Activity Workplan

Activity Workplan:

Long-term Goal

To give ARROW control over updating their website internally and externally.

Constraints

• previous administrative functionality is not lost

• front-end remains the same

Activities

1. Choose a Content Management System (Deadline: Monday January 22^nd 2007)

• provide information to ARROW management to aid them in evaluating the best CMS's and make their choice

• filter information on the web pertaining to making CMS choices

• install the best CMS's on local computer and set-up a sample website to show the CMS's features

• viability study from a development viewpoint

2. Develop New Website Locally (Deadline: Monday February 12^th 2007)

• use Sitemap to produce organizational framework for the location of pages in the website

• recreate navigation, menus, headers, footers

• write .CSS and PHP files in order to recreate the look of the old website

• upload textual, .pdf, image and other media content

• upload HTML content (eg/ tables)

• solve IDC/Virtual Cataloguing Issue

  • obtain access to both front-end and back-end of IDC online database

  • develop an administration type environment either using PHP forms/MySQL database or using existing Micro CDC/ISIS software

3. Upload and Implement New system on a web server (Deadline: Monday February 19^th 2007)

• find a web server with the following constraints:

  • based in Malaysia

  • reasonable bandwidth and memory

  • support for MySQL and PHP

  • 
    

Note: Web host should be chosen well in advance (i./e Deadline: February 5^th 2007)

4. Provide Support for Administration of Website (Deadline: March 26^th 2007)

• Train staff to upload content and make administrative changes to website

• Write Documentation for future administrators

• Fix design errors if they occur

• Give suggestions on how to improve existing website for end-user

5. Finalize Work on Website (Deadline: April 30^th 2007)

• Make changes to domain name server and direct traffic to new website

• Develop documentation for future developers/interns (eg/ provide website access information)

• Try to develop connections with local web developers so that they are properly set-up

Output

CMS Criteria:

Developer's Perspective:

• GPL Opensource

• development viability for ARROW's website

• helpdocs and online forums

• popularity and examples

CMS Administration Usability:

• administrative tasks on the website will be categorized by frequency

• more frequent administrative tasks will be intuitive and will not require instructions

• modules may be downloaded or written to increase usability

• all administrative tasks will have clear instructions based on user questions that are either written by ARROW developers or point to a place where they can receive the required help

• administration user authority and procedures enabled to ensure content updated is

CMS Developer Viability:

• potential future development will be realized in consultation with ARROW staff

• potential developers must be able to read and understand all previous work done

• training documentation will be written for future developers with less experience as a result of desirable future development communicated by ARROW staff

IDC/Virtual Catalogue Solution:

• the new virtual catalogue will contain all information from old virtual catalogue

• new virtual catalogue will enable administration to update records

• administration page will be linked from CMS administration page to provide continuity and clarity from administration perspective

• new virtual catalogue will enable front-end user to search for any field (not just subject and title)