The Project Planning Handbook

The project planning handbook is a tool to ensure that you cover all the processes needed to conceptualise, initiate and plan your project for successful outcome. You can download it to use. You will need to submit the completed handbook applied to your project as your assignment for this session.

Conception and Initiation - Project Charter

The first phase of project management is the conception and initiation of a project which starts with the development of a project charter. The charter is the high level overview of the project that is used to gain approval for the project to be initiated. Think back on the real-world educational problem that you identified in Milestone 7007A-1. Is this your research project for your Masters, or a different educational problem? Does it align to your personal SoTL objectives? Select your research problem or the problem identified in 7007A-1 (if they are different) to work on for this session.

The charter allows you to consider:

the problem that the project aims to address, and the background/context of the project,
the overall outcome that the project should achieve,
the project objectives - You know how to create SMART objectives from your curriculum design and development modules:
- S - Specific - clear, focused and well defined
- M - Measurable - quantifying what is achieved (how much/many, how far, how long, etc.?)
- A - Attainable, Actionable, Achievable - an action plan that is possible with the resources to make it happen.
- R - Relevant - aligned to the overall outcome, is the effort : value worthwhile?
- T - Time bound - due date for deliverables
identify the project team and their role in the project,
identify the project stakeholders and their role in the project,
state the scope of the project.

This video (10:30) introduces you to the Project Planning Handbook and the first sheet: the project charter. Once you have watched the video, complete the project charter for your project.