Project Title: Create ASTRA Corporation Online University
Purpose: Currently, ASTRA Corporation offers and provides education and training programs for its
employees that are delivered face-to-face in classroom settings. Online training has been requested by ASTRA employees at the company s six locations in North America and five locations in Europe. This project is authorized to create ASTRA Corporation Online University, an education and training com-ponent that will provide online training programs for employees.
Description: ASTRA will issue a request for proposal to select an external contractor to design,
develop, deliver, and evaluate the online environment for 20 courses that have been identified as critical information for the majority of ASTRA employees. ASTRA has identified the 20 courses from the current face-to-face course offerings in the corporate training catalog. The language of instruction will be English. Feedback for the initial six courses available online will be evaluated for availability, requirements for synchronous and asynchronous experiences, and effectiveness during the initial three-month pilot. At the conclusion of the six-course pilot, the contractor will provide a written report and a presentation to ASTRA s Vice President for Human Resources of the results of the evaluation and recommended changes for availability, training experience, and effectiveness. The remaining 14 courses will be available online at the conclusion of the pilot. At six months, nine months, and one month after the conclusion of the first year of training offerings, the contractor will present reports of enrollments and course evaluations.
Objective: Design, develop, deliver, and evaluate 20 online courses in 25 months within a budget of
$500,000 for design, development, and evaluation, and $375,000 for first-year delivery.
Success Criteria or Expected Benefits: The implementation of the courses are expected to reduce
the costs of presenting the information for the 20 courses by 26% in the first year and provide training to all new employees within their probation period and recertification for all other employees once per year.
Funding: The total amount of funds authorized for this project is $500,000 for the design and development of the 20 courses and $25 per enrollment for delivery. The projected first-year enrollments are 15,000 (3,000 employees, 5 courses each).
Major Deliverables: The contractor is to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate 20 online courses;
provide written and presented quarterly reports; and provide technical support at all times during the year after the initial pilot.
Acceptance Criteria: The online training environment will meet the ASTRA standards in AOU Publication #7. Training will be in English. The Vice President for Human Resources for ASTRA has the final approval for all courses before they go online.
Milestone Schedule: The project timetable for key milestones in calendar months after the contract
is signed with the contractor:
1. Baseline project plan prepared Month 1
2. Six pilot courses designed Month 3
3. Six pilot courses developed Month 7
4. Evaluation designed Month 7
5. Start delivery of six pilot courses Month 8
6. Remaining 14 courses designed Month 10
7. Complete evaluation of six pilot courses Month 11
8. Remaining 14 courses developed Month 12
9. Start delivery of remaining 14 courses Month 12
10. Evaluation of all courses Month 18
11. Evaluation of all courses Month 18
12. Complete first year of training Month 24
13. Complete final evaluation of all courses Month 25
Key Assumptions: The contractor will use the course management system already developed and
tested by ASTRA Corporation information systems.
Constraints: Courses must present the information within the developed courses selected by ASTRA. Appropriate instructional strategies are to be used for the presentation of the information within the online environments. The ASTRA course management system contains Web 2.0 technologies, quiz mechanisms, calendaring system, video capacity, and participant activity monitoring.
Major Risks: The contractor must sign a nondisclosure agreement to not reveal any proprietary information within the 20 courses to avoid disclosure of processes and practices ASTRA Corporation has developed to have a competitive edge.
Approval Requirements: All courses are to be approved by the ASTRA Vice President for Human Resources at milestones and before their initial offering activation.
Project Manager: Marie Kerba is the assigned ASTRA project manager and is responsible for the
project. She is ASTRA s point of contact with the contractor and will oversee the performance of the contractor. Reporting Requirements: The ASTRA project manager must prepare written reports and submit them electronically to the ASTRA Vice President for Human Resources one week before the oral presentation. The oral presentation may use electronic presentation techniques from a distance.
Authorized by: Ida Trayna, Vice President for Human Resources Date: June 1 Reinforce Your Learning It should be noted that not all projects use a project charter. Projects that are informal (not done
within a formal business environment) or done in response to an unexpected event may not be appropriate for a project charter. Examples are a home remodeling project, a wedding, organizing a com-munity event, or responding to a natural disaster.
