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Library Project Funding: A guide to planning and writing proposals

Julie Carpenter, Consultant

Chandos Information Professional Series

…an excellent contribution to the bookshelves of practicing LIS professionals, academics and researchers. …highly recommended as essential reading for all LIS profesionals facing any need to apply for funding. I believe it also shold be brought to the attention of LIS students.
Online Information Review

…provides a rich source of current information about project funding. …invaluable for those undertaking their very first project proposal as well as those with many years experience of successful proposals.
Australian Library Journal

…a thoroughly readable and practical book. …a very good book and I recommend it.
The Electronic Library

 - uses practical, up-to-date examples relevant to the cultural heritage sector
 - different methodologies: for example - preparing business plans, evaluation; planning cost and time/effort inputs
 - templates and checklists for writing effective proposals

Managers and staff in libraries and information services in all sectors are increasingly required to prepare project proposals and bid for funding, usually for external funding, but also as part of internal strategic planning and management processes. The projects proposed must be realistic and feasible, because library managers and staff will be required to deliver their project on time and in budget. If managers get the planning wrong at project proposal stage, the consequences for implementation can be difficult to overcome. This book provides guidance on the various steps involved in project development, planning and the preparation of bids for funding based on the author’s own experience and that of many organisations in the cultural heritage and education sectors. It guides service managers and staff through the task of scoping, developing and writing viable, realistic and winning proposals, drawing on a range of techniques from strategic planning, financial management, project management and business.

Readership: Managers and staff with responsibilities for service development and innovation within library and information and related services in the cultural heritage and education sectors. Students and teachers of information studies will find it valuable in the context of strategic planning and management studies.

£42.50 / US$70.00 / €50.00

£62.50 / US$105.00 / €75.00

An e-book version of this title is available to purchase as part of a Collection or Pick n Mix. Visit Chandos Publishing Online

About the author

Julie Carpenter is Director and Lead Consultant of Education for Change Ltd (EfC). She is a qualified librarian and joined the British Council, working to improve the Council’s own library and information services. She led the British Council’s policy and strategic inputs on book and information provision in education projects funded by the World Bank. She has been a consultant since 1990 and was successful in developing and managing research projects under the European Union’s early R&D Framework Programmes. She has led and managed research and consulting projects in the UK for the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Higher Education Funding Councils, and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). From 2004 – 2006 she directed the summative evaluation of the UK Big Lottery Fund’s ICT Content for Learning Programmes.

Contents

Introduction
 - What is a ‘project’?
 - External funding
 - How this book can help
 - 
 - Notes and references

Defining and testing the project idea
 - Introduction
 - Is it really a project?
 - Getting help to develop your idea
 - Using problem-solving approaches
 - Preliminary research and information seeking
 - What is this project going to achieve?
 - Who is the project for?
 - Who will be involved?
 - How long will the project take to deliver ...
 - ... and how much is it likely to cost?
 - Find your project champion
 - Notes and references

Matching project ideas to funding opportunities
 - Introduction
 - Useful sources of information
 - Examples of funders and programmes of interest to cultural heritage organisations
 - So how do you decide where to search for project funding?
 - Notes and references

Building partnerships
 - Introduction
 - Where not to start!
 - What does ‘partnership’ mean?
 - Benefits of partnership working
 - Costs of partnership working
 - Establishing constructive working relationships
 - Ways of working in partnership
 - Roles and responsibilities: who does what in a partnership
 - The role of the lead partner
 - Maintaining the involvement of partners
 - Notes and references

Assembling evidence in support of your proposal
 - Introduction
 - What do funding organisations require?
 - Information and evidence
 - Notes and references

Setting project aims, objectives and outcomes
 - Introduction
 - Terms and meanings
 - Setting objectives
 - Notes and references

Project planning
 - Introduction
 - Project planning activities
 - Risk assessment and analysis
 - Notes and references

Project planning techniques and tools
 - Introduction
 - Techniques and tools to support project definition
 - and objective setting
 - Tools and techniques that support scheduling
 - and resource allocation
 - Notes and references

Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment
 - Introduction
 - Definitions
 - Establishing indicators for monitoring and evaluation
 - Choosing monitoring and evaluation methodologies
 - Guidelines on methodologies
 - Notes and references

Writing effective project proposals
 - Introduction
 - Who is going to read and assess the proposal?
 - Proposal assessment criteria
 - Structuring the proposal
 - Notes and references