The project plan is a critical component of a successful technology trial. They guide the installation, deployment, and installation of the solution, ensuring that trial objectives are met to sufficient quality, to budget, and on time. This section focuses on key elements such as activities, roles and responsibilities, resource allocation, and progress check-ins to ensure a comprehensive, adaptable, and agile approach throughout the trial. Partners on the programme will want to know if the timeline will be feasible, what will be happening when, and any review points to check if expectations have been met.
Questions and prompts
Within your trial plan, it will be useful to detail the following:
Activates: What key milestones and tasks will you go through to install, deploy, and uninstall your trial to meet your research objectives?
Identify the key stages from inception to conclusion.
Specify dates and timeframes for each milestone to create a comprehensive timeline.
Consider dependencies between stages for effective planning.
Consider showcasing the plan within a Gantt chart or other visual methodology to ease of understanding.
Team: Who from the team will be required to ensure successful running of the trial?
Identify the key members of your project team and how their skills support the trial's processes
Clearly define the roles and responsibilities for the team and any other stakeholders who will be involved
Ensure effective communication channels between team members, stakeholders, and project partners.
Resource allocation: What budget will you require to implement this trial?
Clearly outline required resources, including personnel, technology infrastructure, and project funding.
Specify how the program funding will be utilised, and explore the possibility of match-funding from your organisation or partners.
Identify the budget for development of the solution for trial, and any interactions that may occur during testing
Budget for participants and stakeholders to receive any payment or expenses for their time
Solution iterations: Can you anticipate potential adaptations to create an iteration loop for your trial?
Consider how trial outcomes might inform necessary adjustments.
Identify areas for improvement and potential changes in trial parameters.
Progress: How will you showcase and assess trial progress and reflect on lessons learned?
Outline how you aim to report progress to project partners and showcase your ability to successfully lead the trial
Schedule regular review meetings with project partners to discuss achievements, challenges, and potential scope adjustments during check-ins.
When detailing your project plan, it can be useful to display the information in a visual format like a Gantt chart (or other agile methodology), with detailed work packages for the Catapult and project partners to review.
