Concept Paper and ICT Project Overview Notes

Five Elements of a Concept Paper

Introduction

• Includes the tour group's mission and vision, and a brief introduction of the project.
• Ways to aim a strong introduction:
  1. Answer the question "Why should I read this?"
  2. Engage the visitor with an anecdote.
  3. Tell the reader "This is not for you."
  4. Share something personal.
  5. Ask a question.

Purpose

• Includes the reasons why this project is worth the group's and sponsor's time, effort, and money.
• Tactics for writing a purpose:
  • Develop the statement as a separate sentence or paragraph.
  • Use words such as “purpose,” “intent,” or “objective.”
  • Focus on one idea/phenomenon.
  • Use action verbs.
  • Use neutral words and phrases.
  • Include words reflecting the strategy of inquiry.
  • Refer to the participants in the study.
  • Identify the sites for the research.
  • Provide a general working definition of the central phenomenon/idea.

Description

• Includes all the necessary information about the project; in ICT, it involves the sites to be produced and the purpose of each and how they work in unison.
• Tactics for writing a description:
  • Summarize: Explain the aims, outcomes, significance, and benefits in 3-5 sentences or less.
  • Define: Explain what purpose to reach and what need to address.
  • Evaluate: Identify the benefits to be gained upon successful completion of the project.
  • Approach: Select, approve, and describe a method that is efficient.
  • Wrap: State the requirements for the project and user expectations.
  • Compensate: Identify the results to be gained as a compensation of resources and effort invested.

Support

• Contains the budget needed for the project.
• Supporting documentation, including statistical data if available, should be used to emphasize the need for this research.

Contact Information

• Includes information on how the group can be contacted.
• Typical contact information includes:
  • One personal contact (name and position).
  • One personal email.
  • Phone number and extension.
  • Organization's physical address.
  • Organization's website.

Simplified ICT Project Overview

Simplified ICT Project Process Overview

The ICT project process includes:

1. Planning
2. Development
3. Release and Promotion
4. Maintenance

Planning

• Involves tasks such as:
  1. Conceptualizing the project
  2. Researching available data
  3. Setting deadlines and meetings
  4. Assigning people to tasks
  5. Finding a web or blog host
  6. Creating a sitemap
  7. Listing applications needed
  8. Funding (if applicable)

Development

• Involves the actual creation of the website(s) and the production of images and infographics.

Release and Promotion

• Involves the actual release of the website for public view and promoting it. Promotion typically starts before the release.

Maintenance

• Involves responding to feedback from site visitors and continuing to improve the website.