Project template

Info

Here is a template that OASCI uses to plan and guide software-based projects. Thoughtful completion of this proposal is also the first step to proposing a successful project collaboration with OASCI. Remove this admonition and all annotations when drafting the proposal.

• Title: <code name>: <one-sentence project description> (1)
• Type: Software
• DRI: <OASCI member's name> (2)

1. We define the project's <code name> that will eventually become the software's name. This should be a unique name that is available in both the OASCI project space and is relatively absent in search engines. You should also check that the name is available on major platforms specific to the project's community.

   Example

   Check PyPI and conda for Python projects.

   The one-sentence project description is self explanatory. It should be broad enough to be search-engine optimized, but specific enough to communicate the purpose of the project without reading the entire README file.

2. The name of an OASCI Fellow or Director that is well-suited and agreed to be the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) for the project.

TODO: Project abstract

Problem statement

Begin this section by offering a comprehensive overview of the central issue your project aims to tackle within the community. Start by introducing the broader context, highlighting the relevance and significance of the problem at hand. This serves as a foundation for understanding the necessity of your proposed project.

Delve into the specific challenges faced by the community. Outline these challenges in a clear and concise manner, emphasizing their impact on the well-being of community members. Utilize concrete examples to illustrate the real-life implications of the issues. For instance, recount specific instances or narratives that encapsulate the difficulties faced by individuals within the community.

Next, articulate the repercussions of the identified problem on key stakeholders. Identify and describe the various groups or individuals directly affected by the issue, such as community members, local businesses, educational institutions, or governmental bodies. Discuss how these stakeholders are currently impacted and the potential for further consequences if the problem remains unaddressed.

Enhance the credibility of your problem statement by incorporating relevant data. Utilize statistics, surveys, or studies that shed light on the extent and severity of the problem. If available, integrate demographic information, economic indicators, or any other quantifiable data that can quantify the magnitude of the issue. This data-driven approach strengthens your argument and underscores the urgency of addressing the problem.

Provide a detailed context to ensure stakeholders gain a profound understanding of the problem's urgency and relevance. Offer historical background, if applicable, to showcase the evolution of the issue over time. Additionally, consider incorporating insights from community leaders, experts, or individuals with first-hand experience to enrich the narrative.

By following these guidelines, your problem statement will offer a comprehensive and compelling portrayal of the community's challenges, enabling stakeholders to grasp the urgency and relevance of your proposed project.

Vision

Begin this section by providing a succinct yet impactful definition of the overarching vision for your project. Clearly articulate the ultimate goal your project aims to achieve in addressing the identified problem within the community. Ensure that the vision statement is concise, making it easy for stakeholders to grasp the essence of your project's purpose.

Explicitly explain how your project aligns with the broader goals and mission of OASCI. Highlight the specific aspects of the organization's mission that your project addresses. This alignment reinforces the strategic importance of your project within the organizational framework, demonstrating its relevance and contribution to OASCI's overall objectives.

Elaborate on how your project intends to resolve the identified problem. Provide a brief overview of the key strategies, methodologies, or innovative approaches that will be employed to tackle the challenges faced by the community. Emphasize the uniqueness or effectiveness of your approach and its potential for creating sustainable solutions.

Offer a high-level understanding of the positive impact your project aims to achieve within the community. Describe the envisioned outcomes and benefits for community members, emphasizing improvements in quality of life, increased opportunities, or enhanced well-being. Use language that conveys optimism and a sense of transformation to inspire confidence in stakeholders.

Craft your vision statement with the intention of inspiring confidence in stakeholders. Clearly communicate how the project's goals align not only with OASCI's mission but also with the broader aspirations of the community. Use compelling language to convey the potential for meaningful change and improvement, instilling a sense of purpose and enthusiasm among those involved.

Scope

Begin by clearly outlining the specific features or functionalities that your project will encompass. Identify key elements that will contribute directly to the resolution of the identified problem within the community. These features could include technological components, programmatic interventions, educational initiatives, or any other relevant aspects that form the core of your project.

Describe the boundaries of your project to provide stakeholders with a thorough understanding of its limitations and focus. Clearly articulate what aspects of the identified problem your project will address within the community and what it will not. This delineation helps set realistic expectations and ensures that stakeholders have a clear picture of the project's scope.

