Worksheet 4.

1: Revised Terms of Reference

Aim of this activity:

• to help you to review your Terms of Reference (ToR) document.

Useful resources for this activity:

• Change, strategy and projects at work (CSPW), pp. 71–98
• ToR document in Worksheet 2.21: Project terms of reference
• your project log
• resources at work
• discussions with colleagues.

Revised Terms of Reference

Review the ToR document that you completed at the end of Block 2
(Worksheet 2.21: Project terms of reference) and add to it or amend it as you judge
necessary. The ToR template is repeated in Table 4.1 to remind you of areas that
may need updating. Use the following notes as prompts for your review.
Did your tutor or your sponsor make any suggestions or comments on your original
ToR that you need to take into account? If so, do take account of that advice in this
revised version. (If you feel that you do not need to take your tutor’s advice into
account, do make short explanatory notes in your project log so that if necessary
you can supply that justification later, for example in your EMA.)
As a result of the detailed planning and thinking that you have done since
completing the original ToR, ask yourself what has changed and what specific
additional information may need to be included in the amended ToR; for example,
you may have modified your ideas on project phasing and milestones, and created a
budget estimate which is more accurate than your initial estimate. You should also
check for changes in customer requirements, new or changing risks and ideas about
resource planning since you created your initial ToR document.
Check through your project log for any issues or solutions to problems that might
need to be included in your revised ToR.
Table 4.1 Terms of Reference document (version 2)
Title of project:

Project sponsor
Customer
Vision statement
(clear and
snappy, 15–30
words?)

Overall aim and

benefits of
project
(further
explanation as
needed)

Objectives
(use SMART
objectives where
possible, to
define progress /
stepping stones
to a successful
outcome)
Project phases Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
(modify if more or
fewer required –
would it be better
in landscape?)

Milestones and
deliverables
(state what the
milestone is and
what is to be
delivered at end
of each phase)

Budget required
(indicate main
cost areas where
possible)
Resources
required
(other than
budgetary)

Project staffing:
main roles and
responsibilities

Limitations,
exclusions,
constraints
(tying down the
scope of your
project)

Project risks
(indicate those
risks that may
significantly
threaten a
successful
outcome)
Worksheet 4.2: Project proposal summary
Aim of this activity:
• to help you to complete a project summary for your proposal that you can
use to build the business case for your presentation.
• Useful resources for this activity:
• CSPW
• your reviewed ToR document (version 2) from Worksheet 4.1
• project log
• other worksheets for Blocks 2 and 3, activities and tutor-marked assignments
• resources at work
• discussions with colleagues.
Project proposal summary
Complete the following proposal summary template. The template has been
annotated with advice and guidance on what is required. The summary will provide
a major resource for your project presentation.

Proposer name:
Organisation/department:
Title of project:
Date:
Version number:

1. Introduction
Give a brief description of your proposal, including the key objectives. You may find
it useful to refer back to the brief description of your proposal that you prepared in a
previous TMA. The description should be sufficiently comprehensive, clear and
concise.
Key objectives should meet SMART criteria and should include attributes such as
the following:
• action (increase/decrease/eliminate/improve/etc.)
• area of change (expenditures/errors/costs/revenues/paperwork/turnaround
time/etc.)
• measurable value expressed in appropriate units (percentages/number of
people/number of days/ etc.)
• date (deadline – ‘this should be completed by 1 January 2013’ etc.).

Description:

SMART objectives:
2. Strategies
Identify aspects of the organisational strategy and/or business priorities that are to
be addressed.
How does the proposed project fit in with your organisation’s overall strategy for the
future?
Does it comply with the general approach and intention of the organisation?

Relevant areas of organisational strategy/business priorities:

How the project fits/supports organisational strategy/business priorities:

3. Benefits
What are the opportunities and benefits for the organisation and individuals?
Examples could include:
• more effectively integrated systems
• ease of support
• increased system availability
• reduction of paper
• reduction of manual effort
• reduction in duplication of effort
• reduction of data entry
• streamlining of process
• movement of staff to more ‘value added’ tasks
• entry into new markets
• provision of new/better goods and services.

Opportunities and benefits:

4. Organisational areas affected

What staff, processes and systems will be affected by the proposed development?
Are there any personnel changes required? For example, is there a requirement to
hire new staff or retrain existing staff?
Are there any staff contract changes and other potential personnel-related issues?
What changes, if any, are needed to technology currently used? For example, what
are the effects on infrastructure/databases/communication capabilities? Is new
software/hardware required? Are new technological processes needed?
How will processes change, if at all?
What are the support implications – in-house, and outside of the organisation?
 Areas affected by proposed development:

5. Risks
What risks are involved in implementing the proposal and how will they be
managed?

Risks:

Risk management strategy:

6. Project investment costs

What is the proposed development likely to cost? (What project budget is needed?)
Use your work on Worksheet P3.9 (predictive approach) or Worksheet A3.16 (agile
approach) to complete the following table, or a modified version, to include a
summary of the costs.
Please note that if you are following an agile approach, you should complete the
table for Sprint 1, not for the entire project.

