? (quarter, semester, trimester, multiple semesters) Set expectations at the beginning of the partnership

Community Partners Criteria for selecting community Project Partners:  Significance - partners whose projects should provide the greatest benefit to the community  Level of technology - projects challenging to, but within the capabilities of students  Expected duration - a mix of short and long-term projects  Project partner commitment – commitment of individuals in the partner organizations to work with students  Match with student and teacher expertise and interest Partnership discussions led by EPICS teachers, administrators or directors  Student voice

Working with Community Partners Setting expectations from the outset  Interactions/expectations between you and partners  Interactions/expectations between students and partners Single point of contact with community organizations Follow up regularly Assess partners’ experience: Feedback on students and program

Project Plans Among the many questions that can be addressed with a plan are: 1.What do you and/or your team does first? 2.What should come next? 3.How many people do you need to accomplish your project? 4.What resources do you need to accomplish your project? 5.How long will it take? 6.What can you get completed by the end of the semester or quarter? 7.When will the project be finished? 8.How will we know we are done with the project?

Creating a Project Charter First Phase of the Design Process The elements of a charter include:  Description Objectives  Outcomes or deliverables  Duration  Team membership and roles Revisit and track if you are on schedule

Good Planning Check points/milestones/gates  At this time, the following will be working…  Provides accountability and process checks  Are we on time? Being honest with the team  Is a subgroup behind  “Not behind if we are ahead of the others…”  Honest appraisals Short tasks that break things up

Accountability Short tasks allow team members to be accountable Weekly tasks - what is due this week?  Prevent delays that span several weeks  Prompts students to seek help Project managers can track % tasks completed by the week.  Keeps projects moving and shifting resources as needed

Timelines - The Gantt Chart

Team Roles/Organization Team Leader Project Leader Teacher Team members Mentors

Team Roles: Students Team Leader/Co-Leaders  Organization Project leaders - lead individual projects  Managing the project Liaison - primary contact for the community partner Financial officer - manages team’s budget

Artifacts: Assess and Manage Students produce artifacts that can be assessed during their EPICS experience  Design Notebooks  Reflections  Self-assessments  Presentations  Reports  Project documentation  Delivered projects  Manuals or other documentations with project

Assessing Team and Individual Work Teams are assessed  Project plan  Development of plan and accomplishment  Customer/Partner feedback  Presentations and team reports  Short presentations can be efficient and effective Individual artifacts assessed  Summary of accomplishments  Individual Notebooks  Design records - authored

Funds for Project Expenses Real projects are done for not-for- profits at no cost to the partners  Requires funding for materials  Internal funding  Sponsorships of teams for supplies  Local companies or organizations  Recognition of sponsorships  Larger expenses from outside funding  Students help write grants

Sustained Partnerships Value for community organizations  Not-for-profit staffs are stretched  Creating partnerships takes resources  Communities need payback on investment Value for EPICS faculty and staff  Not starting over each semester  Easier to manage Value for students  Long-term projects  Curricular thread  Extended community engagement