Planning and Managing your Research Project shintonconsulting Dr

Planning and Managing your Research Project www.shintonconsulting.com Dr Keith Morgan

Session Objectives Work through a process for planning projects Understand how to relate these to your research project – – Reflect as we go along Discuss after this session Apply these to conference planning

What does a project ‘look’ like ? Has Is Is a clear and specific objective someone’s responsibility any sort of planned undertaking which is finite and bounded

Project Constraints Most projects operate under constraints What are the constraints on your project ?

Possible constraints Time Clarity of scope Access to literature / resources Access to supervisor Funding ‘Publishable quality’

Scope of your project What are you trying to achieve in your project ? Are you clear on the limits of your investigations ? How will you know when the project is complete ?

Beneficiaries Who will benefit from your work ? Who do you want to influence ? What impact do you want your work to have ?

Beneficiaries For your research area, who are the key beneficiaries ? Think ahead to the impact you want your research to have on your career - who needs to know you and what you are doing ?

Project Management Tools Mind Drill Map Down Gantt Risk Charts Analysis

Mind Map Useful at the earliest stage of a project Set out all possibilities and issues Helps gives structure to project Makes linkages more evident

Constructing Mind Maps Use single words or simple phrases - print ? Use colour to separate different ideas Use symbols and images Using cross-linkages For more information: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/ newISS 01.htm

Test drive mind maps In the centre of the page, write a phrase which summarises your research idea Now allow your ideas to flow.

projec for me t Why am I doing research ? the future Why is this project happening ? How is it happening ? (methodology) risk s impact Who will benefit ? Challenge s for me projec t

Drill Down A technique to identify all tasks associated with a project Start on the LHS with the project objective Identify obvious tasks Break these down into smallest parts List questions or points to clarify

Drill Down We have found a novel way to fund our research! It will require careful planning We can drill down through the problem to identify the key tasks and questions.

Get a job in bank Research what is in vault Involve a bank insider Use press and financial knowledge Rob Bank and get away Buy house nearby Get into vault Dig tunnel Get away How will money be laundered? Where do we lie low? Will the cash be identifiable? Where will we buy construction equipment? Has anyone done this before? Set up business to hide soil Get plans of removal building Buy construction equipment

Test drive drill down You are required to plan and organise a conference In small groups, drill down the different tasks which must be achieved for a successful event

Projects and Risks Identify sources of risk Assess likelyhood of risk Assess magnitude of risk Develop response

Risks in that bank job Get caught digging tunnel Tunnel collapses Route blocked by pipes / rock Grassed up! Vault empty / disappointing Forensic evidence left

Sources of Risk in a PhD ?

Sources of Risk in a PhD Discover that someone has already done it ! My laptop with all my records is stolen Unable to get hold of a key source Supervisor leaves Loss of motivation

Risk Management Likelyhood Impact

Risk Analysis for your PhD To – – identify potential risks Review regularly and recognise slippage Talk to more experienced researchers Next map these against potential impact and likelyhood Finally, eliminate, minimise or develop contingency plans

Structuring the project Use list of tasks to start Gantt Chart Identify relationships between tasks Estimate time for each task – include: project management, detailed planning, liaison with experts, meetings, information gathering Ask for feedback on your plan

Activity Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Register Literature review Deadline for literature review Prepare and rehearse presentation Presentation to School/Departm ent Docum ented m eeting with supervisors Plan first research unit Present outline offirst research unit First research unit R eview and analyse research results S urvey ofliterature Courses/conferences Learning about m ethodolog y Holiday S econd research unit planning S econd research unit Drafting transfer report Finalise transfer report Deadline for transfer report Transfer viva V isit from leading professor

Gantt Charts lay out the tasks that need to be completed show when these tasks should be carried out assist the allocation of resources help you to work out the critical path for a project where you must complete it by a particular date

Monitoring Progress Time Now Activity A Complete Activity B Behind Activity C Complete Activity D Ahead Activity E Behind Activity F Activity G Activity H Anticipated Actual

Behind Schedule ? Report the implications of delays Discuss changes in plans Direct resources Avoid persecution Respond early Be flexible Involve your supervisor(s) and others

Final thoughts Project management is a set of tools not a straightjacket! It should be dynamic, but have regular, fixed reviews of progress It can help with communication and to check on common understanding – Between you and your supervisor / sponsor / colleagues It can be difficult to apply these ideas at the very start of your PhD, but you should be able to identify scope, constraints, risks, time structure fairly soon Thank You