Maeshowe research project
2000/2001 Project Plan
The status of this project plan
- status: draft
- date: Nov. 17, 2000
- version: 0.3
- Changes with regard to 0.2
updated info on activities
Goal of the pilot
This project plan describes all the activities, timing
,andorganization involving the set up of investigations
at Maeshowe in 2000/2001. The main goals are derived from the
resultsof the project in 1997/1998, 1998/1999
and1999/2000.
The main goals for doing this pilot, which starts on Oct. 1st, 2000and ends
on Feb. 8th, 2001, are many fold:
- Broadcasting the sunset from Maeshowe chamber
- Have frequently updated pictures on The Internet
- Providing still pictures (incl. archive) on the web
- Presenting the sunset inside Maeshowe at the visitor center in Tormiston
Mill
- Determine organizational aspects of the project
- Determine the continuation of the project when Victor Reijs possibly
withdrawsas project leader.
- Investigate, through Historic Scotland and Orkney Tourist Board,
if thisproject has increased the amount of visitors for Maeshowe and Orkney
ingeneral in 1997/2000.
Activities and their timing
The following planning is made (the organisations/people that take partcan
be found in the section Organization):
- Activity: Determine the ideas on the continuation of the project after
2001
Description: Victor Reijs will possibly step down as project leaderand the
new project organization will have to be determine: new projectleader, transfer
of knowledge, webmaster, web space and web streaming,conditions on the continuation
of the web pages (incl. domain name), contactnetwork, etc.
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland and ???
Start date: Aug. 1, 2000
End date: Nov. 1, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 17, 2000
- Activity: Find sponsors for this project
Description: Finding sponsor for the equipment and travel needed inthis project.
We have already HEAnet Ltd,
OTB,ORKNET and you???
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait and Historic Scotland
Start date: Sept. 1, 2000
End date: Jan. 1, 2001
Actual date: Nov. 15, 2000
- Activity: Determine how the setup configuration will be
Description: A draft setup, with three camera's
,can be seen below.
Action by: Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Start date: Sept. 1, 2000
End date: Nov. 1, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 17, 2000
- Activity: Test the setup in a local environment
Description: All the components will be put together in a small environment
and tested on functionality.
Action by: Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Start date: Oct. 1, 2000
End date: Nov. 26, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 30, 2000
- Activity: Investigate effect of Maeshowe 1997/2000 projects
Description: Investigate if 1997/2000 projects have increased the amountof
visitors for Maeshowe and Orkney in general.
Action: Orkney Tourist Board
Start date: May. 1, 2000
End date: Nov. 1, 2000
Actual date: Oct. 9, 2000
- Activity: Decide on PR and liability strategy around 2000/2001 broadcasts
Description: Decisions have to be taken and implemented with regardto advertisements
in internal Historic Scotland newsletter, Orcadian newspapers,etc. Furthermore
the liability in case of problems need to be finalized.
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland
Start date: Sept. 15, 2000
End date: Dec. 1, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 6, 2000
- Milestone: Final project plan ready
Action by: Victor Reijs
Planned date: Nov. 15, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 17, 2000
- Activity: Installing PC equipment
Description: PC Equipment will be installed at Tormiston Mill and themound
Action by: Charles Tait and Magnus Tait
Start date: Nov. 28, 2000
End date: Nov. 29, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 30, 2000
- Activity: Installing video equipment
Description: Video equipment equipment will be installed at TormistonMill
and the mound
Action by: Charles Tait and David Griffith
Start date: Nov. 28, 2000
End date: Nov. 29, 2000
Actual date: Nov. 30, 2000
- Milestone: Equipment installed
Action by: Charles Tait
Planed date: Nov. 30, 2000
Actual date: Noc. 30, 2000
- Milestone: Start of broadcast
Action by: Charles Tait and Victor Reijs
Planed date: Nov. 30, 2000
Actual date: Noc. 30, 2000
- Activity: Run the live broadcast
Description: The pictures will be broadcasted as three frequently updated
still pictures. The people that initiated the megalithic cam page for Maes
Howe will be present at Maeshowe, to see how things are working and finalize
the automatic working system.
Action by: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait, Historic Scotland
Start date: Nov. 30, 2000
End date: Febr. 2, 2001
Actual date:
- Activity: Making still pictures
Description: Still pictures will be made at/near/around Maeshowe.
Action by: Charles Tait
Start date: Nov. 30, 2000
End date: March 20, 2001
Actual date:
- Activity: Automated running web-cam
Description: The equipment is able to run without any attendance. Twofrequently
updated pictures will be seen on the Internet.
Action: Equipment;-), Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Start date: Dec. 5, 2000
End date: Feb. 10, 2001
Actual date:
- Activity: Site visit
Description: See how things are progressing, perhap scombien it with avisit
from Historic Scotland???
Action: Victor Reijs
Start date: Jan 7, 2001
End date: Jan. 15, 2001
Actual date:
- Activity: Report on results
Description: Provide an overview of the findings in this years project
Action: Victor Reijs, Charles Tait
Start date: Jan. 15, 2001
End date: Feb. 8, 2001
Actual date:
- Milestone: Completed pilot
Planned date: Feb. 8, 2001
Actual date:
Risk analyses and possible alternatives
The following issues can arise as a risk to the project:
- No sunshine at the correct moments (+/- 20 days and winter solstice
itself)
The chances per day of a good sunset inthe last
two years is around 10% for the period of plus and minus 30days around
winter solstice. We are not able to change nature.
- A project structure for 2001/2002 must be found before starting this
yearsproject
It would be great to know before we start how the project will be continued.
In that case the knowledge transfer between Victor Reijs and his successors
can be optimized.
Organization aspects of project
The project will be run with the following people as initiators: VictorReijs
(project leader), Charles Tait and Historic Scotland.
Responsibilities of people/organizations within the project
- Historic Scotland
They will provide the support to install the equipment inside MaesHowe and
they will also provide supervised access to the building.
- Charles Tait
As a professional photographer he will be doing the work on makingthe still
pictures using a digital camera (Nikon 950). He provides/installsequipment
and supervises the automated running web-cam. Furthermore heis looking after
local sponsors and, in liaison with Historic Scotland’sPress Office,
the local press.
- Victor Reijs
As project leader and professional network engineer, he will supervisethe
progress of the project, finding sponsors, testing the new tools andfeatures
for running the live broadcast, providing/setting up the equipmentat Maes
Howe, supervising the live Internet broadcast. In liaison withHistoric Scotland’s
Press Office, he co-ordinates the external Public Relations.
Communication channels
The communication within the project will be done with several methods:
- Between Historic Scotland, Victor Reijs, Charles Tait and OTB
Telephone and e-mail
- Between Victor Reijs and Charles Tait
Telephone, WWW and e-mail
- Within Historic Scotland
The responsible person of Historic Scotland, to be decided by HistoricScotland,
will have to communicate within his/her own organization (thusincluding head
office, regional office and Maeshowe wardens)
- To rest of world
WWW pages and e-mail distributionlist
of people doing comparable work on broadcasting megalithic campages.
Disclaimer and Copyright
Last content related changes: Dec. 9th, 2000