Prepare a plan to present to the board.
- Establish the project objective, and make a list of your assumptions about the project.
- Develop a work breakdown structure.
- Prepare a list of the specific activities to accomplish the project objective.
- For each activity, assign the responsible person.
- Create a network diagram that shows the sequence and dependent relationships of all the activities.
You are the director of a not-for-profit research center that performs research on diseases related to aging
canines. The research work depends on funding from several different sources, such as public and
private donors, and government grants.
Your department prepares the annual reports of the center’s status for the board of directors. It is mostly
text, with no color, and few graphics, with a simple cover. It is a very boring document, but inexpensive to
create, relying on in-house resources and minimal outside expenses.
The board recently requested an updated version of the annual report so that it is presentable for
marketing or promotions with existing and potential donors, and other internal and external stakeholders.
The board feels that the updated report could educate stakeholders about the successes in the research
efforts and effective financial stewardship of funding and donations.
The goals of the board are:
a shorter, simpler, easy-to-read annual report that shows the benefits of the center’s research and the
impact on animal’s and other stakeholder’s lives
the inclusion of pictures from various veterinarians, clinics, and humane shelter/care facilities that are
benefitting from the results of the center’s research
testimonials from veterinarians, staff, and canine families who have benefited from the center’s
research
formatting should be multicolored, contain a lot of pictures and easy-to-understand graphics
information written in a style that can be understood by the average current or potential donor
Your department has five members. You may have to contract some of the activities, and may have to
travel to several different areas around the country to take photos and gather testimonials. You will also
need to put the design, printing, and distribution out for RFPs. You estimate that approximately three
million copies of the report need to be printed and mailed.
The board asks you to come to its next meeting in 45 days (May15th) to present a detailed plan,
schedule, and budget. The board wants the annual report "in the mail" (by November 15th) so potential
donors will receive it around the holiday season. The center’s fiscal year ends September 30th, and its
financial statements should be available by November 15th. However, the nonfinancial information for the
report can be gathered right after the board meeting in 45 days.
You have 6 weeks to prepare a plan to present to the board. If approved, you will have 6 months to
implement the plan and complete the project.
Your staff consists of Isaiah, a marketing manager; Stacy, a writer/editor; Dominique, a staff assistant, and
Jessica, the receptionist, who is skilled with photography.
