Most of the value from project management processes is added during the design and planning phases of the project, when all of the complexities of resources and idea management need to be revealed and layered. The big advantage of project management is that any work undertaken in these two phases guides and operates across the subsequent stages of implementation and closeout.

At the design phase you may or may not be seeking a research grant. Your project planning is readily transferred into a grant proposal, and in fact will ensure your proposal is much stronger, as you will be more realistic in your estimate of resources and timing. It also allows you to see if the project is achievable in that research funding context. All of these considerations make the project more manageable.

The following questions and prompts are designed to help you consider the issues you may need to address in your development of the project. They are briefly highlighted here and will be explored more fully in other modules.

Knowledge areas	Design phase checklist
Scope management	Has the project scope been defined? Does it match your research capacity? What is the evidence for the project need and likely value? What are the project objectives and deliverables? Are your deliverables realistic? What are the requirements of your stakeholders? What are your requirements and those of your team? How does the project fit with the strategic plan of the school, faculty, and/or university? Can you seek input from other parties as to your project plan? (Seek early feedback if possible) If you have an established project team, seek their input and ideas
Time management	Estimate the total time for the research by developing a high-level WBS to identify all likely processes and major demands Identify any milestones to be achieved Do you have sufficient time for unexpected contingencies? Identify the broad estimates of timing to be costed in your project
Cost management	Estimate the costs of the major research activities, likely staff costs, equipment, travel, rental of offices, etc. Prepare the cost estimate early and revise regularly as new costs emerge Is there a project costing template you can apply? Are you applying for research funding? What is your university process? Are there supplemental funding opportunities you might be able to tap into? Have you allowed for university overheads in your costings?
Quality management	Do you need to seek ethics approval? Get started as soon as possible to ensure compliance Should you establish an advisory group to oversee the research? Who should you invite? What processes and systems should you establish? Do you need to add time and cost estimates to cover the establishment or maintenance of these processes?
Research management	Do you have pilot data or previous research that can assist in this new project? Develop a broad project plan showing the key stages, outcomes, and main relationships between the contributors Review the project plan to make sure you have covered all elements of your project Do you need help to plan the research? Seek assistance from your university experts and agencies, including your local school/centre sources
Risk management	Is there capacity to undertake the project? Is there sufficient capacity to lead/manage the project? Is the budget sufficient? How will you manage non-delivery by research partners? Are you reliant on others? How will you ensure they remain engaged with your research project?
Human resources management	Develop profiles of each researcher in your team for use in your proposal and to encourage greater familiarity across the team. Place them on your website if already active Seek feedback from your team members on the proposed project. Is the idea feasible? The best option? Are the proposed timeframes achievable? Establish who else might contribute to your project. Is there an opportunity to involve others? Can you involve higher degree students? Establish your project management team as soon as possible to contribute to the project planning Set up a regular meeting schedule to progress the project Develop a policy on publication authoring Ensure all team members are aware of the project design and outcomes Encourage contributions from all team members into the project design and proposals What training will your team require? Is there sufficient capacity to support high demand project periods?
Stakeholder management	Who are the stakeholders? What do they expect of the project? If you are seeking an industry partner, how will the project operate? Do you have a good relationship established? How can you strengthen those relationships? How will a partnering organisation benefit from the research? What are the implications for the research processes? Do you need support from the faculty or university? Consider preparing a one-page outline of the project to assist with any discussions Clarify how infrastructure will be shared in cross-institutional projects Have you engaged early enough with stakeholders? Do you need to undertake a pilot project for proof of concept? Have you marketed the benefits of the project and the talents of your research team to your collaborators? Have you defined roles, expectations, and contributions? Has IP and dissemination of research findings been clearly agreed? Do research collaborators understand the nature of HDR students and their needs? Has confidentiality been satisfactorily addressed?
Communications management	How often do you plan to meet with your research team, partners, and stakeholders? Have you scheduled these in your WBS? Do you have virtual team members? How will they be kept engaged with your project? Can reporting be managed through an online website? How will that be organised? Develop a communication protocol to explain who will be responsible for which elements Consider the media strategy that you will apply over the project
Procurement management	Do you have somewhere to do the research? Can the research be accommodated in existing facilities? Speak to your head of school about the facility implications of your research proposal What equipment do you need? What is already available in your faculty/university? If you plan to share available equipment, how will that be managed? Are you better to buy in bulk for the whole project? Who will be responsible for managing the resources?
Integration management	Who is involved in the project? How will you coordinate their efforts? Where are likely pressure points for the research project? How can you pull in additional resources to assist with those high-demand periods? Are you reliant on others to perform elements of the research? How will you liaise and ensure they are ready to support your research when you need it?

Module 1: Research Strategy and Planning

4.6 Overview of project management strategies: design phase

At your University