The Summer Project Proposal

It's the beginning of Week 2, and today marks the submission of the proposal document for my intended Master's project. This post will focus on my thoughts about the process of preparing and submitting this document.

Background 

The process began back in December when we suggested our initial title and chose whether we would embark on the dissertation or development route. I chose the development route, with the ultimate aim of having a substantial piece of work for my portfolio when the project is complete. Taking into account my background in software development influenced this decision too. The development route should allow me to draw on my experience more substantially than researching a dissertation likely would have.

Once we'd chosen the route, we needed to choose our topic. Similar to the route, my decision was primarily determined by past influences. During my undergraduate education, I became heavily involved with a student society. My experiences during this time convinced me a problem exists with how those volunteering to run clubs or societies are trained for their roles. Too often, instances occurred where vast amounts of knowledge were lost when experienced members departed without being able to pass on what they had learned to a successor. Further, the supports provided by Clubs and Societies (the umbrella organisation which administers clubs and societies on behalf of the Students' Union) were, in my view, lacking. As a result, my decision to propose a training course to instruct committee members in aspects of running a club or society was a fairly natural one.

The Proposal

With the route and topic chosen, work began on the proposal. The proposal sets out several aspects of the intended course, including:

• A Needs Analysis determining whether the course is necessary.
• A breakdown of the course structure.
• A detailed explanation of the modules, units and lessons that will make up the course.
• Designs for the interface.
• A work schedule. 

The Needs Analysis was a beneficial experience. Part of the analysis involved interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to get their opinions on the current training situation and feedback on my proposed course. This experience will be invaluable in terms of future career options, be it in the technical writing or E-Learning field. Both fields often require one to interview an SME to obtain information for a project on a topic with which they are unfamiliar. Getting to carry out this process in a practical way was a very positive aspect of the proposal process.

The proposal was also an opportunity to break down the project and examine its' constituent parts in detail. At first, the project brief appeared overwhelming. The task at hand seemed incredibly vast. But through working on the proposal, through planning the lessons and design for the course, and through setting out a work schedule, I feel it helped put the workload into perspective and make it seem much more manageable. Having this material prepared as we now move into the development of our projects will definitely be an asset.

And so, the proposal is now in the process of being reviewed. If it is accepted, work on the project itself will begin in earnest. I do not doubt that working through the proposal process has laid important groundwork which will yield significant benefits during the development cycle.

And to finish on what may be a humorous note, while preparing the work schedule should assist in keeping the project on track, it was rather a surreal feeling to see every day up until the submission date of 30th June blocked off with potential project tasks to work on!