Topic/Focus

• Purpose of a business case
• Defining stakeholders, team  members, users
  
• Developing products, services, collections, technology, staffing, measurements such as usage statistics
• Reviewing system development life cycle and how it relates to products and services
  
• Working with people, organizational culture
• Developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Speaker

• Ulla de Stricker, President of de Stricker Associates (URL: http://www.destricker.com/)
  
• WebEx session: 4:30-5:30 PM ET  ***Remember to bring headsets to class.***
  

Exercises and Assignments

Hands-on Learning and Discussion in Class

• Meet your project mentors.
• Brainstorming session on projects and discussion on developing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
  

Independent Learning Assignment(s)

• Assignment: Draft a WBS for your team project to discuss in our next class.
• Playing in Sandboxes assignment: Continue to develop your "sandbox," incorporating a handful of mashups.

Readings and Resources

Topic-focused

• de Stricker, Ulla (March 2008).  "When 'Trust Me, It's a Good Idea,' Won't Cut It," Searcher, 16(3), p. 30 (6).  Available on ProQuest.  Article offers a good structure for building a business case. (See restricted readings area.)
• Gordan, Ann (May and November 2009). A three-part series of easy-to-understand posts on the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS):
  
• Gordan, Ann (November 2009). "What is a Work Breakdown Structure? (Part 1 of 3)." Bright Hub. URL: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2645.aspx (accessed 1/2/2010).
• Gordan, Ann (May 2009). "How to Build a Work Breakdown Structure (Part 2 of 3)," Bright Hub. URL: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2940.aspx (accessed 1/2/2010).
• Gordan, Ann (May 2009). "Work Breakdown Structure Pitfalls to Avoid (Part 3 of 3)," Bright Hub. URL: http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2979.aspx (accessed 1/2/2010).
• National Library of Australia Library Lab's wiki (URL: https://wiki.nla.gov.au/display/LABS/). See specifically the IT Architecture Model (PDF). URL: http://www.nla.gov.au/dsp/documents/itag.pdf (accessed 1/16/2010). Another good framework for your business case that includes case studies, research, and communicated ideas both verbally and visually.