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Unit 1: Introduction to Projects

In the initiation phase, the project partners enter a (temporary) relationship with each other. To Notes
prevent the development of false expectations concerning the results of the project, it makes
sense to explicitly agree on the type of project that is being started:
(a) a research and development project;
(b) a project that will deliver a prototype or ‘proof of concept’; and
(c) a project that will deliver a working product.

The choice for a particular type of project largely determines its results.

Example: A research and development project delivers a report that examines the
technological feasibility of an application. A project in which a prototype is developed delivers
all of the functionalities of an application, but they need not be suitable for use in a particular
context (e.g. by hundreds of users). A project that delivers a working product must also consider
matters of maintenance, instructions and the operational management of the application.

1.8.2 Definition Phase

After the project plan (which was developed in the initiation phase) has been approved, the
project enters the second phase: the definition phase. In this phase, the requirements that are
associated with a project result are specified as clearly as possible. This involves identifying the
expectations that all of the involved parties have with regard to the project result. How many
files are to be archived? Should the metadata conform to the Data Documentation Initiative
format, or will the Dublin Core (DC) format suffice? May files be deposited in their original
format, or will only those that conform to the Preferred Standards be accepted? Must the depositor
of a dataset ensure that it has been processed adequately in the archive, or is this the responsibility
of the archivist? Which guarantees will be made on the results of the project? The list of questions
goes on and on.

Figure 1.2: Expectations of a Project

'After the brainstorming session, all of the members of the "New Archive" project team
were in agreement about the desired outcome'.
Source: Rachèl Harmsen

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