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How to prepare a Project Description

1 January 2000

This document is copyright of EURESCOM and may not be reproduced or copied without permission. EURESCOM does not warrant that the information contained in this document is capable of use, or that the use of the information is free from risk, and accepts no liability for loss or damage suffered by any person using this information

Contacts For general queries: EURESCOM Mrs Karin Becker Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35 D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany Telephone: + 49 6221 989 120 Fax: + 49 6221 989 209 E-mail: becker@eurescom.de For queries on the technical content of this Booklet: EURESCOM Mr. Heinz Brggemann Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg 35 D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany Telephone: + 49 6221 989 210 Fax: + 49 6221 989 209 E-mail: brueggemann@eurescom.de

Management Handbook

How to Prepare a Project Description

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................I 1 2 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................2 2.1 COVER SHEET ....................................................................................................2 2.2 PROJECT SUMMARY (PS FORM) .........................................................................2 2.3 PROJECT OVERVIEW TABLE (POT).....................................................................3 2.4 TASK DESCRIPTIONS (TD FORM)........................................................................3 2.4.1 Project Management Task Description (Task 0).......................................4 2.4.2 Dissemination of Project Results Task Description (Task 1)....................5 2.5 DELIVERABLE DESCRIPTION (DD FORM) .............................................................6 2.6 PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (PMC FORM) .............................................7 2.7 BUDGET ALLOCATION PER CONTRACTOR AND PER PIR/TASK (BA FORM).............7 2.8 CALENDARISED ALLOCATIONS OF BUDGET PER CONTRACTOR (CA FORM) ...........7 3 4 FINALISING THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................9 AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX 3 TO THE PROJECT CONTRACT ........................10 4.1 NEED FOR AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX 3 TO THE PROJECT CONTRACT ...................10 4.2 PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCING AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX 3 TO THE PROJECT CONTRACT .................................................................................................................10 4.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION CHANGES NOT REQUIRING A SIGNED AMENDMENT ..........11 APPENDIX 1: TEMPLATES FOR A PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...............................12

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INTRODUCTION
This Booklet together with the accompanying Booklet #2, How to set up EURESCOM Projects of the Management Handbook introduces the Project Set-up process implemented within EURESCOM in general and clarifies the way individual EURESCOM Projects are set-up in particular. The objectives of the Project Set-up process are to: obtain for the Projects good managers (Project and Task Leaders) and competent experts with the time availability needed by the Project provide in time a well defined Project Description (what results to obtain, for whom, when and by whom) plan the work for the Project, e.g. produce Project plans (technical approach and calendar), consider external liaisons, reviewers, ways of dissemination of results

The archiving of documents related to all structural processes is described in Document 2.14 of the Institute Manual. This Booklet provides all information needed to generate the Project Description, i.e. the Annex 3 to the Project Contract and maintain consistency with the data stated in the various Templates and Forms used. The intended readers of this Booklet are the: editors of Project Descriptions (i.e. Project Supervisors, Project Leaders, Task Leaders) members of the Project Management Committee, who shall approve the Project Description for inclusion in the Project Contract as Annex 3 Technical Liasion Managers at Shareholders EPS members

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THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Project Description is a formal part of the Project Contract, and is the basic technical document to be agreed upon by all Participants in the Project, i.e. the Contractors. Its quality has a big impact on the effectivity and efficiency of the Project. It is important that the text, dates and budget data reflects the agreement among the Project Participants in order to serve as a reference for the commitments of each Participant in that Project. The Project Description is composed of the following forms and tables: Cover sheet PS Form: POT: TD Form: DD Form: PMC Form: BA Form: CA Form: (2.1) Project Summary (2.2) Project Overview Table (2.3) Task Description (2.4) Deliverable Description (2.5) Project Management Committee (2.6) Budget Allocation, per Contractor and per PIR/Task (2.7) Calendarised Budget Allocation, per Contractor (2.8)

In case a Project require special agreements between the Participants in the Project (e.g. if manufacturers or special subcontractors shall be involved), further information may be added as Special Agreements, for example to cover the usability of background information. The Project Description contains only the information that is contractually necessary. It is left to the Project Leader to establish more living project information, which may be kept in a Project Plan. The following sections provide guidelines to how to complete the Templates and Forms.

