Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

            While searching the internet for two resources that would be useful in estimating the costs, effort, and/or activity durations associated with Instructional Design projects, I found a lot of different websites associated with this topic. I however, could not find any listservs, message boards, or blogs. I did however find blogs, but they were blogs that other students had posted about this same topic, so I decided to look for websites instead. When discussing costs, efforts, and activity durations, I immediately think of what a project would cost or a budget. “A project budget is the financial plans for allocating organization resources to project activities” (Portny et al., 2008, p. 118). Project managers have a difficult job of not only making sure project gets completed on time, however, they also have to estimate budgets, and make sure their IDs are good workers. While searching through all the websites, I decided to look up project budgeting cost and budgets for projects.

            One of the websites that I found that would help anyone with information about creating a project budget cost, would be Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design. This website is truly fantastic when trying to estimate costs and time within a project. I think when it comes to the making my own project, I will refer back to this website. It also gives examples of what a budget cost or time would look like. It is a nice reference to have. Project managers must remember “project managers recognize a cost after a commitment is made to pay someone for resources or service” (Portny et al., 2008, p. 119). However, no one really states how to figure out the budget or time. This website helps break it down a bit better for everyone.

            The second website I found very interesting for Project Manager and Instructional Designers to look at for project budget and time would be Estimating Instructional Development (ID) Time. This website was also very interesting because it only focuses on estimating time on ID projects. When I think about project management, it is very difficult to get excited about a project, knowing something can always go wrong, but more importantly not knowing how to estimate the project cost and time. This website helps PMs to better understand that time and cost go together, and both are equally important. The author has experience within project management or instructional design because his suggestions seem very accurate. I will also be coming back to this website for help when I decide to take on a project.

            Overall, there are many websites out there that will help with ID projects-cost and time. However, I know I will need to keep referring back to these websites for extra help if and when I decide to take on a project. I hope everyone enjoys the websites. “The fundamental items to plan, monitor, and control are time, cost, and performance so that the project stays on schedule, does not exceed budget, and meets its specifications” (Portny et al., 2008, p. 317).

References

            Clark, D. (2010). Estimating Costs and Time in Instructional Design. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html

            Greere, M. (2013). Estimating Instructional Development (ID) Time. Retrieved from http://michaelgreer.biz/?p=279

            Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.