Module 11:
Timelines and Project Management
Overview
This module is focused on describing the timeline of the project and how we're keeping all our ducks in a row!
Why do we need to know this? Everyone involved in credible messengers deserves to know what's going on in their sphere, especially when an outside organization becomes involved. We want to make sure you have the tools and details necessary to answer questions mentees, community members, and others might have about what's going on.
Learning Outcomes: We will learn project management skills, which will be helpful for you beyond this project as well!
What we will do: We'll go over the most important aspects of project management, how they pertain to your role as a community researcher, and where you can find resources or clarification.
This module will take 10-15 minutes to complete.
Let's Start with the Project Timeline
Before starting any data collection, the Urban team received a green light from our internal IRB. This background work included explaining what we will be collecting, and how we will be protecting those who we collect from.
The step after is where we are now: training, preparation, and, most importantly, relationship building. The ultimate goal is for all of us to feel equally comfortable with the project, tasks, and goals. Below, we've outlined the key tasks involved in each research project and their timelines.
Training Module Discussion Schedule for CM1
This schedule is tentative and may change!
September Community Meetings: Modules 1 - 3 What is research, research questions, and types of research
October Cross-Site Meeting: Modules 4 - 5 CEM methods/PAR
November Community Meetings: Modules 6 - 7 Our identities, trauma, and self-care
December Cross-Site Meeting: Modules 8 - 10 Root Cause Analysis, justice and action frameworks
January Cross-Site Meetings 2x per month: Modules 11 -12 Program evaluation, project management, action frameworks continued
February Cross-Site Meeting 2x per month: Modules 13 -15 Ethics, confidentiality, and consent, Focus Groups
March Cross-Site Meeting 2x per month: Focus Group Review
April Cross-Site Meeting 2x per month: Modules 16 - 17 LECs
Site visits are planned for April - May!!
Community researchers will start collecting focus group data April 2025. Then, LEC data collection will start Summer 2025. We will spend the rest of the year collecting and analyzing.
It's a long way out, but data collection and analysis wraps up towards the end of Summer 2026. After data collection wraps up, we begin the process of analysis and dissemination - sharing the results of what we discover together.
CM2
COMING SOON!
All in all, there's a lot of time, but also a lot to do! We're glad and thankful to have your help in all of it.
Now, Let's Talk About Project Management
Project management is a bit of a blanket term that includes many pieces of the project/research puzzle. Think of project management as the edge pieces of this puzzle - we start here and fill in from there!
Managing such complex things as a research project with multiple partners and sites takes a lot of effort. Tasks need to be kept track of; budgets balanced; and data security has to be maintained!
To do this Urban's team starts with approval of data and human subject protection from Urban's internal IRB. But this is just the start of the process. We also keep an internal timeline (which we briefly touched on earlier!), and pay attention to how we may need to adjust it.
There are a few other sites and services we use pretty often, namely:
Box - a cloud file storing and sharing service. Pretty much everything Urban does is saved here!
Office 365 - remember Clippy? Well he's gone (RIP), unfortunately, but Microsoft's Office Suite isn't!
Workday - a webpage that connects you with all things Urban. HR, trainings, etc., all live here.
Our Ops team has also worked hard to develop and maintain a series of job aids to help go over some of the resources listed above. They're linked in the column to the right.
Links to Ops Job Aids:
Discord Discussion
In the Discord discussion for Module 11, share about a time you had to create and/or stay on a timeline. What was stressful about that experience? What helped alleviate or reduce stress?
The Takeaway: Though timelines are slightly flexible, they and project management are crucial aspects of seeing a project to completion! Without keeping track of tasks, budget, and data security, we wouldn't be able to create the project or deliver the results we hope to. We work with a variety of people, sites, and partners; all of whom deserve involvement with and information surrounding timeline and project management.