Situation

A major non-profit research institution has the opportunity to study biological agents for the federal government. It needs a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make required upgrades to its laboratories. Research leaders call in David to help the team craft the project plan which will be included in the proposal package.

Research scientists have been working for several months on a project plan, but they haven’t produced a plan which they believe is robust enough to land government funding.

Solution

David leads the team through his “Quick Launch” process. Over the course of four days David facilitates a discussion about the project including its:

• Mission
• Goals
• Risks
• Criteria for success
• Assumptions
• Constraints

He also leads them through a detailed task analysis so that the organization can produce a realistic budget. David then writes a project plan based on the team’s discussion, which includes a schedule, communication strategy, and roles & responsibilities chart.

Results

The institution submits its proposal and receives funding from the NIH to upgrade its laboratories and facilities. They attribute their success in large measure to David’s intervention.