Managing UA projects

Larry Kunz

October 28, 2014 #writersua #techcomm

Setting expectations through the Doc Plan

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

What we’ll cover today

• What’s a Doc Plan?• Why a Doc Plan?• Outline of the Doc Plan• Dos and Don’ts

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Who Is the Project Manager?

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

What’s a Doc Plan?

• Describes the design for the UA(and other documentation as well)

• Describes the work needed to develop the UA

• Defines the project’s scope• Spells out every stakeholder’s

responsibilities• Sets expectations

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

What’s a Doc Plan?

A “very necessary evil”

Alan Pringle & Sarah O’KeefeTechnical Writing 101

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Why a Doc Plan?

• Get everyone’s understanding• Get everyone’s buy-in• Spell out assumptions /

contingencies

The Doc Plan functionsas a contract

Image: Ralph F. Stitt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products

UA design}

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

} UA design

} Workplan

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Product description

• Not just the UA – but the product of which the UA is a part

• What does it do?• What customer “pains” is it designed

to address?Purpose• Validate my assumptions about

audience and objectives

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Audience statement

• Who’ll use the UA?– Background– Objectives– Prior knowledge, etc.

• In what situations will they use it?Purpose• Validate the design of the UA

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Documentation products• Description of all documentation,

including the UA– Media – Audience– Tasks supported

• Description of how requirements are being satisfied (or not)

Purpose• Put the UA in context – as part of the

overall UX• Validate the project’s scope

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Tasks (work items)• Major units of work the UA team will

perform – for example:– Design & develop tooltip help for

Configuration Manager– Update HTML help system for Operator

Console

• Estimated effort for each major unitPurpose• Verify that all requirements are being

addressed• Validate assumptions about estimates

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Contingencies

Scope (Baseline)If your project is to succeed….• What really has to go right?• What do you need, and when?• Whose help do you need?• What schedule checkpoints depend

on other stakeholders?Purpose• Make all dependencies clear

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Assumptions

• The rules of the road, for example:– The tools we’ll use– The style guide we’ll use– Our process for draft reviews– How we’ll integrate the UA with product

builds

Purpose• Inform other stakeholders• Inform the UA team

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Budget

• How much I plan to spend on each major part of the project

Purpose• Secure necessary approvals• Form a basis for tracking

the project(along with schedule)

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Schedule

• How much time my team needs for each major task (work item)

• Checkpoints – for example:–When the first draft will be review ready–When everything will be translated

Purpose• Validate other stakeholders’

dependencies on me• (Again) form a basis for

tracking the project

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

Tooltip help will be written

using Javascript

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

Tooltip help will be written

using Javascript

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

50 Tooltip help strings will require 24

writer-hours

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

50 Tooltip help strings will require 24

writer-hours

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

Writers willhave a product

prototype to work with

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan Outline

• Product description• Audience• Documentation products• Work to be performed (tasks)• Contingencies

(dependencies, receivables)• Assumptions• Budget• Schedule

Writers willhave a product

prototype to work with

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Do….• Include all relevant content–When in doubt, put it in– But don’t include content just

to fit some “template”

• Leave as little to chance aspossible

• Refer back to the Doc Planas the project moves along

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Don’t….

• Skip the doc plan (or parts of it)• Assume that someone has all the

answers• Tolerate scope creep

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

The Doc Plan…

• Defines the project’s scope• Functions as a contract between you

and other stakeholders• Provides a road map for the UA team• Serves as a basis for tracking the

project

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Your Turn

Oct 28, 2014@larry_kunz

Stay in Touch!

Larry KunzTwitter: @larry_kunz

larrykunz.wordpress.com lk81924@gmail.com