Highlight how your project's scope is tailored to comprehensively address the identified problem. Specify the geographical, demographic, or thematic areas your project will cover. For example, if your project aims to improve education, clarify the specific grade levels, subjects, or educational challenges that will be targeted. This level of detail ensures that stakeholders understand the depth and specificity of your project's intervention.

Emphasize the importance of a detailed scope in ensuring a focused and effective solution. Clearly defining the boundaries of your project prevents scope creep and helps maintain a concentrated effort on the identified problem. This focus enhances the likelihood of successful implementation and increases the impact of your project within the community.

Consider including visual representations, such as diagrams or charts, to illustrate the scope of your project. Visual aids can help stakeholders quickly grasp the various components and boundaries of the project, enhancing overall comprehension.

Approach

Initiate this section by offering a brief yet insightful overview of the methodology you plan to employ in your project. Outline the overarching approach that will guide the implementation of your project. This could include methodologies such as Agile, Waterfall, or a hybrid approach tailored to the specific needs of your project.

Specify the technologies or tools that will be leveraged during the project. Provide stakeholders with a glimpse into the technical aspects of your approach, highlighting key tools, platforms, or frameworks that will play a pivotal role in the project's execution. This information helps stakeholders understand the technical foundation supporting your project's development.

Emphasize the strategic thinking behind the chosen approach. Explain why the selected methodology and technologies align with the project's goals and contribute to its overall success. Detail how the chosen approach addresses specific challenges identified in the problem statement and why it is the most suitable solution for achieving the desired outcomes.

Reassure stakeholders about the feasibility of your project by demonstrating how the chosen approach contributes to its success. Highlight any past successes or case studies where similar methodologies have been employed effectively. This provides stakeholders with confidence in the project's ability to navigate challenges and deliver tangible results.

Acknowledge the potential for changes or adjustments in the project's course and highlight the flexibility and adaptability embedded in your approach. Discuss how your methodology accommodates unforeseen challenges, ensuring that the project can respond effectively to evolving circumstances without compromising its overall objectives.

Clearly articulate how your approach aligns with the overarching goals of the project. Link the chosen methodology and tools back to the vision statement, showcasing how each element of your approach is strategically aligned to contribute to the project's success and the resolution of the identified problem.

Jobs to be Done

Initiate this section by developing a comprehensive table that encompasses job statements for the project area. Organize the table with columns for job statements, maturity ratings, links to confidential research issues, and links to public roadmap issues or epics. This structured format ensures clarity and accessibility for stakeholders seeking insights into the project's focus areas and progress.

For each job statement, clearly articulate the specific tasks or responsibilities that need to be addressed within the project. These statements should succinctly capture the core functions or objectives related to the project area, serving as a reference point for stakeholders to understand the project's scope and priorities.

Assign maturity ratings to each job statement, indicating the level of development or completion for the corresponding task. Maturity ratings can be defined on a scale (e.g., low, medium, high) or using specific milestones (e.g., planning, in-progress, completed). This provides stakeholders with a quick overview of the current status of each job statement.

Include links to confidential research issues for each job statement, providing stakeholders with access to detailed research or documentation related to the specific tasks. This confidential information may include sensitive data, detailed analyses, or proprietary insights that contribute to the project's decision-making process.

For transparency and stakeholder engagement, provide links to public roadmap issues or epics associated with each job statement. These public-facing documents should outline the strategic roadmap for the project, detailing upcoming milestones, planned features, and anticipated releases. Public links enable stakeholders to track the project's progress and understand the broader context of each job statement.

The table, as a whole, should offer a structured view of the project's focus areas and their corresponding progress points. Stakeholders can refer to this table to gain insights into the current state of each job statement, understand the trajectory of the project, and assess its alignment with overarching goals.

Milestones

Break down your project into manageable milestones, each representing a distinct phase of your project's development. Ensure that these milestones are logically structured and build upon one another to facilitate a phased and systematic approach. Clearly define the start and end points of each milestone, establishing a roadmap that guides the project's progression.

For each milestone, provide a specific set of tasks and activities that need to be completed. Offer a detailed breakdown of the work involved, outlining the individual steps necessary to achieve the goals of each milestone. This level of granularity not only helps in project planning but also allows stakeholders to understand the intricacies of the project's development.

