IV. Management Structure

In general, the management structures used in ACE have proven successful. Within a partnership that includes three very different institutions, the ACE structure has allowed the project managers to complete their tasks under budget and within the time line set out for the project. Where possible, the EPIC partners intend use as a model the ACE management structures that have proven successful over the last 18 months.

Steering Committee
This body will be made up of senior-level managers, one from each partner institution, who as a body will be responsible for guiding and overseeing the EPIC Project. This is the highest level decision-making body in the project. Decisions made by this committee will be final. Consequently, all members must be certain to seek guidance from those to which they are responsible before submitting an opinion on a decision. Decisions for this body will be consensus based. Once a decision is made, a consensus much be reached to overturn that decision.

Members of the committee will be responsible for making decisions based on the recommendations provided to them by the Project Management Team. Each member of the Steering Committee will be responsible for undertaking 'substantive' reviews of the project. Each review will including: examining adherence to the project schedule; shared project costs and their fair distribution; the quality of the information product being produced by the project and the Project Management Team.

Following each Steering Committee meeting, a calendar and list of commitments will be generated, based on the decisions from that meeting

See Appendix 1 for job descriptions.
See Appendix 2 for a project flowchart.

Project Management Team (PMT)
The PMT will consist of project managers, one from each partner organization. If so determined by the Steering Committee, the PMT will also consist of a Project Coordinator and a Project Assistant. As a group, the team members are responsible for overseeing day-to-day elements of the project, according to the tasks assigned to them. It is important to note that in the initial stages no member of the PMT will work full-time on this project. Each will have other responsibilities within their organization.

The PMT is responsible for defining and revising the common methodology, as is currently outlined in this document. It is responsible for determining the work schedule within the general paradigms provided by the Steering Committee. Since a complete calendar and list of commitments cannot be determined at the outset of the project-too many unknowns exist-a calendar and list of commitments will be generated at scheduled intervals during the project. At these times, the Steering Committee will approve any overall changes to the project plan.

See Appendix 1 for job descriptions.

Technical Team
A technical team, made up of as-needed contractors, will be required to complete EPIC. Since EPIC will be a database product, intended for use in an electronic environment, a well-established contractor with at least some background in technology and elections will be required.