Developing a Project Plan and Budget

1. Developing a Project Plan and Budget October 28, 2009 Laura Dorman, Resource & Policy Analyst, Institutional Research Patrick Mullen, Assistant Professor, Public Administration Deb Koua, Grants and Contracts Coordinator, Academic Affairs

2.  Developing a Realistic Plan for Data Collection

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4. Advantages to Developing a Plan for Data Collection Understanding of needed tasks Identification of staff assignments Overview of the time needed to complete tasks Organization of resources to boost efficiency Minimization of errors and delays

5. When Should You Develop Your Data Collection Plan? Data collection plan and budget go hand-in-hand. Develop the �first-draft� of your data collection plan while developing your project proposal. Make revisions of your data collection plan as needed during the project proposal stage. You�d rather make changes prior to funding as opposed to after a contract has been signed.

6. Data Collection Plan Once you�ve defined your research questions and identified the data needed, think through these questions: How will you gather your data? Do you need permission (internal/external)? Is there an order or natural sequence to the data collection? How long will data collection take?

7. Work Plans It is helpful to create a project work plan. One possibility is to identify the major task, subtasks, time-frame, person(s) responsible, and the resources needed. Another possibility is to link the task to the primary issue, also identifying activities, person(s) responsibility and time-frame.

9. Work Plan Example 2

10. Key Points Establishing a data collection plan should be a fundamental step in any research project. Your data collection plan and your budget go �hand-in-hand�. Your should develop your �first draft� data collection plan while working on your proposal. Always slightly overestimate the period needed for data collection and analysis to allow for unforeseen delays. Check with the �owners� of data for scheduling concerns. Talk with them early and often. Don�t underestimate the time needed for IRB approval. Contact them early. Don�t over-promise in your proposal.

11. Pat Mullen http://www.aabpa.org/

12. Budget Categories Personnel Faculty and staff normally as a % of time GAs at monthly rate Students and hourly workers Fringe Benefits Faculty and staff Students and hourly workers Travel State travel rates and regulations apply Equipment Threshold varies depending on sponsor

13. Budget Categories cont� Supplies Must be specific for the project At times can include computers & software Printing/Mailing/Duplicating Contractual Outside entities contributing to the project Indirect State and non-profits grants - 10% Federal grants - 44.1%

14. University Rates www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/rates.html www.uis.edu/grants/proposals/policies.html#budget

15. General Principles Inflate costs in multi-year budgets Be realistic, but estimate a bit high Indirect costs are real costs to the University and are not normally waived