pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Stephanie Gerson wrote:

> So I made up a preliminary budget,

Attached is my thoughts.

Do we have a project spec yet? We will need to examine it
closely to check we have funding to cover all what we say we are
going to do.

In particular:

1) are we going to produce some seed data on guilds?
If so then what is needed to research and collect the
information on guilds.

2) Similar Q for non UK specific
plant information (PFAF dataset is primarily focused on plants which 
grow in UK, very little coverage of tropical plants).

3) Are we going to include images? Very few non copyright
photos out there. Either licensing or digital equipment
or film processing equip needed.

4) Are we going to use third party datasets? Lots of
contact making needed here.

Time scale is very important. Below my thoughts on a detailed
time frame for the project. Comments welcome.


We could group the project
into (A) software development (B) plant research and data entry
(C) Outreach/Dissemination.

Stage 1 - design, 1 month
-------

A1) Detailed technical spec to be drawn up.
Inc: database schema, mockup of user interface, selection
of software environment.

B1) Format for info on plants to be agreed.
C1) Contacting partner organisations. Research into third
party datasets.

For the above we should have a 1 week physical meeting
and stage 1 would take about a month.

Stage 2 - implementation, 3 months
-------
A2) Implementation of software. Core database engine and user
interface. 3 months.
b2) Collecting and inputting plant and guild data. The time for this
could be very variable 3 month min, 3 years to really
amass a good global plant info resource. Initially in
some convient data format later translated to the schema of main
database.
C2) Incorporating comments from partners.

Stage 3 - first working version, testing, 1 month
-------
A3) Importation of plant data to main database. Initial
evaluation of database and user interface. Testing.
Say a month.
B3) As A3). More data collection. Editorial review of data.
C3) Incorporating third party datasets.

Might be time for second full project meeting.

Stage 4 - refinement, production of first release candidate, 1 month
-------
A4) Refinement of software and interfaces.
B4) You guessed it. More data collection.
C4) Out reach/dissemination activities now go up. We announce
release of database. Lots of press releases, articles.

Stage 5 - maintance of live version, 5 months
-------
A5) Onging maintance.
At this stage main software track decreases in time
involvement, however continual maintance and improvements
will be needed, say 1 week/month for remained of project.
B5) Editorial control of data input by users.

Stage 6 - conclusion of project. 1 month
-------
c5) Begin specing up next phase of project. Writing
final report for funders.

I guess the whole thing will take about a year. It
could spread upto about 3 years if we have a lot of focus
on gathering data ourselves.

Ongoing maintance after project end is problematic.
How to keep up maintance and editorial inputs.

All the best

        Rich


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