Timeline

• Initial OSI-EDU-WG project proposal sent to OSI by Joseph Potvin, Nov. 7, 2013. 
• Preliminary work performed between Nov 2013 and Jan 2014.
• Work performed under sponsor contract from February through April 2014.

Regular Participants to Date

Joseph Potvin, Chair, OSI-EDU-WG
Operations Manager, The Opman Company, http://www.opman.ca

Amanda Brock
Director/ Solicitor,  Origin, International Technology Law
http://www.origin.co.uk

Ken Udas
Deputy Vice Chancellor & CIO, University of Southern Queensland
http://www.evolllution.com

Wayne Macintosh
Coordinator, OERu
Open Educational Resources University
http://www.oeru.org

Summary

• The FLOW Syllabus v1.x has been successfully hosted by OSI and its content has been advanced.
• The scope, emphasis and boundaries have been clarified and documented.
• The v2.0 launch is being planned for mid-June.
• The Working Group structure for the coming year is described.

General Outcome

• Meeting with OSI Board in Boston, 29 April 2014. Positive review. 
• The FLOW Syllabus now stands on it's own as a competed project, and as a re-usable resource. 
• Plans underway for mid-June launch.
• Board requests:
  • Review the original charter to draft a new Working Group Charter with a 1-year time horizon.
  • Brief hand-off report regarding this first stage now being "completed".

Review of Original OSI-EDU-WG Workplan Items and Outcomes

Months 1 & 2 (March-April 2014)

Refine initial syllabus based on initial review and preferences

• Shorten the course to 2 or 3 days only
  • Outcome: Structure is now fully modular to support course development of any scope and length
• More specific targeting to developers' decisions
  • Outcome: Increased reference material for developers, but also project managers
• More gradual and structured entry to each topic
  • Outcome: Learning objectives added, overall structure improved
• Follow the expert-discussions with group discussion of highlights
  • Outcome: This will be for course designers to manage
• More situational examples for discussion
  • Outcome: Additional pragmatic sources
• When actual legal documents are used, provide more specific pointers for discussion
  • Outcome: Interpretive references added
• Update the content (esp. current major court case references)
  • Outcome: Several updates, but also the role of legal principles versus legal cases are distinguished
• Produce a course delivery guide (“train the trainer”)
  • Outcome: Section: About the FLOW Syllabus
• Expand content on financial, benefit/cost & accounting to support ROI analysis
  • Outcome: Expansion of references under the title: "Good Values + Good Value"
• Create a short evocative name for this syllabus
  • Outcome: Free/Libre/Open Works (FLOW) Syllabus
• Design and begin train-the-trainer workshops based on existing materials and prior contractor experience
  • Outcome: To be pursued in relation to launch of v2.0 
• Complete podcasts based on existing materials
  • Outcome: Some audio segments will be used in instructional videos

Months 3 & 4 (May-June 2014)

• Priority syllabus additions identified, researched and integrated
  • Outcome: In effect, this was completed in the March-April 2014 period. The main additions now focus on providing simpler more accessible means of communicating key complex topics.
• Instead, the May-June period is being used to document status, and to plan/undertake an official launch of v2.0

Resourcing Requirements Going Forward

There are three different types of ongoing activity each with separate resourcing models:

• Development and marketing of commercial/academic training based on the syllabus. This work can proceed as financially self-sustained ad hoc offerings to the clients by each training/consulting services company/organization. Use of the syllabus creates a natural incentive for routine updates, improvements and extensions to the syllabus.
• Development of specific educational modules to advance the scope, quality and utility of the syllabus, beyond routine updates, improvements and extensions. Such work can sometimes be contributed by suppliers of commercial/academic training. Modules can also be individually resourced by particular companies, foundations or other organizations that wish to advance the coverage of a certain topic within the framework of The FLOW Syllabus.
• Coordination, administration, strategic direction and marketing of the Working Group and its four teams: Educational; Management; Legal; Technological. The FLOW Syllabus combines contributions from all four of these teams.  To ensure continuity this coordination work requires a moderate amount of regular core funding from one or more organizations that benefit from its overall availability and evolution. Business co-sponsors  are required. (WG Chair: At least 1/2 day per week at this time; Each Team Chair: At least 1/2 day per week at this time.)

OSI Board Assistance Requirements Going Forward

• OSI Staff and Board
  • Needs: Pro-active communication and engagement by GM and at least one Board Member  
• OSI infrastructure needs
  • Needs: Current BBB support should continue
• Ongoing participant community
  • Needs: This needs to expand through the June launch
• Ongoing budgeting/revenue
  • Needs: OSI Board assistance will be valuable towards arranging core funding through networking and referral for resourcing.

Work Items Not Yet Addressed

Months 5 & 6

• Hold workshop based on syllabus with Project Management Professionals/Educators
  • Plan: TBD

Months 7 & 8

• Scope, research and integrate any new changes resulting from workshop held in previous milestone
  • Plan:  TBD

Months 9 & 10

• Special free/libre/open issue of a PM journal
  • Plan: TBD