NPL Document Library- Project Documentation

In the formal business language of project management, there is a concept known as 'bus-proofing'. Among technical communities, it's called 'raptor proofing' based on the 1993 Classic Jurassic park.

Think of it like this. If the only person who knows how to do a task ends up in a situation like this

...and the only other person who could possibly figure things out is a little busy...

So we ask ourselves, how is the project going to endure if Lex gets eaten?

No matter how improbable it is to be eaten by genetically engineered dinosaur-like creatures, struck and killed by an asteroid, or drive a bus of a cliff, the lesson remains- document, back up, and train a project understudy's or two.

Writing documents about how to do your project, as well as a keeping a text document that details any problem solving trial and error logs, is vital to the continuity of a smooth-running lab.

Basic Documentation should:

Describe the project

1. Answer the basics- 'Who What When Where and Why'.
2. Explain any roadblocks you hit, and how you got around them.
3. Identify current bottlenecks.

Outline the resources

1. What programs or apps do you need for this project?
2. 1. are there snippets of code that rely on this program (ie; the 'embed scale' we use in Adobe Photoshop)
3. Do you need specific hardware, such as a camera lens that can be remotely controlled, or the 3D scanner?
4. Don't neglect the human resources! How many people were are the team? Is it enough?
5. How long does it take? Can you break it down to specific steps and tell us how long each takes?

Detail the process

1. Start with any set-up or preparation you've found helpful.
2. Readers of your document should be able to follow your process in concise start-to-finish order.
3. Use numbered or bullet-ed outlines, which improve clarity and can help reduce the impact of pages of text.

Summary

1. If you are writing an personnel exit document, explain where you left off.
2. If you are writing the project completion document, please include statistics like project duration, goals met, persons involved and any other ending statements you'd like to make.