Cost category Estimated cost

Hardware

Software

Other equipment

Project staff

External staff (for example,

consultants)

Travel costs (where

appropriate)

Staff development

Office overheads

Hospitality
Materials and consumables

External services or
facilities

Contingency

Total estimated costs

Adapted from JISC infoNet Project Management www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk

7. Running costs
Are there any continuing costs of implementing this proposal?
If so, add these in here. Estimated costs – rather than a detailed budget – are all
that is required here.

(a) Ongoing annual training (to cover staff turnover, manuals, refresher
training, etc.):

(b) Licence renewal, etc.:

(c) Maintenance:

(d) Other (identify cost areas):

TOTAL:
8. Timescales/phasing
What are the timescales, phasing and deadlines for the proposed development?
How long is the project likely to take? Are there particular phases involved? What needs to
be completed before another phase of the project can commence? When should the project
be completed by? Your project Gantt chart should provide this information.

Timescales/deadlines:

9. Alternatives
What are the alternatives to undertaking the proposed development?
Are there other potential ways to solve the problem(s) that the project proposal addresses,
and have the alternatives been fully explored?

Alternatives:

10. Implications of not undertaking proposal

What problems are likely to arise if the proposal does not go ahead?
Is the proposal solving an immediate problem or making a general improvement? How might
not implementing the proposal affect the organisation’s future position?

Implications of not undertaking the proposed development:

11. Your recommendation

Taking into account the benefits, the costs and the risks associated with your project
proposal, state briefly why you recommend that the project should proceed.

Your recommendation:

12. Decision
Has the proposal been approved, rejected, deferred, etc., and do any conditions apply?
This should be filled in after a decision has been made and should include details of any
conditions of an approval.
Decision:

Conditions:

Authorised by: Post: Date:

Worksheet 4.3: Planning the presentation of your
proposal
Aim of this activity:
• to help you to plan your presentation.

Useful resources for this activity:

• Communicating and presenting
• resources at work
• project log
• reviewed ToR
• project summary
• discussions with colleagues and associates.

Planning the presentation of your proposal

Use Table 4.2 as a checklist to plan and prepare your presentation in a
systematic way. Add your own notes to each prompt in the ‘before
presentation’ column, indicating its relevance to you and what action you
propose to take (if any). After you have given your presentation, you should
return to this table to add reflective comments based on your experiences of
what actually happened. You can present this table as part of the evidence
needed for your EMA. Remember that the use of at least one visual aid is a
mandatory requirement for this presentation.
Note: your notes in the ‘after presentation’ column should be meaningful.
Avoid simply entering standard phrases such as “same again”: these would
not be judged to be an adequate demonstration of your reflection.
Table 4.2 Checklist – planning and preparing your presentation
Item Notes before presentation Notes after presentation
1 Audience

Number expected?
Background of audience:
Functional role –
technical/business/
administrative, etc.?
Relevant skills and
experience?

Level/style of presentation
required:
Technical level?
Non-specialist vocabulary?
Formal/informal delivery
style?

2 Purpose
What is the main purpose? Present the business case – inform/persuade
audience of the benefits of proceeding with the
proposal.
Lower-level aims?

What advanced information

about the purpose of the
meeting is to be prepared
and communicated to the
target audience?

3 Venue and arrangements

Is the presentation to be
delivered face-to-face, or
through online applications or
video conferencing?
If face-to-face, is room
location/size and layout
suitable?
Alternative online/video
conference arrangements?

Facilities/equipment
availability and booking to
support delivery of
presentation and visual aids
(computer/flip-charts/smart
board/other)?
Availability of storage devices
(e.g. memory sticks)?
Need for logon ID and
password?

Electricity supply power

points/extension leads/
computer/projector all
checked for availability and
correct working?

All room and facilities

bookings made and
confirmed?

Date/start time/ approximate

duration determined?

What measures have been

taken to ‘publicise’ the event,
organise the date and timing
to suit others, and seek
commitment to attend?

Sufficient advanced warning

given?

Organiser contact details?

Comfort/refreshment breaks
needed? (Dependent on the
planned duration.)

Is anyone travelling to the

presentation?

Location map/parking/access
to venue arranged?

Any special needs/

accessibility arrangements
required?
Health and safety
arrangements?
4 Structure and content

Structure: have you planned

the high-level structure?
Introduction/main
body/winding up –
conclusions/questions –
discussions (all as
appropriate).
How will the content that you
reviewed in Section 1.2 of
Block 4 be selected and used
within your introduction, main
body and conclusion?

Sources of content:
• project summary
document
• module materials
• documents from work
• results of
investigations/research
• information about
competing projects/
priorities.
Acknowledgement needed?

