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JISC Grant Funding: e-Learning programme Embedding Benefits
Cover Sheet for Bids(All sections must be completed)
Name of previously funded JISC project:
Secure Work-Based Learning Administration through Networked Infrastructure (SWANI)
Name of Lead Institution: Coleg Sir Gâr
Name of Proposed Project: Pilot of the SWANI Project Administrative Network (PotsPan)
Full Contact Details for Primary Contact:Name: Dave HowellsPosition: Director of Business DevelopmentEmail: [email protected]: 01554 748370Fax: 01554 748170Address: Coleg Sir Gâr, Graig Campus, Sandy Road,
Llanelli, CarmarthenshireSA15 4DN
Name(s) of Project Partners(s) including JISC services, associations, etc (except commercial sector – see below)
Swansea Metropolitan UniversityPembrokeshire CollegeThe Prince’s TrustJISC RSC Wales
This project involves one or more commercial sector partners YES (delete as appropriate)
Name(s) of any commercial partner company (ies)PRP Training, Pembroke Dock
Length of Project:
12 months
Project Start Date:
May 2012 Project End Date:
April 2013
Which category of funding are you submitting this proposal under?
A. Micro funding £5000B. Single project C. Collaborative capacity buildingD. Take-up pilots
Total Funding Requested from JISC: £40,000Institutional Contribution: £21,000Total Project Costs: £61,000
I have looked at the example FOI form at Appendix A and included an FOI form in this bid
YES
I have read the Funding Call and associated Terms and Conditions of Grant
YES
Summary DescriptionDescribe your proposed idea in 3 sentences.
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The JISC SWANI Project successfully created a digitised administrative and management documentation system for Work Based Learning in Wales that included a digital signature system that satisfied the audit requirements of the EU and the Welsh Government.
The proposed PotsPan project will enable the system to be piloted by the three other partners in the Skills Academy Wales WBL consortium (a second FE institution, a private training provider and a national charity) as well as being evaluated by a University for use in their general information management systems.
The outputs and outcomes of the PotsPan project are expected to confirm that the successful SWANI project system is scalable across the region, delivers significant operational and financial benefits, meets all EU and WG audit requirements, and is transferable to any institution or region with similar administrative and management requirements.
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Proposal Form
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1. Benefits and Audience:
The PotsPan project aims to share the benefits delivered by the SWANI (Secure Work-based learning Administration through Networked Infrastructure) LTIG project and promote the embedding of them across the partner networks of WBL providers in Wales. It also aims to demonstrate how the same benefits can be achieved by other institutions and networks adopting the same approach for general administrative and management purposes. The benefits are:
The complete digitisation of the WBL administrative and management system in South West Wales;
The introduction of a digital signature system that meets the audit requirements of the EU and the Welsh Government, whilst contributing to the digitisation objective;
The testing of the same system for administrative and management documentation in multi campus institutions;
A significant contribution to the goal of data security and integrity by maintaining all information on a central database;
A significant contribution to cost effectiveness by avoiding the need for physical file maintenance, transport and duplication.
2. Evidence:
The SWANI project was designed as a proof of concept exercise and, if successful, was always expected to be promoted to the other institutions in the Skills Academy Wales (South West) WBL partnership for a wider trial. All partners have acknowledged the potential benefits and have expressed interest in being involved in a further pilot. Given the current constraints on institutional finance, they have particularly welcomed the possibility of JISC funding to assist them to carry out their own piloting of the system.
A pilot will also be carried out by Swansea Metropolitan University, which is in discussions about a potential merger with University of Wales Trinity St David. This will explore the benefits of using the system for centrally digitising document management across a geographically dispersed institution.
The key SWANI project deliverable of a digital signature system that satisfied EU audit requirements removed what was previously regarded as an impenetrable barrier to full digitisation. The expectation, therefore, is that the other regional WBL consortia across Wales, funded by the same EU/WG system, will monitor the PotsPan project pilot activities and outcomes with a view to adopting the system if shown to deliver the anticipated benefits and efficiencies.
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3. Deliverables:
The primary deliverable from the PotsPan project will be a more refined version of the digitised document management system for the administration and management of Work Based Learning in the region. The open source JOOMLA content management application is being used and this is integrated with the digital pen application that is the basis for the digital signature system. It is expected that the additional pilot exercises will add significantly to the operational effectiveness of the overall system which will be made freely available to the JISC community.
The proposed outputs will include: A fully tested JOOMLA based document management system that contains
digitised version of all the documents that are used by the WBL administrative and management system in Wales;
A fully tested digital signature system, based on the use of digital pens, that meets EU audit requirements;
An evaluation report that details the piloting of the same document management system for a geographically dispersed multi-campus institution;
A project report that provides a comprehensive technical specification of the systems developed, as well as a detailed evaluation of system effectiveness;
A final project Workshop that will demonstrate the system and provides partner evidence of effectiveness in the support of WBL;
A content package of resources available on the JISC Design Studio that includes CMS installation tools, ‘how to’ guides and effective practice case studies;
A planned programme of conference presentations, seminars and journal publications to disseminate the project outputs and outcomes.