2.1

Cover sheet
This Form will be prepared by the EPS based on information in the other documents of the Project Description. The following should be noted: Project Type: The appropriate box has to be checked for GI (General Interest), PF (Partly Funded) or SI (Special Interest) Projects Whenever necessary a note may be included in the cover sheet to explain important details about the Project.

2.2

Project Summary (PS Form)

The Project Summary provides brief but comprehensive information on the Project. The structure of the PS Form has a certain similarity to that of the related Project Proposal Description (PPD). It is, however, revised and more elaborated information as a result of the Project Set-up process. In addition to the PS form, information on the Project scheduling and agreed work responsibilities is necessary. This is provided by a Project Overview Table (POT) that is kept in a separate files.

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The top half of the PS Forms contains summary information that will be provided by EURESCOM. The following should be noted: The date on which the Project is planned to have completed all funded activity is entered here. The format is as for the start date. The calendarised total budget in Man-Months for each year of the Project shall be entered in the pre-arranged Budget table. Care should be taken to check these figures with those in the CA Form. In principle these figures should not exceed those approved by the GA for the current Work Programme (i.e. the calender year), as given in the original PPD Form. Variations from such figures may be requested by a Project, but they shall be authorised by EURESCOM or, depending on the significance of the change proposed, by the Board or the GA. The information in the following two sections of the PS Form gives an introduction to the Project. This material will also be used as a basis to introduce the Project to people and organisations outside of EURESCOM, e.g. in the EURESCOM Project Portfolio. Rationale On the basis of the analysis of the present situation and of evolutionary trends, the rationale of the original PPD should be updated. The rationale should give a clear background for the Project (with references) and arguments for why the proposed work should be done now within EURESCOM, its impact on network evolution and service introduction, and what the perspective and market implications are. Market implications should be expressed - if possible - in commercial terms. The identification of complementary activities in external bodies (e.g. standards) is important. Objectives They should identify what will be achieved in the Project in terms of added value for the Shareholders. An outline of the type of results should be given, e.g. specifications, guidelines, contributions to standards bodies, software, etc. Deliverables, Milestones and important Project dates The expected content and format of the Project output and the exptect major events should be identified. The dates are summarised in the Project Overview Table (POT). Project clients and intended exploitation of the results The expected users of the results within Shareholders, specific standards bodies and other entities shall be identified, as well as the expected usage of the results. This item should also outline the window of market opportunity and possible implications of not having the envisaged results available on time. The content of this section should provide the right perspective for organising and preparing Project Deliverables and for identifying effective actions to be included in the Project for the dissemination of results.

2.3

Project Overview Table (POT)

This table summarises the start and end dates, responsible people and budget totals for all Tasks, PIRs, Deliverables and Milestones that have been agreed. This table serves as general reference of the agreements and, consequently, these data needs not to be repeated in the Task- and Deliverable Descriptions.

2.4

Task Descriptions (TD Form)

A Project is made up of a number of Tasks. A first version of the Task structure of a Project is given in the related PPD. However, in developing the Project Description, a more precise structure needs to be developed, which may differ from the one