Provide links to corresponding epics or issues in your project management system for each milestone. This ensures a seamless integration of your project plan with your project management tools. Stakeholders can easily access detailed information about each milestone, view task dependencies, and track progress within the project management system, enhancing transparency and accountability.

Emphasize the importance of creating a clear roadmap for the project through the milestone structure. This roadmap should provide stakeholders with a visual representation of the project's progression, showcasing key milestones, their interdependencies, and the overall timeline. A well-defined roadmap enhances communication and understanding of the project's trajectory.

Offer stakeholders insights into the phased approach of your project. Explain how each milestone represents a critical phase of development and how the completion of these milestones contributes to the overall success of the project. This understanding helps stakeholders appreciate the strategic planning behind the project and builds confidence in its execution.

Timeline

Initiate this section by creating a comprehensive timeline that outlines the duration of each project phase. Clearly specify the start and end dates for each milestone, presenting stakeholders with a clear and chronological view of the project's expected progression. This information serves as a crucial reference point for understanding the temporal aspects of the project.

For each milestone, provide explicit information regarding the start and end dates. This level of detail enables stakeholders to track the project's development over time and anticipate key milestones. Clearly delineate the boundaries of each phase to ensure a well-defined and structured view of the project's trajectory.

Consider incorporating visual elements such as Gantt charts or timeline graphics to enhance the presentation of the project timeline. Visual representations provide stakeholders with an at-a-glance understanding of the project's temporal structure, fostering clarity and aiding in the visualization of the overall project trajectory.

Within the timeline, highlight key events or deliverables associated with each milestone. This additional layer of information provides stakeholders with insights into the specific achievements and outcomes expected at different stages of the project. It enhances understanding and helps stakeholders contextualize the significance of each phase.

If applicable, identify dependencies and interconnections between milestones within the timeline. Highlight any sequential relationships or dependencies that may impact the overall project schedule. This information ensures stakeholders are aware of the critical path and potential implications of delays or adjustments in specific phases.

Emphasize the importance of regular updates and communication regarding the project timeline. Establish a communication plan to keep stakeholders informed about any adjustments, delays, or accelerations in the project schedule. Transparent communication fosters trust and enables stakeholders to stay actively engaged in the project's progress.

Success

Initiate this section by clearly defining what success means for your project. Articulate the overarching goals and outcomes that, when achieved, would signify the project's success. This provides stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the project's intended impact.

Specify the quantifiable metrics that will be used to measure success. These metrics should be concrete, measurable, and directly aligned with the project's objectives. For example, if your project aims to improve community engagement, metrics could include the number of participants in events or the percentage increase in community satisfaction surveys.

Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the success metrics. KPIs offer a more granular view of project performance and provide actionable insights. Ensure that each KPI is clearly linked to a specific aspect of the project's success and can be tracked over time.

Clearly explain the criteria for measuring success. Define the thresholds or benchmarks that indicate whether the project has met its objectives. For example, if one of your success metrics is increased revenue, specify the percentage increase required to consider the project financially successful.

Outline the monitoring and evaluation plan that will be implemented to track success metrics throughout the project lifecycle. Describe the frequency of evaluations, the tools or methods used for data collection, and the responsible parties for analysis. This plan ensures systematic tracking and provides timely insights into project performance.

Establish a baseline for each success metric to provide a starting point for measurement. Set realistic and achievable targets that represent the desired level of success. The comparison between the baseline and targets will help assess the project's progress and impact.

Communicate the progress of success metrics regularly through project updates and reporting mechanisms. This ensures that stakeholders are continuously informed about the project's performance against established metrics and can provide feedback or adjustments as needed.

Highlight that success metrics are not static and can be subject to refinement based on ongoing project insights. Emphasize the importance of an iterative approach, allowing for adjustments to success metrics based on evolving project goals, stakeholder feedback, or changing external factors.

Reporting

Specify how you will provide regular updates on the project's progress. Clearly outline the frequency of updates, whether they will be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or at specific project milestones. This ensures that stakeholders are consistently informed about the evolving status of the project.