The proposed outcomes will include: An established rationale for a digitised document management system that meets
stringent audit requirements and is applicable to a variety of recording systems; A regional contribution to the EU Commission’s goal of achieving electronic
signature recognition in all areas of financial and legal audit; A reinforcement of the message that open source software and web based
resources represent an important and highly cost-effective option in educational resource procurement;
A contribution to the JISC objective of promoting the value-added benefits of innovative funding in education.
Delivery dates and target numbers:The majority of the outputs listed will be delivered at the end of the project period in the form of technical specifications, evaluation reports and user guidelines. These will include case studies detailing the WBL implementation and the institutional document management system. A project blog will provide a continuous commentary on project issues as it progresses and the dissemination plan will include papers submitted to key conferences in 2012/2013 beginning with ALT-C 2012. The audience will be WBL practitioners in particular and institutional management and IS staff generally.
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4. Activity Plan:
Packaging The outputs from the PotsPan project will be made freely available to the JISC community through the Design Studio, through the project Wiki and Blog and will be deposited/registered with appropriate JISC repositories. The outputs will be presented as a content package that will contain CMS and digital pen installation tools, ‘how to’ guidelines, and case studies of effective practice in operation and management. All resources will be made available in accessible formats.Coleg Sir Gâr will be responsible for this action. The packaging of the outputs will happen in the latter stages of the PotsPan project when the outputs of the SWANI project have been piloted and evaluated and final refinement of the systems completed.
Capacity/eventsThe project will begin with a practical workshop where the digitised content management system and the digital pen system will be demonstrated, and partners will have the opportunity to gain experience in their use. Plans will be agreed at that time for the installation of the CMS on partner servers and the management information protocols to be followed.During the period of the PotsPan project, two further workshops will take place where interim and then final practical project outputs will be shared. The final workshop will also be a project dissemination event with an invitation for interested practitioners in the JISC community to attend. A target of 40 delegates representing 15 different institutions/ organisations would be a reasonable expectation for this event.Also during the period of the PotsPan project, the emerging project outcomes will be shared through the JISC programme meetings, through practitioner events such as the JISC Learning and Teaching Practice Experts Group meetings, and through conference presentations. A short paper on the SWANI outcomes has already been submitted to ALT-C 2012 and similar dissemination opportunities will be sought during the project period.
Take-up pilots The main activity of the PotsPan project will be to pilot the outcomes of the JISC SWANI project with two additional institutions (one HE, one FE), a private training provider and a national charity with a training function.
The Skills Academy Wales (South West) WBL Consortium consists of Coleg Sir Gâr, which carried out the JISC SWANI project, Pembrokeshire College, PRP Training and The Prince’s Trust. These latter three organisations were not part of the original project and it is they who will be piloting the SWANI project outcomes.
Each WBL partner will trial the use of the digital pen system and will use it to interact with the digitised document management system. A detailed evaluation will be carried out for each partner and the outcomes reported. The final project report will identify effective practice and implementation strategies that have the potential for wider-scale take-up.
Swansea Metropolitan University will pilot the SWANI project outputs in a different context. The institution is in discussions about a potential merger with University of Wales Trinity St David and the resulting multi-campus institution would cover a geographical area that includes the Counties of Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The SWANI digitised document management system will be evaluated as a system that has potential for adding significant efficiencies to the institutional information systems management.
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5. Details of Partners:
Partner: Pembrokeshire CollegeContact: Dr Geoff Elliott, Director of Marketing, Skills and Development ([email protected])Role: Piloting Institution. Supporting letter attached.
Partner: Swansea Metropolitan UniversityContact: Kathryn David, Head of Commercial Services ([email protected])Role: Piloting Institution. Supporting letter attached.
Partner: PRP Training, Pembroke DockContact: Shirley Laugharne ([email protected])Role: Piloting Institution. Supporting letter attached.
Partner: The Prince’s TrustContact: Andrea Evans ([email protected])Role: Piloting Institution. Partnership confirmed by email.
Partner: JISC RSC WalesContact: Lis Parcell, Senior e-Learning Advisor ([email protected] )Role: Support Organisation. Partnership confirmed by email.
6. Exit and Sustainability:
The outputs of the PotsPan project are expected to be sustained through the adoption of the digitised WBL system across the consortium. A deliverable from the project will be a business plan that will quantify the cost efficiencies of the system in comparison with the paper based system.This will be available as part of the package of project outputs deposited in the JISC Design Studio.The evaluation carried out at Swansea Metropolitan University will be factored into the plans for management information systems integration, a process that is already taking place through the existing JISC funded Transformations Programme project at the institution.
7. Evaluation:
The Activity Plan and the Workpackages detail how evaluation will be an integral part of the PotsPan project. Each of the pilot projects will be evaluated and the lessons learned used to further refine the digitised information management system.The project team will meet formally once per month during the project period and will report on progress against targets. As the project is focussed on piloting and evaluation, each meeting will contribute to the accumulation of evidence of effectiveness. This will be recorded in the regular project Blog postings.
