Martin bazley-making digital projects sustainable bits2 blogs mar 2011 (reduced)

Exploring funding models and sustainability for digital projects

Bits2Blogs Hancock Museum, Newcastle10 March 2011

Martin Bazley, Martin Bazley & AssociatesPeter Pavement, Surface Impression

Martin BazleyPreviously:

• Teaching (7 yrs)• Science Museum, London,

Internet Projects (7yrs)• E-Learning Officer, MLA South East (3yrs)

Martin BazleyPreviously:

• Teaching (7 yrs)• Science Museum, London,

Internet Projects (7yrs)• E-Learning Officer, MLA South East (3yrs)

Currently• Vice Chair, DLNet (was E-

Learning Group for Museums, Lib, Archives)

• Consultancy, websites, training, user testing, evaluation …Martin Bazley & Associateswww.martinbazley.com

•Slides and notes available afterwards

Key points:

Coordinate income generation

Reduce costs, increase efficiency, optimise impact for users and stakeholders

Generating and coordinating incomeTwo main areas:

o public and grant funding

o commercial sources

o online donations – GiftAid etc

‘funding pipeline’ model can help coordinate

Income pipeline

Many businesses and non-profit organisations use a model known as an income (or sales) pipeline.

Aim is to predict the income over a period of time by categorising:

o potential income sources and

o their probability of coming to fruition.

For example, all prospects for funding could be classified as follows:

• Opportunity - a funding programme that looks suitable

• In discussion – contact made with funding body• Proposal stage - proposal underway - discussions

continue• Awaiting decision - proposal has been submitted• Awarded – funding secured

Income pipeline

Category Number Value

Opportunities 30 £1,200,000

In discussion 7 £200,000

Proposal stage 5 £120,000

Awaiting decision 3 £70,000

Awarded 2 £40,000

Category Number Value Likelihood Income

Opportunities 30 £1,200,000 2% £24,000

In discussion 7 £200,000 10% £20,000

Proposal

stage

5 £120,000 20% £20,000

Awaiting

decision

3 £70,000 50% £35,000

Awarded 2 £40,000 100% £40,000

Total £139,000

Funding sources

See separate spreadsheet

Reduce costs, increase efficiency, optimise impact for users and stakeholders

o Plan, evaluate, do audience research, do user testing

o Make use of freebies and cheapies

o Maximise findability, usability

Technology and sustainability

o Focus on the content, value proposition, user experience

o Technology costs go in cycles - new products big investments required, then get cheaper - but content and interpretation more important and therefore can seem expensive in relative terms

o Each new wave of technology soon becomes less visible, viewed less as 'technical' - but we still expect quality of service

Audience consultation

o Digital interventions informed by real, grounded feedback are more likely to work, and need less remedial activity i.e. save money overall by keeping focus on what works well for users

Plan, evaluate, do audience research

o How to plan and conduct research into online audiences:http://sca.jiscinvolve.org/audience-publications/

o Web stats, online questionnaires, focus groups (concept testing), user testing,

o Build costs into the project for regular evaluation – avoid expensive remedial action later in project

User testing digital projects

o 'Get it' testing

o Start with user agenda not your own

o Big picture often found in the little details (esp for school classrooms!)

Freebies and cheapies

o WordPress and other ‘free’ CMSs for creating websites, blogging, or prototyping

o YouTube, Vimeo, podcasting

o Social media: Facebook, Twitter

o Google Analytics

Making websites - CMSs

http://wordpress.com - free website creation service (pay extra for features like own domain name etc, but all hosting and upgrading etc is done for you

Making websites - CMSs

http://wordpress.org - free website creation service – like .com except you have to install it on your server and you are responsible for updating, hosting costs, etc

Making websites - CMSs

www.contentcurator.net - free open-source CMS specially developed for cultural and heritage sector. Powerful and easy to use e.g. In-place editing

Making websites - CMSs

www.cmsmadesimple.org - free website creation service – you install it on your server and you are responsible for updating, hosting costs, etc - very similar to wordpress.org

Prototyping with WordPress

http://ruskinelementsofdrawing.wordpress.com

Video – maximise impact

http://vimeo.com

http://ruskinelementsofdrawing.wordpress.com

Social media – maximise impact?

Has potential to increase engagement but be aware:– long term commitment essential so financial

implications in resourcing– Can also work against you. DLNet vs. Dulwich Picture Gallery blog

Online audiences - links

Advice and links on social media strategy, online audience research, user testing, etc

http://onlineaudiences.wordpress.com/

More info / advice / ideas

Martin Bazley

0780 3580 727

www.martinbazley.com