Detail how you will communicate challenges encountered during the project and any adjustments made to address them. Transparency regarding hurdles and the proactive communication of solutions or adjustments contribute to a shared understanding among stakeholders, fostering trust and collaboration.

Mention the communication channels that will be utilized to disseminate project updates. This could include email newsletters, project management software notifications, regular meetings, or a dedicated project portal. Choose channels that align with stakeholders' preferences and facilitate efficient, two-way communication.

Emphasize the importance of transparency in your reporting approach. Assure stakeholders that all information shared will be accurate, timely, and reflective of the project's current status. Transparent reporting builds credibility and ensures that stakeholders have a realistic view of the project's progress.

Highlight how stakeholders can actively engage with the reporting process. Encourage questions, feedback, and suggestions from stakeholders to foster a collaborative environment. Provide contact information or establish dedicated communication channels where stakeholders can reach out with inquiries or concerns.

Detail how project updates and reports will be documented and archived. This ensures that stakeholders can refer back to historical information and track the project's evolution over time. Documentation also supports accountability and provides a record of decision-making processes.

If applicable, outline an emergency communication plan. Define the procedures for communicating urgent matters, unforeseen challenges, or major adjustments. Clearly articulate who will be responsible for initiating emergency communication and the designated channels for such situations.

Establish feedback loops within the reporting process. Encourage stakeholders to provide feedback on the content and format of the reports. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your reporting strategy and make adjustments based on stakeholder input to enhance overall communication.

References

Specify the criteria for including documents, articles, or resources in the references section. Ensure that the selected references directly contribute to the understanding and support of your project proposal. This may include academic papers, industry reports, case studies, or other authoritative sources.

Organize the references in a structured manner, categorizing them based on relevance and theme. This helps stakeholders quickly locate resources pertaining to specific aspects of the project. Consider using subsections to group references by topic or type of source.

Provide full and accurate citations for each reference. Include details such as author(s), title, publication date, publisher, and any relevant page numbers. Use a standardized citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) to ensure consistency and ease of reference for stakeholders.

Consider adding brief annotations or descriptions for each reference. Explain how each document or resource contributes to the project proposal. This additional context helps stakeholders understand the relevance of the reference and its role in supporting the project's foundation.

Ensure a diversity of sources in your references section. Include a mix of academic publications, industry reports, reputable websites, and other relevant materials. This demonstrates a comprehensive approach to research and reinforces the credibility of your project by drawing on a range of authoritative perspectives.

If possible, provide accessible links to online resources. Ensure that stakeholders can easily access the full text of articles, reports, or documents to facilitate further exploration. If certain resources are not publicly accessible, provide information on how stakeholders can request access if needed.

Verify the currency and relevance of the references. Ensure that the included documents are recent enough to reflect the current state of knowledge in the field and directly support the rationale and objectives of your project.

Acknowledge any particularly influential or foundational works in the field. This not only adds depth to your references section but also highlights your awareness of key contributions to the project's conceptual framework.

Glossary

Identify and list key terms used in your project proposal that may require clarification or have specific meanings within the project context. These terms could include industry-specific jargon, acronyms, or any technical terms that might be unfamiliar to stakeholders.

Provide clear and concise definitions for each key term listed in the glossary. Ensure that the definitions are easily understandable by stakeholders who may have varying levels of familiarity with the subject matter. If applicable, include relevant context or examples to further clarify each term.

Organize the glossary alphabetically to facilitate quick reference for stakeholders. This organization method streamlines the process of locating and understanding the definitions of specific terms, contributing to efficient communication and comprehension.

Include acronyms commonly used in your project proposal, along with their full forms and definitions. This is especially important to avoid any ambiguity or misunderstanding arising from the use of acronyms that may have multiple meanings.

Encourage stakeholders to refer to the glossary to ensure consistent and accurate usage of key terms throughout the project. Consistency in terminology contributes to clearer communication and a shared understanding among team members, project sponsors, and other stakeholders.

Consider presenting the glossary in an interactive or hyperlinked format if your proposal is in a digital format. This allows stakeholders to easily navigate between the main content and the glossary, fostering a seamless reading experience.

Commit to regularly updating the glossary as needed throughout the project lifecycle. New terms may emerge, or existing terms may acquire additional nuances, so it's important to keep the glossary current to reflect the evolving understanding of project terminology.