# Step 2: Establish Project Plan and Structure for Data Integration Work

## Establish project plan and structures for data integration work

In Step 2, project teams will use the Data Integration Project Planner to document (1) the project team\
membership, roles, and responsibilities; (2) a communication plan; (3) a calendar of key dates for each IDEA Part&#x20;B data collection; and (4) a project plan for data integration work.

### Why complete step 2?

Reviewing key responsibilities, dates, and tasks, as well as drafting comprehensive documentation at the&#x20;beginning of a project can help reduce risks and promote success. A project-specific communication plan&#x20;can help keep relevant stakeholders up-to-date on the project team’s progress, ensure that key resources are&#x20;available, and promote the project’s visibility with State Education Agency (SEA) leadership. A calendar and&#x20;project plan set benchmarks for completing the work and inform allocation of personnel resources at specific&#x20;times.

### Process and Timing

SEAs may complete step 2 of the toolkit in a two-day meeting or across a series of shorter in-person or virtual&#x20;meetings. Each tab of the Data Integration Project Planner will take 1 to 2 hours when completed in a group.&#x20;Following initial writing sessions, each project team member should review the document and confirm&#x20;agreement or offer feedback. The team should update the project plan and supporting documents periodically&#x20;(e.g., quarterly) throughout the life of the data integration project. Plans can also be adapted if SEAs expand&#x20;or contract their integration work, team membership changes, or additional members are added (including&#x20;technical assistance \[TA] providers or vendors). At a minimum, calendars will need to be updated annually to&#x20;account for changes in due dates for IDEA files.

### Task 2.1: Establish project roles and responsibilities&#x20;

The first step in executing a successful data integration project is identifying key project team members and&#x20;making sure everyone is clear on their assigned responsibilities. Clear lines of authority and task assignments&#x20;prevent duplicating efforts or dropping work.

#### Activity 2.1.1 Identify project manager and team members, define team responsibilities

The Roles and Responsibilities tab in the Data Integration Project Planner helps project teams document who&#x20;will be responsible for each activity or work stream. As your team assigns staff roles and responsibilities, consider&#x20;the following:

* Who has authority to make project decisions and lead the project team?
* Do members of the project team collectively understand the SEA’s data integration plan, current data  &#x20;systems, data governance processes, and have experience managing data coordination projects?
* Does the project team have representatives from different offices and stakeholder groups within the SEA?
* Is there a back-up assigned for each role to mitigate risk in case of turnover or extended absences?
* When will the project team meet for updates on data integration activities and to make project decisions?
* How will subject matter experts (SMEs) and data stewards within the SEA be kept aware of the project work  &#x20;and their role in reviewing data mapping; Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) Checklists; business rules; and  &#x20;data verification?
* What role will consultants or vendors hired by the SEA to complete the data integration work play, and how  &#x20;will the roles be documented in the Roles and Responsibilities tab?
* How can the project team maximize efficiency by convening subgroups of the team to accomplish specific  &#x20;objectives that don’t require the whole team?

In the Roles and Responsibilities tab, SEAs can document staff responsible for:

* project management and coordination;
* Common Education Data Standards (see Step 3);
* ETL Checklist (see Step 4);
* EDFacts and reporting;
* Generate release and server management; and
* subject matter expertise.

**Resource**&#x20;

[Data Integration Project Planner](https://ciidta.communities.ed.gov/#communities/pdc/documents/21446)

#### Activity 2.1.2 Document data stewards and sources&#x20;

The Data Stewards and Sources tab in the Data Integration Project Planner helps project teams document the&#x20;data steward and data source for each data collection. For each EDFacts file, this tab contains the yearly due&#x20;date, file numbers and titles, content area, data stewards, and local data sources. For each file, record the name&#x20;and position for each data steward, and the location of the local data source.

This tab serves as a quick reference resource and should be updated as staff turnover, or as data sources shift.&#x20;This information will also be used in the Project Plan tab and in Step 5 in the IDEA Part B Data Submission&#x20;Organizer.

**Resources**&#x20;

[Data Integration Project Planner](https://ciidta.communities.ed.gov/#communities/pdc/documents/21446)

### Task 2.2 Complete communication plan

Timely communication with stakeholders ensures all relevant parties are aware of the data integration work&#x20;and the progress toward implementation. A strong communication plan informs and engages stakeholders&#x20;throughout the integration effort and establishes decision-making processes for the SEA. A communication plan&#x20;may also increase awareness of the project timeline and create an accountability structure for the project team.

#### Activity 2.2.2 Develop a plan for communication with project team and stakeholders

SEAs can use the Communication Plan tab in the Data Integration Project Planner to facilitate discussions and&#x20;document to following decisions:

* Which internal and external stakeholders should receive communication about the integration efforts, who  &#x20;are the stakeholder points of contact, and what communication method will be used?
* What internal modes of communication will be used by the project team, including recurring meetings?
* What project documents are available or need to be developed, including details about the purpose of the  &#x20;documents, when they will be developed, and the project team members responsible?
* How will the project team keep SEA leadership updated on the integration work, including the content,  &#x20;frequency, and mode of communication?
* How will the project team differentiate among stakeholder groups in the levels of engagement and different  &#x20;modes of communication? For instance, SEA leadership may need only a brief overview of progress, while  &#x20;data stewards may need more frequent and in-depth updates.
* When and how will TA centers be involved in integration efforts?

