Managing an OSE Project - Revision history

Mjn at 13:12, 1 July 2011

2011-07-01T13:12:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:12, 1 July 2011
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	= Overview and Context =		= Overview and Context =

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	* Documentation Standards		* Documentation Standards
	* [[TRIZ]] - problem solving		* [[TRIZ]] - problem solving

			== Organizing Information ==

			The amount of information associated with an OSE project can be considerable. The [[GVCS Organizational Development Template]] has some information on project information and a more detailed view should be considered at [[GVCS Development Template]]. There is also a proposed organization strategy at [[Mark J Norton/GVCS Template]].

			All project information should be entered into the OSE wiki. At a high level, the following collections of information should be defined:

			# Overview - main entry point, define the problems to be solved.
			# Research - background, theory, interesting, links, etc.
			# Design - what is being built.
			# Specifications - part dimensions and sources.
			# Bill of Materials - list of parts and prices.
			# Build Instructions - instructions on building parts, modifying purchased parts, and assembly.
			# Development - project status, development activities, prototypes, etc.
			# User Manual - how to operate this product.

	== Documentation Standards ==		== Documentation Standards ==
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	= Money Matters =		= Money Matters =

			== Fund Raising ==

			If money is require to develop this product, have a look at the following pages for ideas on raising money:

	* [[On-Site Fabrication at Factor e Farm]] for bootstrap funding		* [[On-Site Fabrication at Factor e Farm]] for bootstrap funding
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	* [[Support Open Source Ecology]]		* [[Support Open Source Ecology]]

	** Raising Funds		== Keeping Track of Money ==
	** Keeping Track of Money
	** Transparency
	** Record Keeping

	~~= Other Pages =~~		OSE policies on keeping track of money should be added here.

	~~[[GVCS Organizational Development Template]]~~		== Transparency ==

			OSE has a policy of full transparency. That means that all income, donations, material and labor expenses, and other expenses must be communicated publicly. This can be done in the blog and/or wiki.

			== Record Keeping ==

			Keeping track of things will prevent problems later. OSE doesn't have any policies regarding record keeping at this time, so figure out what needs to be tracked and track it. The wiki is the best place for this.

	=Other Links=		=Other Links=

	'''Wikipedia'''		'''Project Management Links on Wikipedia'''

	* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management		* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
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	* http://www.empf.org/empfasis/archive/104dfm.htm (design for manufacturing)		* http://www.empf.org/empfasis/archive/104dfm.htm (design for manufacturing)



	[[Category: Organization]]		[[Category: Organization]]

Mjn at 12:58, 1 July 2011

2011-07-01T12:58:51Z

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 = Overview and Context =
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 [[GVCS Organizational Development Template]]
 =Other Links=

Mjn: /* Communication */

2011-07-01T12:58:03Z

Communication

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:58, 1 July 2011
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	= Communication =		= Communication =

	** ~~Status~~ - ~~what pages need to be updated?~~ [[GVCS Tools Status]]		Communication is an essential part of all open source projects and be broken down into the following:
	** Promotion - blogging, ~~etc~~.
	** Use of ~~Forums~~		* Coordination between a project and OSE management
	** Marketing		* Coordination of project team members
	** Describing project needs - [[Project Needs]]		* Outreach - looking for more contributors
			* Promotion - making the public aware of your product

			Communicating status is part of the project manager's responsibilities. The [[GVCS Tools Status]] should be kept up to date along with other status pages that may be created.

			Coordination of project team members is done using the suite of collaboration tools made available to OSE project: a project forum, a Pivotal project, a project chat room, and the wiki. The forum should be used for general and specific discussion of project related problems and issues. The Pivotal project defines and tracks tasks (stories). The chat room can handle real time communication needs. Finally, the wiki has "Talk:" pages that enable discussions on project related wiki pages.

			In addition to the discussion on recruitment above, you can use the [[Project Needs]] page to describe particular things that need doing.

			If your project has a marketing person associated with it, then it falls to that person to promote the product. If not, then the project manager is called on to write blog posts to update the general public on project status.

