1.0 Title: Project Note file
2.0 Purpose:
- To record in chronological order, and for each project resource person reading or modifying project artifacts what they read or modified or any comments or action items resulting from their efforts.
- To provide an efficient means of relocating documents and artifacts and references used while working on the project.
- To provide a court worthy record for dispute resolution.
- To provide a means of calculating "timesheet" and "invoice" information being charged to a work order <future>
3.0 Recommended Usage:
This is the first project artifact that should be produced even before a brand new "work order" is created by the person who thinks of the project (a.k.a. the Project Owner in hri07e jargon). It is the place where the initial concept can be freely stated after the paper napkin version - and if legibility is required and the person has a device handy - can replace the napkin.
Every resource person on the project should create their own notes file - whether they share the file or not. A "Combined Notes" file can be politically corrected excerpts copied and pasted form individual notes file.
4.0 Frequency:
A log file is (supposed to be) updated every time the owner is active on the project.
- OR - as often happens - as soon as the owner remembers they didn't update the log file - if they ever do.
- log files may be updated as a means of keeping track of single items of work - each one with a new timestamp
5.0 Reference Documents:
6.0 Responsibility:
The Technical Resource or Business Resource person is responsible for updating the file.
The Project Manager is responsible for being aware of the updates whether they are told about them or not.
7.0 Ownership:
The Technical Resource or Business Resource person working on the project is the owner of the file - within the limitations of the Intellectual Property agreement for the project.
NOTE/WARNING: Just because you won the file DOES NOT mean you own the Intellectual Property you may have inadvertently put in the file. If you are working on a defense contract project for example - BE VERY CAREFUL what you write in the log file. Also
8.0 Level of Effort (costs)
The time and effort required to write something down about the work you just did - beyond doing the work itself - may add 2 or 3 minutes (or 20 or 30 if its complicated) but will more than pay off in keeping you and everyone else up to date on the project.
MUCH BETTER THAN YELLOW STICKIES.
9.0 Risks
9.1 Risks of doing
- Other people can see what you've done and whether you are responsible for the mess.
- you may say things you will regret
- you may be guilty if theft of Intellectual Property if you use the information outside of the project (see 7.0)
9.2 Risks of not doing
- you will forget what you were doing
- you may not be able to prove you were doing anything at all
- you may be unable to show why you took so long - or how difficult it was.
- you won't have a nice permanent reference for you own use later (again - see 7.0)
10.0 CONTENTS:
10.1 filename:
This is the filename for the note file itslef - format: pm45n <label text> <wo#>
10.2 log entries
10.1.2.1 entry timestamp:
This is the date/timestamp for the note being made - it format should be: yy/mm/dd HH:mm
10.1.2.2 entry location:
This currently is any useful reference to a location (e.g. 77 Germain St). The reference should be unique and understood to the project team.
<future> This (should be) the concatenated latitude and longitude the entry location (eg: 45.272770,-66.060532)
10.1.3 note:
The actual log entry itself should be a summary of the actions taken, results gained, future actions required and general assessment of the value of the results. (Note that this is the official record of the project work and may reappear in court someday. While this can obviously be used against the note taker later - it can also be used to support a dispute. Candor and comedy and insults should be used with care.)
- log narrative
This is the actual note entry and consists of text, hyper-links and whatever else the person keeping the log finds useful. It should be as compact and concise as possible. (While it may be convenient to use the notepad as a editing pad - large text entries are usually for a deliverable of some sort and should be moved to an appropriate location with a link back to the notes file.)
- internal hyperlinks to deliverables and project artifacts
Much of the productivity gain of this form of note is the ability of the user to link to documents quickly that are otherwise hard to find.
It is preferred practice for all hyperlinks to be embroidered as part of the link rather than explicitly shown in the log text.
(for example: the above reference to key code: lat has the local url https://sites.google.com/site/km6siggeo2hri07e/6-0-dd-bio/lat embedded in it rather than copied into the log text verbatim.
- external hyperlinks to references
- as above - these are often best embedded - but sometime a barebones URL is better - such as http://www.whitehouse.gov/
10.1.4 exit timestamp: <future>
This is the date/timestamp for the note being comnpleted - it format should be: yy/mm/dd HH:mm
10.1.5 exit location: <future>
This is the automatically generated location at the time of the note completion.
10.1.6 charge
this is amount of time being charged to the workorder and is normally the exit-entry differential or less - at the discretion of the person doing the claim.
10.1.7 entry hash <future>
Once a note has been saved the system should generate a hash for the entry and store it (somewhere) as an auditing tool to see if and when the entry log has been modified.
11.0 Metadata (Data Typing)
All pm45n log files should contain:
- a work order (project) number
- an owner
- timestamped data entries
12.0 File Handling Policy
12.1 There will normally be individual logs for each resource person - however the "project log file" will be the amalgamation of all of the log files.
12.2 Because almost all files will be in electronic format the CDID itself must state how documents of this type must be handled by the information system.
12.3 Backup
Backup policies must be stated for time of retention
12.4 Privacy
PIPEDA (Canada), Sorbanes Oxley (USA) and equivalent privacy handling methods must be specified.
12.5 Security
The security level of the document must be identified and options noted.
13.0 Procedures
14.0 Tutorials
No formal tutorials have been written for the use of the pm45n project log file yet.
However - the following versions of the pm45n Template are available for copying and reuse.