Achieving clarity:
Does your presentation have
a clear title?
Checked font size for
audience readability (specify
style and minimum font size
used)?
Line thickness on
charts/drawings sufficiently
thick?
A few key points only per
slide?
Do you need to communicate
detailed information that
cannot clearly be shown on
an overhead? If so, how will
you overcome this problem?

5 Logistics
How much time do you
need/have you got?
Keep yourself to time?
When will you take questions
(during or after presentation –
pros and cons)?
If you provide printouts to
audience, when will you do
this? (Before/during/after the
presentation – pros and
cons?)

Will you use your slides or

visuals as key
prompts/indicators to
yourself, or will you use cards
or some other means to
ensure that you don’t lose
your way?
(Avoid reading out text on
slides, or from a fully written
out script.)
What could go wrong in your
presentation?

What can you do about it?

Reasonable contingencies?
Worksheet 4.4: Practising, delivering and reflecting on
your presentation

Aim of this activity:

• to help you to practise, deliver and reflect on your presentation.

Useful resources for this activity:

• Communicating and presenting
• resources at work
• discussions with colleagues or associates.

Practising, delivering and reflecting on your presentation

Use Table 4.3 as a checklist to practise delivering your presentation in a systematic way.
Add your own notes to indicate what relevance and what action you propose to take for each
prompt. If you wish, you can modify the table, for example by adding further rows if you think
of additional concerns. This may be the case, for example, if you are carrying out an online
presentation. You can present your completed table as part of the evidence needed for your
EMA. Remember that the use of at least one visual aid is a mandatory requirement for this
presentation.
Note: your notes in the ‘strategy to be used next time’ column should be meaningful. Avoid
simply entering standard phrases such as “same again”: these would not be judged to be an
adequate demonstration of your reflection.
You may be a seasoned presenter or you may be someone who has never done a
workplace presentation. If you feel confident about your approach to presentations, you may
wish to ignore the following advice, using your own tried and tested approach that is
acceptable in your own workplace circumstance. However, remember that you might need to
do things differently if you were in a different workplace context (or be required to present to
a different organisation as part of an appointment process for a new job). If you feel less
confident, you should consider adopting the advice offered, subject again to being
acceptable in your own workplace circumstance.
The following assumes that you have now decided about the key points that you want to
emphasise, the content and style of your message, and the type and quantity of visual aids
that you intend to use.
In carrying out a practice run, you may have concluded that you are trying to include too
much information, or that you need to pace things differently. Take any remedial action
required before you deliver the presentation proper, and practise as many times as you feel
you need to. It is certainly a good idea to have written prompts with you at a presentation to
help to remind you of the essentials.
 Table 4.3 Practising, delivering and reflecting on your
presentation
Area of concern Suggested coping/ Notes – strategy to be Notes – strategy to be
management strategy used this time used next time?
Keeping on track Learn the first few
introductory sentences
then rely on numbered
prompt cards to remind
you of each major area
in turn (but keep them
brief).

Keeping to time Use a clock displayed

on your computer, a
wall clock or your own
watch to monitor
elapsed time during
presentation.
Aim to keep within
5 minutes of the
planned duration
(excluding questions).
Possibly mark
expected transition
times on prompt cards?
Presence Avoid distracting
habits.
Check posture – stand
squarely, upright and
well balanced, facing
the audience.
Check other aspects of
body language to show
confident and open.
Avoid stances that
suggest unfriendliness,
such as arms crossed
(closed, not open
mind), clenched
fists/hands on hip
(over-assertive).

Positioning Find a position where

all the audience can
see you and you can
see them, consistent
with you being able to
reach all that is needed
during the
presentation, and them
being able to see
visuals.
Layout checked prior to
time of presentation?
Voice control Ask if people at the
back can hear.
Project voice and
speak confidently and
clearly.
Speak at a comfortable
pace for audience to
listen. (Beware of
speaking faster and at
a higher pitch when
nervous.)

Stress control Breathe in a controlled

manner; deep slow
breathing is calming.
Don not feel that you
need to rush. If you
speak at a measured
pace, you give yourself
more time to think.
Speaking to members
of the audience before
the start can help
reduce the build-up of
concern.

You will feel less

stressed if you have
been able to prepare
thoroughly.
Maintaining Monitor audience
audience interest response / audience
body language /
interest and attention.
Face the audience.
Ensure that you
maintain occasional
eye contact with all
audience members
(not just one or two).

Questions Indicate (if you wish)

that you will take
questions at the end (to
avoid losing control of
your presentation).
If you are unable to
answer a question fully,
indicate that you will find
out and respond later.
(You are not expected to
be expert in all things!)

Miscellaneous Plan for any additional

requirements, such as
controlling the lights,
window blinds, room
temperature,
accommodating
latecomers.
Remember to ask your
audience to fill in your
feedback forms, provide
suggestions and
indicate your
appreciation.