In the Communication Plan tab, SEAs can document:

* stakeholder names, roles, contact information, and the type of communication they will receive;
* regularly scheduled project meetings, including the type of meeting, the frequency, staff leading the  &#x20;meeting, participants, and meeting location;
* a running list of project documents, including document names, descriptions, owners, and document  &#x20;distribution lists; and
* other communication vehicles, including communication methods, frequency, owners, and document  &#x20;distribution lists.

When creating their communication plan, project teams will determine who will be responsible for managing,&#x20;updating, and distributing the plan. Having a dedicated team member, often the Project Manager, oversee&#x20;communication can keep the work on track. Routinely reviewing the communication plan and making updates,&#x20;as necessary, is essential to keeping internal and external stakeholders well-informed.

**Resources**&#x20;

[Communication Plan Tab of the Data Integration Planner](https://ciidta.communities.ed.gov/#communities/pdc/documents/21446)

### Task 2.3 Create IDEA Part B Data Calendar&#x20;

Prior to developing a project plan (see Task 2.4), project teams should create a calendar of key dates for IDEA&#x20;data collections to ensure that work will align with internal and external deadlines and that team members are&#x20;aware of them. SEAs can use the Calendar tab in the Data Integration Project Planner to document key dates&#x20;and deadlines.

#### Activity 2.3.1 Record key dates in an IDEA PArt B data collection calendar&#x20;

A calendar for IDEA data collections is not only important for current members of the project but also new team&#x20;members if there is turnover on the project. When creating this documentation, the team should determine&#x20;how they will maintain the calendar so changes initiated by the SEA or the federal government are reflected.

The calendar should include not only the EDFacts and SPP/APR due dates but also tasks or deadlines needed to&#x20;maintain legacy data systems while integration work is being done.

While developing the calendar, keep the following questions in mind:

* Have all parties involved with IDEA data collections contributed to or approved the calendar, including SEA  &#x20;staff outside of the project team and in other program areas across the SEA?
* Has the project team consulted documentation, such as EDFacts file specifications for the IDEA data  &#x20;collections, to confirm due dates and any changes to the collections?
* Does the calendar incorporate all the important dates for IDEA data collections, not just the dates or months  &#x20;when files are due? For example, consider including data quality review processes for each collection and  &#x20;when SEAs can resubmit IDEA data collections and data notes.
* Has the project team adopted plans to update the calendar so it remains current and reflects changes in  &#x20;systems, programs, or timelines?
* When is each type of data ready for analysis, review, verification, and submission?

Resources&#x20;

[Calendar Tab of Data Collection Planner ](https://ciidta.communities.ed.gov/#communities/pdc/documents/21446)

### Task 2.4 Develop project Plan&#x20;

After documenting roles and responsibilities, developing a communication plan, and creating an IDEA Part B&#x20;data collection calendar, the project team should establish management structures and processes for the data&#x20;integration project.

#### Activity 2.4.1 Develop a plan for managing the data integration project&#x20;

The project team should identify members who are responsible for&#x20;managing the project plan and associated activities. These activities may&#x20;include:

* developing agendas and facilitating scheduled regular project team  \
  meetings;
* taking and distributing notes from project team meetings;
* collecting regular status updates from the project team;
* developing and maintaining a system for tracking data integration  &#x20;progress;
* maintaining and updating the project plan; and
* elevating relevant issues and decisions to SEA leadership.

{% hint style="success" %}
In Step 5 of the Toolkit, we will&#x20;introduce The Data Collection&#x20;Organizer, a resource SEAs can use&#x20;to document brief, step-by-step&#x20;information on how they plan for,&#x20;collect, verify, and maintain each&#x20;IDEA data collection. The calendar&#x20;that project teams create in Step 2&#x20;will serve as a base for documenting&#x20;steps for submitting IDEA Part B data&#x20;files.
{% endhint %}

**Create a Resource Repository**&#x20;

Project teams should also establish a resource repository (e.g., SharePoint site, Teams channel, network directory)&#x20;and assign someone to maintain it. This repository should be accessible to all members of the project team and&#x20;used to store relevant files, including project planning documents, meeting notes, data systems documentation,&#x20;and technical documentation.

When creating the repository, consider solutions that may already be available and familiar to the project team&#x20;members and the tool’s usability, flexibility, and support of system users.

**Develop a Project Plan**

Using the Roles and Responsibilities tab of the Data Integration Project Planner, develop a project plan that&#x20;lists activities in the data integration effort, a timeline for each activity, and the specific individuals responsible.&#x20;The project plan can be reviewed in project meetings to document what tasks have been completed and what&#x20;needs to be done to meet deadlines. While SEAs may elect to use diverse project management tools/software to&#x20;map out data integration work in greater detail, the Project Plan tab provides the broad activities that must be&#x20;completed to fully integrate your data. These activities might include for example:

* creating CEDS alignment maps;
* developing ETL documentation;
* loading the data in both development and production environments;
* reviewing and validating data submission files; and
* submitting data submission files in the EDFacts Submission System.

Project teams should identify which members of the project team are responsible for these activities and who&#x20;will be responsible for maintaining, updating, and communicating the project plan. If contracted consultants&#x20;or vendors are part of the team, the SEA should incorporate key dates and activities related to the contracts for&#x20;these consultants or vendors within the project plan.

**Resources**&#x20;

[Data Integration Project Planner](https://ciidta.communities.ed.gov/#communities/pdc/documents/21446)
