Project Process

Overview

University Communications works on many different kinds of projects. To successfully push a project from inception through completion, the project team must adapt based on the specific needs of unique situations. From a very high level, most projects go through a similar process. The steps outlined below are the most often taken on all projects to complete a project on time, within budget, and with the quality that UCOMM and NC State deserve. Everyone within Marcomm must understand the process and their role. This is true for both billable and non-billable work. In general, Marketing Coordinators are loosely assigned on this sheet, however, please defer to the current project list to confirm roles and responsibilities.

This process can adapt based on requirements. For example, simple jobs don’t require as many proofs or briefs as outlined. If it is clear that specific steps in the process are unnecessary, then common sense can dictate process and the process should adapt. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the process, don’t hesitate to contact April Norris, Director of Marketing Strategy and Client Services.

For quick reference, a checklist of the process below is available here. (Please note the second tab on this sheet outlining special considerations for Annual Giving that are not detailed below.)

Process

Intake

• Initiation:
  • Who — Client or internal team member
  • How — Partner contacts UCOMM via form, email or verbally to the Director of MSCS or other team member.
• Discovery:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator, other team members as needed
  • How — Marketing coordinator meets with partner to discuss project goals, KPIs and scope of project in order to draft a proposal and estimate. For internal projects, a group meeting may be necessary to facilitate the discovery process. 

Planning

• Strategy and Alignment:
  • Who — Marketing Coordinator, internal team ensuring appropriate managers and directors are represented
  • How — Marketing coordinator lead (or co-lead if a large project) meets with an internal group to determine strategy, direction, and needs for the project. The goal of this step is to define the strategy for the best execution of the project based on partner goals. Sometimes a client may be needed in meeting to determine the best strategy.
    
• Proposal:
  • Who — Marketing Coordinator, and Director of MSCS
  • How — Marketing coordinator drafts a proposal for the client based on the needs analysis. This proposal is sent to the Director of MSCS for review prior to client for sign-off and before the project moves into the formal project queue. For internal projects, a Project Brief is created in lieu of a proposal.

• Documentation:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator
  • How — Marketing coordinator creates a project overview, partner deliverables, preliminary estimate, timeline and presents to client or internal team for approval. 
  • Remember to:
    • create job in FunctionFox (review FunctionFox knowledge base here.)
    • create project in Wrike (review Wrike knowledge base here.)
    • enter job into job list status sheet
    • create project brief/draft timeline (duplicate the template here)
    • assign team with input from directors and managers
    • share project brief/overview, job # and Wrike project with the team

Strategy or Pre-Production

• Internal Kickoff:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator and full project team
  • How — Share the project brief and review the items below:
    • discuss proposal and strategy
    • discuss project brief
    • clarify expectations
    • identify roles and responsibilities for team members
    • identify challenges
    • brainstorm creative concept ideas
    • revise timeline if needed- review set up in Wrike
    • set KPIs and ways to measure success
    • share project number and remind team to track their hours in FunctionFox

• Partner Kickoff:
  • Who — Partner, marketing coordinator, director, the full project team
  • How — Share the project brief and review the following:
    • discuss preliminary concept ideas and solicit feedback
    • secure verbal partner agreement on concept and timeline
    • opportunity for team to engage in dialogue with partner
    • follow-up with written, agreed-upon timeline, deliverables and project brief
    • adjust proposal as needed
      
• Additional Concept Development if needed:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator, director, the full project team
  • How — Develop creative concepts for project execution. Pitch to partner and receive partner approval.

• Finalize Strategy and Project Execution Plan:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator
  • How — follow the steps below:
    • obtain internal agreement and consensus on the timeline, deliverables and overarching strategy
    • update project brief as needed to reflect any changes to project 
    • update partner regarding adjustments to estimates based on concepts discussed in kickoff meeting
    • if needed, partner signs new contract agreeing to finalized strategy and project scope

Production

• Ongoing Oversight: 
  • Who — Marketing coordinator
  • How — follow the steps below:
    • Daily check to ensure timeline is being followed, adjust timeline as needed
    • Regularly check progress with team leads and appropriate team members
    • Every two weeks, or as milestones dictate, check on progress of partner deliverables
    • Weekly check that costs are not exceeding estimate
    • Weekly partner/internal check-ins towards end of projects to keep project on track and deadline
    • Weekly, remind team to track their hours
    • For any projects needing outside vendor production, determine costs and share with client in advance of milestone one.

• Major Milestone One:
  • Major milestones vary from project to project, but in general, a major milestone is any deliverable that is going to be shared with the team or partner for approval and feedback. 
  • Internal review and approval meeting scheduled in advance of milestone completion
  • Internal alignment on how the milestone will be shared – via in-person meeting or virtual
  • Full project team alignment on completion of the milestone before sharing with partner
  • Share deliverable with partner for feedback
  • Marketing coordinator obtains feedback for team
  • Team makes adjustments per partner feedback
  • Revised deliverable is shared with partner for approval (as needed)
  • At the half point of the project, MC checks the status of accrued hours and if need be discuss with the client if a scope change/revised estimate is needed

• Major Milestone Two: full project team, account lead, director(s)
  • (See steps above)

• Continue Milestones as needed

Delivery or Completion

• Hand Off:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator
  • How — follow the steps below:
    • ensures final files are shared 
    • finalize delivery date
    • ensure all deliverables are delivered to partner or team, ensure deliverables meet client expectations

• Releasing Project Team:
  • Project is considered complete. Project team is formally made aware of delivery of final product and project team is disbanded. 

Closeout 

• Closeout Documentation:
  • Who — Marketing coordinator
  • How — follow the steps below:
    • Ensure all hours have been tracked against project
    • Final invoicing and payments- review full billing process here.
    • Close job in FunctionFox and Wrike 
    • Provide any final files to the partner
    • Archive files in MSCS Shared Team Google Drive. 
    • Ensure final files are on shared drive

Additional Steps if Needed

• Measurement: project lead or designated team member
  • Document measurement against agreed upon KPIs and report to partner as needed
• Debrief:  Full project team (if appropriate).
  • Schedule and conduct a post-completion meeting to discuss project process and deliverables. The goal of the meeting is to determine improvements, challenges and what we can learn for future projects.
• Partner Relations: Marketing coordinator
  • Ensure partner or internal team is satisfied with the project outcome. Assess project process from partner perspective.