9. Workpackages:
Tasks Start / End dates
Outputs Responsibility
Work Package 1: Project Startup May 2012-
June 20121. Confirmed partnership agreement;2. Project team in place;3. Project plan finalised;4. First Steering group meeting and
project plan approved.
DH, TT
Work Package 2: WBL Digitised System Pilot
June 2012 – Dec 2012
1. JOOMLA WBL document management system in place for all partners;
2. Digital signature system in place for all partners;
3. Digitised document management systems workshop;
4. Evaluation report and system refinement recommendations.
DH, TT, Partner managers
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8. Risk assessment:
The risk management strategy for the PotsPan project will be as follows:
Risk 1: Potential loss of project management capacity and personnel during the project period.Mitigation: The project will be managed by Tony Toole who will be contracted throughout the project period. He will work with the same online services team at Coleg Sir Gâr that successfully completed the SWANI project. There is capacity, both in that group and more widely in the Business Development team, for additional resource input should it be necessary.
Risk 2: Lack of sufficient commitment and progress with pilot partnersMitigation: There will be a partnership agreement that details the responsibilities of all the project partners. The monthly project team meetings will review progress against targets and will agree appropriate action to rectify any potential problems.
Risk 3: Impact of institutional change on project support and outcomes.Mitigation: Top level institutional support will be established for the project at the outset. The anticipated changes in the sector and in the partner institution circumstances over the period of the project will be assessed and built into the risk management plan.
The plan for successful embedding of project benefits will be part of the overall project development plan. The participation of the partners in the PotsPan project will be based on an appreciation of the potential benefits and embedding will only be assured, of course, on the confirmation of these benefits from the pilot implementation evaluation outcomes. The aim will be to deliver that project outcome.
10. Project Team Members:
Name Institution/Organisation Role
Dave HowellsTony TooleLewis Jones
Geoff Elliott Kathryn David
Shirley LaugharneAndrea Evans
Coleg Sir GârColeg Sir GârColeg Sir Gâr
Pembrokeshire CollegeSwansea Metropolitan UniversityPRP TrainingPrince’s Trust
Project DirectorProject ManagerDocument Management System DeveloperPartner Pilot CoordinatorPartner Pilot Coordinator
Partner Pilot CoordinatorPartner Pilot Coordinator
Appendix A: FOI Withheld Information Form
We would like JISC to consider withholding the following sections or paragraphs from disclosure, should the contents of this proposal be requested under the Freedom of Information Act, or if we are successful in our bid for funding and our project proposal is made available on JISC’s website.
We acknowledge that the FOI Withheld Information Form is of indicative value only and that JISC may nevertheless be obliged to disclose this information in accordance with the requirements of the Act. We acknowledge that the final decision on disclosure rests with JISC.
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Work Package 3: Institutional Document Management Pilot
June 2012-Dec 2012
1. Institutional document management system in place;
2. Institutional digital signature trial completed;
3. Evaluation report and system refinement recommendations.
TT, KD, SMU IS team
Work Package 4: System Refinement Dec 2012-
March 20131. Refinement recommendations
implemented;2. Refinements tested and evaluated.
TT, DH, KD
Work Package 5: Dissemination May 2012-
April 20131. Project Blog recording project
progress and outcomes;2. Project Wiki making all project
documents available;3. Conference presentations
submitted and delivered;4. Final project report and
dissemination event.
TT
Appendix B: PotsPan Project Budget
Directly IncurredStaff
AmountAug-July 2012 Aug-July 2013
Total £
Project Manager, Mgt pt20, 0.2FTE
£3,000 £9,000 £12,000
Total Directly Incurred Staff (A) £3,000 £9,000 £12,000
Non-StaffTravel and expenses £300 £700 £1,000
Dissemination £300 £1,200 £1,500
Evaluation £300 £700 £1,000
Equipment (Digital pens) £4,000 £0 £4,000
Consumables £150 £350 £500Total Directly Incurred Non-Staff (B)
£5,050 £2,950 £8,000
Directly Incurred Total (C)(A+B=C)
£8,050 £11,950 £20,000
Directly AllocatedProject Director, Mgt pt20, 0.1FTE £1,500 £4,500 £6,000*
Web Programmer, APT&C pt17, 0.4 FTE
£2,500 £7,500 £10,000
Partner Pilot Staff (Institutions only) 0.4 FTE
£2,000 £8,000 £10,000
Institutional Management Mgt pt 20. 0.1 FTE
£1,000 £3,000 £4,000*
Directly Allocated Total (D) £7,000 £23,000 £30,000
Indirect Costs (E) £2,750 £8,250 £11,000*
Total Project Cost (C+D+E) £16,800 £44,200 £61,000
Amount Requested from JISC £10,000 £30,000 £40,000
Institutional Contributions £6,800 £14,200 £21,000
Percentage Contributions over the life of the project
Partners34%
JISC66%
Total100%
No. FTEs used to calculate No FTEs Which Staff
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Section / Paragraph No. Relevant exemption from disclosure under FOI
Justification
None
indirect and estates charges, and staff included
1.2 All indicated
* indicates institutional contributions
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Appendix C: PotsPan Project GANTT Chart
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