	= Money Matters =		= Money Matters =

Mjn: /* Dealing with Volunteers */

2011-07-01T12:48:08Z

Dealing with Volunteers

@@ Line 176: / Line 176: @@
 = Dealing with Volunteers =
-* Recruitment - [[Crowdmap]]
+Everyone involved with an OSE project should keep in mind that we are all volunteers.  We are contributing our time to a project that we believe in.  However, we should also remember that most of us have a life outside of OSE and that we need to be patient when that life conflicts with OSE development activities.  Cultivate empathy, patience and understanding.
-** Recruiting People
-** Keeping people on task and focused
+== Recruitment ==
-** Disruptive or Harmful Behaviors
-** Time management - yours and theirs
+OSE already has many people who are actively involved in it and new people arrive nearly every day.  Recruiting people for your project can be as simple as reaching out to people new to the project.  Keep an eye on [[Recent Wiki Changes]] for new profiles posted.  These will usually contain an email address.  Welcome them to OSE, explain your project a bit and invite them to contribute.  If they express interest, it's best to give them a small task first before bringing them on as a full member.  This allows you to assess their ability to work and start to establish the trust that vital in a functional team.
 = Communication =

Mjn: /* Team Dynamics */

2011-07-01T12:22:20Z

Team Dynamics

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:22, 1 July 2011
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	== Team Dynamics ==		== Team Dynamics ==

	* [[Essay on Creative Problem-Solving]]		An OSE project team is assembled for the purpose of developing a GVCS Product, Part, or some other thing. How well the team works together will determine how effective and efficient the development process is. As such, the project manager sometimes needs to play the role of parent, stepping in to situations that might arise between members of the team before it affects overall performance. Ideally, participants themselves should be able to resolve disputes, but if not the project manager should guide them to a resolution. Get the issue out into a discussion. Clarify what the problem is and what the alternatives are. Then work towards a compromise.

			When things are going well, there is an excitement and energy that can be sensed. There is a feeling of things moving along at a good pace, of things getting done. Development means solving problems sequentially. Marcin wrote an [[Essay on Creative Problem-Solving]] that is worth reading.

	= Dealing with Volunteers =		= Dealing with Volunteers =

Mjn at 18:03, 19 June 2011

2011-06-19T18:03:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:03, 19 June 2011
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	* Review of design and technical materials produced		* Review of design and technical materials produced

	== Developer ~~Dutie s~~==		== Developer Duties==

	There are many different kinds of developers that can be associated with a project. They include CAD designers, product designers, artists, electrical and mechanical engineers, fabricators, makers, programmers, etc.		There are many different kinds of developers that can be associated with a project. They include CAD designers, product designers, artists, electrical and mechanical engineers, fabricators, makers, programmers, etc.
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	All of the GVCS projects are too large for one person to design, develop, and build. With that in mind, the project manager needs to recruit new people to his (or her) team and give them things to do. When the team is small (3-8), internal project communication can be managed. As the team grows beyond that, additional organization may need to be added. To some extent, this is a matter of personal management style: shallow structures vs. deep ones, report and status styles, hands-on vs. hands-off, etc. There is plenty of room in OSE product development to accommodate different approaches to product development and team organization. Ultimately, each OSE project will be judged on it's results: the product(s) that come out of it.		All of the GVCS projects are too large for one person to design, develop, and build. With that in mind, the project manager needs to recruit new people to his (or her) team and give them things to do. When the team is small (3-8), internal project communication can be managed. As the team grows beyond that, additional organization may need to be added. To some extent, this is a matter of personal management style: shallow structures vs. deep ones, report and status styles, hands-on vs. hands-off, etc. There is plenty of room in OSE product development to accommodate different approaches to product development and team organization. Ultimately, each OSE project will be judged on it's results: the product(s) that come out of it.

			== OSE Project Stages ==

			Some OSE projects will start as new ideas and build their way towards being a full OSE project. OSE has defined four "stages" of projects:

			# Idea
			# Incubation
			# Development
			# Support

			These are more fully defined, along with requirements and resources provided in [[OSE Project Stages]].

	== The OSE Project Life-Cycle ==		== The OSE Project Life-Cycle ==

Mjn at 01:04, 19 June 2011

2011-06-19T01:04:13Z

@@ Line 228: / Line 228: @@
 ** Transparency
 ** Record Keeping
 [[Category: Organization]]

Syk0saje at 06:20, 10 June 2011

2011-06-10T06:20:53Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:20, 10 June 2011
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	** Transparency		** Transparency
	** Record Keeping		** Record Keeping

			[[Category: Organization]]

Syk0saje at 06:19, 10 June 2011

2011-06-10T06:19:44Z

Show changes

Mjn: /* Project Tracking using Pivotal */

2011-06-09T12:25:02Z

Project Tracking using Pivotal

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:25, 9 June 2011
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	* [[OSE Specifications]]		* [[OSE Specifications]]
	* Documentation Standards		* Documentation Standards
			* [[TRIZ]] - problem solving

	==Documentation Standards==		==Documentation Standards==