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contained in the PPD and should include separate Tasks for the Project Management (Task 0) and Dissemination of Project Results (Task 1). Task Forms shall be compiled for each Task. It should be noted that no Sub-Tasks Forms are needed for the PD. If the Project wishes, such detailed information could be included in a Project Plan, but it should be consistent with the Task Descriptions given in the PD. Task Objectives They identify what the Task is aiming at, and outline the type of work and results (e.g. writing specifications, developing laboratory experiments, etc.). PIRs (Project Internal Results) For contractual purposes, it is not necessary to describe the activities to be carried out but it is essential that the results to be obtained are properly described. Therefore, this section of the TD Forms shall contain for each of the envisaged results of the Task (Project Internal Results): number and title, short description of the results to be obtained. Usage of the output This section specifies how the results shall be further used (e.g. as input to other Tasks or Projects, parts of Project Deliverables, etc.). Risks This section mentions possible risks that may reduce the validity or availability in time of the results, (e.g. unavailable input from other Tasks or Projects, ongoing standardisation activities that may affect the stability of the results, etc.). Such risks should be monitored by the Task Leader during the execution of the Project, and appropriate corrective actions should be taken if necessary. The Management Task (Task 0) and the Dissemination of Project Results Task (Task 1). are common to all Projects and generic discriptions of these tasks follow.

2.4.1

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TASK DESCRIPTION (TASK 0)

1. Task objectives

Management of the Project involves the following: a) Overall management of the Project, i.e. to: ensure that each participant has a clear understanding of what to do and when control Task activities promote co-ordination and when necessary corrective actions plan distribution of documents prepare Amendments to Annex 3 to the Project Contract when substantial modifications to the Project Description are agreed upon (see section 3 of this Booklet).

A tool for technical management is the use of PMC meetings, which includes representatives of all Contractors. The PL shall plan, organise and chair the PMC meetings, provide agendas, write or sign minutes, assure timely distribution of documents to the PMC members in order to speed up and focus discussions. b) Project Deliverables control and approval, i.e. to: organise proper quality control processes for all Deliverables

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establish a procedure for PMC approval of each Deliverable.

The Deliverables to be distributed to all EURESCOM Shareholders are produced under direct responsibility of the Project management. Deliverables normally include PIRs, but these needs to be reshaped, integrated and completed with an overall presentation. While the Deliverable quality control is included in other Tasks, the monitoring of these activities shall be carried out under the Management Task. A careful organisation of quality control and quality improvement of the Deliverables is very important, since these will be the long lasting visible image of the Project (see Booklet #7, Project Review and Quality Assurance of the Management Handbook). c) Project reporting, i.e. to: inform Project Management and EURESCOM about the Project progress.

Reports to EURESCOM are required by the contract and shall be planned and monitored. Reports at Project level (Quarterly Reports, the Final Report of the Project, and other intermediate reports if needed) should be distributed and discussed at PMC level (see Booklet #5, How to report on Projects of the Managemetn Handbook). d) Liaison with other Projects or outside activities, i.e. to: define the people in charge of liaisons define procedures for exchanging information or documents.

Liaison, especially with standardisation activities, is very important in order to keep the Project on the right track and to ensure that the EURESCOM Participants are in a strong position to influence the standardisation activities. The liaison people will be in charge for the exchange of information, but documents from the Project to the outside shall be checked and approved by the PMC under this Task. 2. PIR (Project Internal Results)

PIR 0.1 Project Management Results Project Management Results are: maintained Project Description documents related to PMC meetings, such as agendas, minutes and approved documents documents related to Deliverable quality control and approval including scheduling, handling of comments and PMC approval

2.4.2

DISSEMINATION OF PROJECT RESULTS TASK DESCRIPTION (TASK 1)

1. Task objectives

The main objective of this Task is to provide mechanisms to disseminate and promote the use of Project results. 2. PIR (Project Internal Results)

PIR 1.1 Contact with customers in the Shareholders Results of this PIR are organised liaisons within each Contractor between participants in the Project and the expected users of the results. The participants should identify

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their clients, keep them informed about the progress of the Project and the results, and obtain feedback on the clients needs. PIR 1.2 Plans and material for dissemination This includes: plans for seminars/workshops at EURESCOM, at Shareholders premises and, if appropriate, presentations to suppliers, contribution to standards bodies, international conferences, etc. presentation material (slides, video cassettes, demonstrations, etc.) and documents for standards bodies, conferences, etc.

PIR 1.3 Submission to standards, etc. (optional) If submission or contacts to standards bodies, fora, organisation, etc. are considered information shall be given here.

