The Project Description is the designed solution proposed to meet the Client Request. It results from the team's efforts to logically analyze the problem or business need and design a solution acceptable to the client.
Once you receive a Client Request, you can begin to analyze the business problem or need and refine your learning objectives for your project. This will be a detailed process to develop a well-defined solution for your client while meeting your educational and professional needs. The Project Description will have several supporting documents when you present the request for approval. You will need to work with your Project Mentor and the Project Coordinator to complete this phase of the project.
The Project Description format has the following sections beside the formal header.
Introduce the Client and describe the business.
This should be a developed analysis of what problems or needs exist. Clearly distinguish symptoms from the root or core problems(s).
Do not anticipate solutions in this section. Start this with information from the Project Request and add more details as appropriate. Interview the client to obtain a good understanding of what they want and what you can do.
Analyze the problem or need using various models: Top-Down Methodology for Network Analysis and Design, Business Top-Down Model (1 and 2), and the Development Life Cycle Model. Describe how the technology is intrical to the function of the business or it's business environment and produce a model (example: shift in industry graph, Virtual University Reference Model).
Relate your objectives to the problems or needs in the prior section. List the main deliverables that your team will produce to meet the problem or need.
The description of the deliverable is the most important item to be effectively and clearly communicated. Failure to do so can result in ambiguities as to what the client expects from the project and what the project intended to produce. A clear objective and deliverable will aid in guiding the course of the project and implementing any changes due to problems.
- Use bulleting or numbering in this section.
- These Items will show on your project management file as main tasks or milestones.
- What do you hope to achieve, both for your client and you? What will you present to the client at the end of the project and in what format (oral, written or both).
Describe the range of project support tasks, team and individual learning objectives, and skills that will be needed to complete the projects objectives and deliverables. Identify areas of knowledge and skills that your team will possess or develop and the areas in which you will out-source or contract.
- Use bulleting or numbering in this section.
- These items will be tasks or sub-tasks in your project management file.
- List all the steps you will have to complete to meet your objectives listed above.
- Insure your project description provides for flexibility in your deliverable for any problems that you might forsee.
- Describe project duration and costs
- Provide the client with a copy of the project description and a signature line for acknowledgment.