Project Process Feedback and Brainstorming Open Discussion with Joe Elsinger, P.E.2015 REGIONAL
CONFERENCES
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2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
Ensure quality
programs with our
community partners
Enable members to
work effectively
and efficiently
Inform internal and
external stakeholders
of project progress
Provide continuity for
chapters
INTRODUCTIONGoals of the Project Process
INTRODUCTIONWhy Project Process Improvements?
Strategic Plan• The project process should
better uphold values expressed in EWB-USA’s strategic plan
Member Feedback• Many members have
expressed frustration at the current process (more later)
Organizational Changes• EWB-USA has grown! • Staff and volunteer roles
change as organizations grow; the project process must reflect this2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
INTRODUCTIONProject Process Committee
Committee Basics• Members are professionals,
students, mentors, faculty advisors, TAC members, ARC members, etc.
• Five meetings, July through September
• Careful review of feedback from EWB-USA stakeholders
• Spirited discussions• Output is four
recommendations
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MEMBER FEEDBACKOnline survey
• Open to all members; still available onlinehttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/11Q9o7xadtO6IXXWnSjbMoPr2adqp_xnj82Jat71M5aQ/viewform
Phone interviews• 50+ phone interviews with members, led by EWB-USA Project
Engineer Katrina MyersIn-Person Discussions• Professional Workshop in Reston, VA• Denver Professional Chapter MeetingOrganizing feedback• Feedback was put in following categories:
• Project reporting, TAC, student vs. professional challenges, data sharing, project engineer review, resources & examples, mentors, financials & funding, IT solutions and website, travel approval, policies & flexibility, education, chapter management & collaboration, design standards, PMEL, partnerships, community, & HASP
2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
MEMBER FEEDBACKKey Feedback
Top four feedback areas• Project reporting (188)• Technical Advisory
Committee (49)• Student vs. professional
challenges (37)• Data sharing (35)
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RECCOMENDATIONS
Overall goals• Make recommendations based on broad input from stakeholders• Demonstrate to volunteers that their concerns about the EWB-USA
project process have been heard and are valuedMethods of implementation• Pilot each recommendation to allow for adjustments• Implement all recommendations in phased rollouts, clearly
communicated to EWB-USA members
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RECCOMENDATIONSOne: Streamline Project Reporting Process
Specific Suggestions• Eliminate redundancy within and between reports
• Remove copy/paste sections• Eliminate separate instructions document
• Separate technical from administrative reporting• Design Report info in standalone technical report similar to
engineering industry documentation• Succinct Scope of Work statement for readers• Remove personally identifiable info to facilitate sharing
• Limit template updates to every 2-3 years (after initial major revision)• Establish different reporting templates and/or expectations for
different project typesDiscussion
2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
RECCOMENDATIONSTwo: Share Project Information within EWB-USA
Specific Suggestions• Project reporting platform will include permanent collection of past
reports by chapter and project • IT solution must reduce redundant admin info• Project report platform should allow sharing of reports across the
organization• Multiple levels of access likely required
• Phased implementation, especially for past reports• Reports will consist of limited access admin info, and shared project
infoDiscussion
2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
RECCOMENDATIONSThree: Improve Technical Review
Specific Suggestions• Identify ways for TAC & SCC members to engage with chapters earlier
in the process• Give EWB-USA project engineers the option to assign an additional
volunteer reviewer to struggling chapters/projects before 525• Give TAC access to past project reports to provide context• Increase project staff at HQ so they have time to give substantive
review• Ensure projects going to TAC are appropriately matched with
technically-suited reviewers• Discipline-based TACs?• Pool of “on-call” specialists?
• Better define role of TAC and train TAC members yearly to increase consistency between TACs and emphasize their role
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RECCOMENDATIONSThree (continued) Draft Project Coaches & Review Board ProcessChapter Level: REIC & Mentor Team• Roles will remain very similar. REIC signs off; attends review board,
participates in coaching/comment review processHQ: Project Engineer• Roles will remain similar. Will help facilitate new process.External Level: Coaching• Two volunteers: Health and Safety Coach and Project Coach• Entry dates not finalized, but by 523 at the latest• Project coaches assigned based on expertise & abilityExternal Level: Review Board• Made up of 8-10 TAC members, mix of expertise• Scheduled once per week• Not necessarily regional (but will probably start that way)• Presentation similar to TAC• Approved (maybe with comments), or declinedDiscussion
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RECCOMENDATIONSFour: Provide Guided Access to Specific Educational Resources
Specific Suggestion• Gantt and flow charts to explain project process (Next cycle of
document revisions)• Resource groups of individuals (including from TAC and/or SCC) who
are brought into project process early to provide specialty mentorship• Links to resources by project type, example reports, and contact for
TAC/SCC members with expertise• Also relevant external resources
• Project engineer directs chapter to specific resources when project starts
• Project engineer can require chapters that have issues to work with specific TAC/SCC members to rectify potential problems with early intervention
• Develop resource database for NGOs and Peace Corps volunteers• Encourage chapters to contribute to this database
Discussion2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
IT SOLUTIONWe are developing the requirements for this system now…
Overview of requirements• Cloud-based, database with online forms and e-submittals• Levels of access and security – staff, members, public• Workflow driven system that is expandable and revisable with
changes to the process• Query and minable data• Chapters will have access to their project information, as well as
some information between chapters• Robust reporting and exporting
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ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Questions• What other feedback do you have on the project process?• Do these recommendations address your most important
concerns?• What else are we missing?
Thank you for your feedback. If you have any questions or comments, please contact • Katrina Myers• [email protected] • 720-744-2188
2015 REGIONAL CONFERENCES
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