Establishing A Social Media Research Centre Project Charter And Communication Plan

Project Objectives

The projects objectives define in specific what needs to be accomplished. The project objectives will include:

1. Development of an informal research group integrative website application systems by June 2017
2. Development of a David’s unit social media research centre by February 2018

Project justifications: There several reasons that justified the choice of the project (Petronila, 2014). The first reason is that an associated organizational centre closely related had closed down leaving a gap to be filled. Secondly, there was increasing pressure from David’s senior executives to have a centre that can produce high quality research. Lastly the increasing developments in Information technology and students (PHD & Masters) for research work prompted for the centre to be developed.  

Project activities/deliverables: Deliverables provide key activities that need to be accomplished (Heagney, 2016). The project deliverables will include: development of project plan proposal, designing a website application system, information group formation (registrations of members), documentary storage of learning materials, and implementation of social media platform.

Project milestones: Milestones represents key events with specific time of commencements (Kerzner, 2013). The deliverables of the project are as follows:

1. Documentation of project plan proposal will start on 4/4/2017
2. Meeting for website application system design will start on 20/4/2017
3. Piloting of the website application system will start on 4/05/2017
4. Project execution and implementation of social website application system will beginning on 15/05/2017
5. Informal research groups and sensitization will take place starting on 1/06/2017 onwards
6. Project closure will take place in February 2018

Project benefits: The centre will provide high quality research through social media networks. The image of the unit will improve from the social networks.

Project limitations: Fear of hosting non scholarly research output and challenges of controlling social media activities.

Project exclusions: Training the members on its usage and stocking of e-library with learning materials.

Ranking: Provision of learning materials through social media networks

1.	Strategic-the unit will be competitive
2.	Customer-offer interactive learning materials
3.	Financial- less costly infrastructure
4.	Operational-easy accessibility through logins
5.	Social- creation of social scholarly networks

Value: One value the project will bring is growth. The project growth is explained as follows:

• The unit growing to be a social scholarly research centre
• The number of learning materials will grow in time
• Number of members accessing the service will grow
• David’s unit image and reputation will grow
• Growth of other functions can be facilitated through the website

The project will be accepted if it meets the following: plagiarism free, formal materials, accessible, less costly, scholarly in nature and interactive.

Constraints: lack of proper control of social media usage, materials can be patent preventing accessibility (Haimes, 2015).

Assumptions: Clients will positively embrace the centre and lower cases of informal events through the media

List of Stakeholders

The stakeholders will include: Sonia (application manager), David Wright (project sponsor), Craig Bamworth (expert consultant), David units staff, social media project clients, senior executive members.

Lessons Learnt

Non scholarly events in the media should be avoided. Plagiarisms of learning materials stored should be avoided. Proper usage of the social media should be encouraged.

Plan purpose

The communication plan is a useful tool in ensuring information sharing among stakeholders (Eskerod & Huemann, 2013). The project is prepared to focus on project performance and the needs of the stakeholders. The social media research centre library project communication plan will serve the following aims:

1. To ensure stakeholders are informed of project progress and performance
2. Obtain information useful in making decisions
3. Reduction of information conflicts and increase ownership

Communication plan philosophy: Social media will be a primary part of communication that will enhance sharing of ideas to enhance project performance. The project is based on the use of social media platform.

Communication tools and techniques: The project employed communication techniques based on the assessments of techniques, frequency of usage of the techniques, nature and purpose of the information, and stakeholder characteristics (Eskerod & Jepsen, 2013). The methods employed will include formal & informal meetings, telephone calls and social media.

Project change affects implementation process it can affect the triple three constraints of scope, schedule and resources. Project managers need to have a good procedure to ensure changes are factored in. The project manager of Social media research centre library project will follow the following procedure in change management: Report the change to relevant persons (change request), assessments of effect of change, recording of change in change management log, approving change request, and communication and reporting (Snyder, 2014). Table 1 shows change management log template to be used.

