Developing a Buzz:Roadmaps and Timelines

Roadmap and Timelines
This presentation is about ways to plan on time usage and on overall project development using roadmaps and timelines. It also focuses on rewards and goals for encouraging project development of individuals and groups.

What is a Roadmap?
A general tentative non-time-based plan for a accomplishing some task/project.

Examples

 * http://inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Roadmap
 * http://openclipart.org/wiki/index.php/Roadmap
 * http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/index.php/Roadmap

pros

 * good for both top-down and more community-based, bottom up projects
 * gives project general direction
 * broad scope promotes long-term vision
 * sets contribution barriers
 * subdivides tasks
 * good to get casual contributors/participants

cons

 * not time-based which means hard to get done by certain time
 * possibly makes overall project too much of a burden if not enough progress

What is a Timeline?
A time-based plan for accomplishing some task/project.

Examples

 * class weekly schedule wiki
 * http://wiki.creativecommons.org/CC_Salon_Future_Events

pros

 * good for more top-down, hierarchical projects (companies)
 * good to keep people on task for project
 * good for time-based planning of individuals and group
 * great for grants and fundraising
 * promotes project as clear and on-point (if realistic plan)
 * great for time-based projects (events/lecture series/gallery shows)

cons

 * possibly (and most likely not accurate)
 * can make people feel time-constrained
 * not good to get casual contributors
 * not necessarily best if there is no reward for participants

Why?

 * plan out time usage
 * divide up tasks to allow others to contribute
 * include in grants to show goal based project

Goals
Goals are *highly* important for individuals and groups.

You must set goals clearly and do-able otherwise groups will fail. Individuals will feel stifled that a project is not proceeding and will seek reward/satisfaction elsewhere.

Rewards

 * How will participants feel rewarded?
 * Material Reward (contests and companies/jobs use heavily)
 * money (job)
 * object (product, gear)
 * Non-material Reward (open source is heavy with this)
 * congratulations
 * praise
 * increase one's reputation
 * promotion
 * more access to a project/decision-making

Tips

 * task management
 * need some community way to participate with tasks (wiki, access to edit on website, etc)
 * make goals possible!
 * sign up for tasks and say (DONE) next to task when done with a task
 * encourages participants that work is done and is reward
 * multiply how long you think it will take to do a task by 2 (always takes longer)
 * roadmaps and timelines are majorly useful for collaborative projects
 * versioning
 * make sure to number milestones/progress