2.5

Deliverable Description (DD Form)

Draft DD Forms shall be provided by the designated Project Leader before the Kick-off meeting, for which he or she shall seek the input of interim Task Leaders and other members of the forming Project consortium. One Form per Deliverable shall be completed. At the top of the Form the number of the Deliverable (Deliverables are numbered in the expected chronological order, title, planned delivery date, i.e. the date when the Deliverable will be sent to the EURESCOM for approval. Purpose of the Deliverable This describes what the Deliverable is intended for and how it should be used. This Form of the Deliverable should identify the form of the Deliverables (e.g. software, CDDemo, Paper, etc.) in terms of how the result will be disseminated. Suggested readers This should indicate what type of people in the Shareholders should read or utilise the Deliverable. It is possible in some cases that an audience outside of the Shareholders is also the intended target. This will require the appropriate confidentiality classification (see below). Confidentiality classification Deliverables shall be classified as: EURESCOM confidential (distribution inside Shareholders only) For full publication (no confidentiality restrictions) For specified purposes (distributed to limited Shareholders and to specified external parties for specified purposes to be indicated in a sentence)

It must be emphasised that, when signing the Contract, all the Participants in the Project agree in writing on the confidentiality classification of the Deliverable as indicated in the DD Form (see also Booklet #8, Production of Project Result and their Dissemination of the Management Handbook).

Structure of the text Deliverables The overall structure of EURESCOM text Deliverables is standardised. Detailed guidelines on how to prepare Deliverables are given in Booklet #8, Production Project Result and their Dissemination of the Management Handbook.

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2.6

Project Management Committee (PMC Form)

This Form lists the names and affiliation of all PMC members (the detailed coordinates of these members should be contained in the Project Directory). According to the Project Contract, the PMC is a management body chaired by the PL, and includes representatives of each Contractor and the PS. The members of PMC are deemed to act on behalf of their companies, unless they have explicitly declared otherwise. It is strongly recommended to include also all Task Leaders and, if necessary, also Deliverable editors (in case they are not TL) to the PMC list. They should also attend, as far as considered necessary, PMC meetings. In case of voting, each Contractor has one vote only. For details on the duties and responsibilities of the PMC see Booklet #4, How to manage EURESCOM Projects of the Management Handbook.

2.7

Budget Allocation per Contractor and per PIR/Task (BA Form)

This Form contains the amount of resources to be provided by each Contractor for the provision of each Project Internal Result (PIR). It contains Man-Day totals per Contractor and per PIR/Task. The budget for the management of the Project and the Tasks should not exceed 10% of the whole Projects budget. The management of each individual Task is considered part of the Task and the related budget should be included in the Task budget. The budget for the dissemination of Project results should also not exceed 10% of the whole Projects budget. However, some Projects may have a special emphasis on producing more elaborate information for Shareholders, or on interacting with Standards bodies or fora. In such cases a greater percentage of the budget could be envisaged for this task. BA Forms can be obtained by summing up the contributions of each Contractor to each PIR. For this purpose Excel templates exist that enable the automatic calculation of total figures. The Project Supervisor can assist the Project Leader in the use of this tool.

2.8

Calendarised Allocations of Budget per Contractor (CA Form)

The CA Form will be produced by the EPS on the basis of the other Forms, especially the BA Form the BP Form and the POT. The CA Form provides the budget in Euro allocated to each Contractor for each calendar year during the life of the Project. This form also shows the allowable labour charge, as required by the Project Contract. At present the allowable labour charge is 660 Euro per working day for GI Projects, including travel and subsistence costs, and 330 Euro for PF Projects. A Man-Month is equal to 20 Man-Days. The CA Form is produced by the same Excel tool as the BA form. Costs related to equipment, to sub-contracts, or other necessary expenditure are included in the CA Form under Other Costs. The rules for calculating the allowable costs for equipment are given in Article 3.13 of Annex 2 to the EURESCOM Project Contract (see Booklet #10, The EURESCOM Contracts of the Management Handbook).

