Starting a project like this is a daunting task. It’s my first time doing funded research and I want to make sure I do it well and I do justice to the topic. So, a key starting point for me was getting organised. I’m a fan of lists, tables and excel spreadsheets. If I’m going to do this project well, I need to have everything organised and this was a lovely justification to try out Microsoft Project and create a Gantt chart.
I’ve done various versions of planners and Gantt charts with other projects, but due to the scale and moving parts within this project I thought a Gantt chart would help me keep on top of everything. At the university we have full access to Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Project – so I have access to the tools. We also have access to LinkedIn Learning – so I have access to the teaching and support. So there was no reason not to go ahead with it.
Watching various videos on LinkedIn Learning there was guidance on project management, planning and identifying the critical path of jobs that you need to successfully complete the project. Sitting down and pulling together all the things I thought I needed to do, alongside the elements that I’d already identified in my project proposal seemed like a lot. I gathered all the dates I could. As I’m going to be working with the MSc Public Health students, I need to know what modules they will be studying and what deadlines they’ll be working towards. I don’t want to add any additional pressure to the students or set up research events that conflict with key dates in their academic calendar. I also wanted to build in the bank holidays and any personal dates I would be taking as annual leave.
All of this came together in a massive excel spreadsheet. However, there was duplication and overlap. As I went through the various tasks, I also saw elements that were missing, that if I included them in my plan would help ease the pathway of the project. To break it down and make it more manageable I tagged each item as to whether they were to do with the fellowship, course dates, dissemination or personal dates. This way I could see what the essential tasks were and what elements would influence how and when I do specific parts of the project. There is no point booking in focus groups when students are working on submitting their assignments – I wouldn’t get any engagement.
So, once I had the dates, I populated the calendar in the Gantt chart (this would block off weekends and holidays). I added my tasks, allowing Project to auto-schedule them. Following guidance from the LinkedIn Learning courses, I estimated the time it would take to complete the tasks and added in summary tasks. Initially everything came together as starting on the same date as my project started. However, I’ve generally been amending and updating the timeline so that the tasks will build on one another and flow into the next part of the project. The dates aren’t set (yet) but they will be soon. Once they are, I’ll have a much clearer plan of what needs to be done, when. Fundamentally, I want to get things organised so that I can get ahead with what I can.
Lessons Learnt:
- Gather your data. Pull together all the information you have and that you think you will need. Once you’ve got it, you can begin to put it in some sort of order.
- Book in the deadlines. This is key – make sure you know when your potential collaborators and participants will be busy. When are the holidays, when are participants likely to be unavailable?
- Try something new. This was a great opportunity to learn Microsoft Project and allow it to do what it was designed to do – manage projects. Using the software I’ll be able to keep track of what I’m doing and if anything is slipping and needs more time.
Useful links:
- Skills Hub – Time management resources
- Linkedin Learning (Subscription, available to UON students and staff)