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Project Management Report
due in two weeks
Our new university president is interested in how people feel about various aspects of our university and about what will be needed when we downward expand. As we've already discussed, we know that we can get insights through an exploratory focus group study. In proposing an initial exploratory focus group study, let's assume initial fees of $400 per day for IDI/focus group facility rental (a room on our campus to include the cost of a security person) and $15 per qualified respondent for recruiting fees. We could perhaps offer services involving a Ph.D. professor at billable rates of $500 per day or $100 per hour, trained student interns at billable rates of $20 to $30 per hour, and general university staff support at billable rates of $25 per hour. Note that even when providing not-for-profit, grant-subsidized services through the university, we would still want to build in a twenty percent margin to cover unexpected events and overhead to ensure that a project does not go below break-even. If our client was willing to pay a reasonable fee for the conduct of a focus group study, what would we promise with regard to deliverables, what would be the timeline that we would provide, and what would be a reasonable fee for our services? Below is a proposal that could be sent to our client.
Although you are only submitting two sections of the proposal, note that your proposed timeline and budget is for the entire project from start to finish. Note that this is an individual assignment.
Dear Dr. Rathburn, Thank you for considering our class consulting services. This letter serves as an initial proposal for the conduct of the focus group research that we had discussed. Project Background and Objectives As we downward expand onto our new campus, we know that we cannot be all things to all people; not just any high school student is a potential freshman. We don't know, however, exactly what kind of target market would have the greatest interest in us and what it is we should be doing to attract that market. That is, there is some segment or some niche that is our market, but we have to determine the characteristics of that segment and what it needs and wants in a university. Since the new campus is not guaranteed to have dorms when we start our first freshmand class in 2010, our initial focus has to remain on students who live within commuting distance. Although our current market includes this geographic area, downward expansion brings us into a market with entirely different needs from our current student body. The present study would be an initial exploration into what it is that these potential students or their parents might want in a four-year school. Methodology Our proposal is to randomly call Texarkana area residents, limiting respondents to a quota sample of heads of households that includes people within the confines of Texarkana and some people who live in areas that are in outlying areas (e.g., Ashdown, AR). We would like a sample of at least 48 people from the targeted geographic area (including at least 40 from the immediate vicinity of Texarkana and at least 14 from outlying areas). This would require six focus group sessions of eight people. To help ensure this number of shows for each session, we would over-recruit for nine participants; our total number of participants could therefore be as high as 56. Focus Group Topic Areas Recommended discussion flow is as follows:
Costs and Deliverables We will provide you with a topline report summarizing the results of and conclusions from these sessions. We will also provide you with a presentation of results and conclusions on our campus during our last class meeting. --COMPLETE THIS SECTION-- Project Timeline --COMPLETE THIS SECTION--
Dr. Rathburn, please let me know if you need any additional information. If you believe that anything in our proposal should be changed, let me know as soon as possible. Thanks for this opportunity for our students to work with you. Sincerely,
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