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The rules for allowing sub-contracts are in Article 7 of the same Booklet. Sometimes, a Contractor may allocate Project work to people who are not his employees, but belong to a company that has an overall contract for co-operation with the Contractor on several issues. In such cases EURESCOM can renounce to request a specific sub-contract for the Project in order to avoid administrative extra costs and waste of time. However, the Contractor obligations (concerning IPR and confidentiality issues, quality of the performance, delivery time, etc.) remain unchanged.

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FINALISING THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Project Description, as Annex 3 to the Project Contract, has to be agreed both by the Participants and by EURESCOM. It should be noted that the Project Description shall be finalised by the Project Supervisor following the agreements reached during the Kick-off meeting. The target issue date of the finalised Project Contract is one month after the Kick-off meeting.

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AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX 3 TO THE PROJECT CONTRACT

Need for Amendments to Annex 3 to the Project Contract
According to the Project Contract (see Booklet #10, The EURESCOM Contracts of the Management Handbook), an Amendment to Annex 3 has to be prepared by the Project whenever changes to the Project Description are needed. Items that might give rise to Amendments if they change include: the list of Participants in the Project (Contractors) the Project Leader, Task Leader or Project Supervisor the Project Objectives the Project Deliverables the Tasks the budget Forms (BA and CA Forms) or the planned Project completion date.

4.1

According to the past experience, the most common events that neccessitate Amendments to Annex 3 are when: an updated Project Description is defined (e.g.as a result of a preliminary or intermediate phase, after reviews, or after approval of an Extension the Project by the GA) the PMC decides to substantially re-allocate work/budget between Contractors the time scheduling is changed so that a shift of budget between years is needed the Project Leader or the Contractors' list is changed.

Where possible, significant events should be consolidated to limit the number of Amendments required per Project to one per year.

4.2

Procedures for producing Amendments to Annex 3 to the Project Contract

In general, the following procedures should be followed: All Amendments to the Project Description shall be agreed by the Project Management Committee. Decisions taken by the PMC shall be recorded in minutes and are the basis for the preparation of an Amendment to the Project Contract. Neither an increase of the overall Project budget nor important technical changes can be decided without prior agreement from EURESCOM. Depending on the case, the decision will be taken either by the EPS, the Director, the Board, or the GA. The Amendment shall have a cover sheet according to the template provided, and shall include all Forms that have changed. The Amendments to Annex 3 shall be the same for all Contractors, as is the case of the original Annex 3.

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The agreed Amendment is sent by EURESCOM to all Contractors. According to the EURESCOM Project Contract, no changes to the Project Description (Annex 3) are allowed without formal approval in writing by all Contractors.

4.3

Project Description changes not requiring a signed Amendment

In order to avoid cost and waste of time for "minor" changes, the Amendment is sometimes sent to the Contractors with an accompanying letter saying: "This Amendment is not a substantial change to the contract and therefore it is allowable without signatures under normal German contractual practices". In the case that some Contractors object to the simplified procedure, EURESCOM will of course start the normal procedure. Examples for minor changes where a simplified amendment process can be applied are: Re-allocation of budget among Participants, e.g. due to delays/early achievements, unforeseen problems (no change in the overall Project budget) New dates for finalising PIRs, Tasks, Deliverables Re-assignment of replacements, etc.) responsibilities (e.g. people leaving the Project,

Amendments for minor changes could include an updated PS Form , BA/CA, and the POT forms.

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APPENDIX 1: TEMPLATES FOR A PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Name of the Template File PD-Cover.doc PD-CoverAmendment.doc PSForm.doc POTForm.xls TDForm.doc DDForm.doc PMCForm.doc BA-Template.xls CA-Template.xls Link

Cover Sheet Annex 3 to Project Contract Cover Sheet Amendment to Annex 3 to Project Contract Project Summary Description Project Overview Table Task Description Deliverable Description Project Management Committee Form Budget Allocation Form Calendarised Budget Allocation Form

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