Table 1 change management request

Changes in: scope, resources and schedule
Date it occurred	Type of change	Impact of change	Mitigation measures

Different meetings conducted in projects have varying agenda, goals and objectives (Knutson & Webster, 2014). The period and audience of the project meetings will also differ. Table 2 shows a summary of meeting agenda, audiences and goals of the social media research project.

Table 2 meeting agenda

Type of meetings	Types of audiences	Agenda/goals/objectives
Short status meetings	David unit staff, project team	Check progress, identify challenges and new developments
Project variance meetings	Project managers & technical staff	Report on actual versus planned performance
Project management meetings	Project manager, senior executive staff, project sponsor	To report on progress and performance. Make approvals and decisions
Project technical reviews meetings	Project managers, and team members	Focus on project performance, clarifying new developments, encourage team work

A communication plan is an overall schedule summary of information management in projects. The plan defines the type of information to be shared, frequency and location of the information, purpose and communication mechanism (Streun, 2014). Table 3 shows a summary of social media research centre library communication plan.

Table 3 communication plan summary

Stakeholder	Information to be shared	Frequency of information exchange	Location of information exchange	Purpose of communication	Mechanism of communication
Sonia (application software manager) & David’s unit staff	Website and operative updates	Daily basis	Work stations	Explain any changes in technical/operative functions	Emails and formal meetings
Project sponsor	Project needs and progress	Periodic (twice/week)	Project office	Explanation of project performance and needs	Formal meetings, reports  and phone calls
Project expert (Craig Bamsworth)	Expertise opinion	Periodic (Thrice/week)	Project office/work stations	Obtain expertise opinion/help	Formal/informal meetings
Senior executive members	Executive decisions	Occasionally (Once/week)	Boardrooms	Seek approvals and status progress updates	Formal meetings/reports
Social media clients	Awareness & update information	More often	Media usage/open forums	Creation of awareness of the project	Informal meetings and social media networks

Project closure occurs when the project deliverables have been met. Once the social media research centre library project is fully operational and reviews have been done with agreement with the project sponsor and senior executive members the project will be closed off (Phillips, 2013). The David’s unit will be handed over the project.

References

Eskerod, P., & Jepsen, A. L. (2013). Project stakeholder management. Gower Publishing, Ltd. Retrieved on 16/04/2017 from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=project+stakeholder+management&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=2013

Eskerod, P., & Huemann, M. (2013). Sustainable development and project stakeholder management: what standards say. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 6(1), 36-50. Retrieved on 16/04/2017 from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=project+stakeholder+management&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=2013

Haimes, Y. Y. (2015). Risk modeling, assessment, and management. John Wiley & Sons. Source 0n 16/04/2017 from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=project+risk+manament+&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=2013

Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Source on 16/04/2017 from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2013&q=project+management+plan&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

Kerzner, H. (2013). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved on 15/07/2017 from:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2013&q=project+management+plan&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

Knutson, J., & Webster, F. (2014). What Is Project Management?: Project Management Concepts and Methodologies. In DINSMORE P. & CABANIS-BREWIN J. (Eds.), The AMA Handbook of Project Management (pp. 1-10). New York; Atlanta; Brussels; Chicago; Mexico City; San Francisco; Shanghai; Tokyo; Toronto; Washington, D.C.: AMACOM Division of American Management Association International. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1d2qzkc.6

Petronila, A. (2014). Project Management Plan. Docs. School Publications. Retrieved on 15/04/2017 from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2013&q=project+management+plan&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

Phillips, J. (2013). PMP, Project Management Professional (Certification Study Guides). McGraw-Hill Osborne Media. Retrieved on 16/04/2017 from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=project+scope+management&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=2013

Snyder, C. S. (2014). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute. Retrieved on 16/2017 from:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?as_ylo=2013&q=project+management+plan&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5

Streun, G. (2014). Project Management Integration in Practice. In DINSMORE P. & CABANIS-BREWIN J. (Eds.), The AMA Handbook of Project Management (pp. 79-84). New York; Atlanta; Brussels; Chicago; Mexico City; San Francisco; Shanghai; Tokyo; Toronto; Washington, D.C.: AMACOM Division of American Management Association International. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1d2qzkc.14