This section of the report is concerned with differences between what was planned and what actually occurred, and the reasons for any such changes to plans. It documents difficulties encountered as well as unexpected opportunities that arose. All forms of change are reported including 'learning from failure'.

2.1 Any difficulties encountered in managing the project and carrying out activities

• Staffing
  Staff changes during the summer of 1997 led to disruption and a lack of continuity at a time when trials of the online delivery system had been planned. This led to delayed delivery of online course materials in the autumn term. However, Library Representatives did not feel the changes affected their role significantly:
  
  'continuity has been good despite changes to staff'. (Library representatives' focus group)

  Loss of secretarial support in early 1998 resulted in difficulties with regard to replacement due to an erratic workload and the short-term nature of the post at that stage of the project. This affected office activities and added to the workload of professional staff.

  Preparation of the exit strategy and eLib bid absorbed a great deal of staff time, due to lengthy negotiations caused by fluid external circumstances. This caused disruption in administration of the project, such as database development of automated clearance procedures and reporting routines.

  The Copyright Officer/Project Manager's contract terminated in mid-May, but fortunately her services were retained on a part-time basis for the preparation of final reports.

• Technical delays
  Lack of a pilot test of the online service in Year 2, caused by external delays, had a knock-on effect. This meant the system had to be tested as it went live, resulting in teething problems requiring attention at a time when students should have been using the service. For example, the problems of printing image-based files were not realised until delivery was due, resulting in last-minute OCR and proof-reading work to deliver material as text-based files.
  Lesson: Realistic slippage time must be built into project plans from the beginning, to ensure pilot testing takes place.

• Communication
  Weak links in communication between the project and CMIs were revealed during the delivery of the online service in Year 3. The decision to have a single point of contact in each CMI - the Library Representative - proved a problem in that it placed extra pressure on staff whose workload was already considerable and increasing. The decision was made on the assumption that Library Representatives would have good communications with lecturers and computer services staff. Where this proved not to be the case, communication difficulties were significant.

  The need for contact with IT staff during installation and implementation of online services proved essential in handling teething problems.
  

  'There was insufficient liaison between SCOPE's admin and technical teams, resulting in miscommunications, confusion of roles and responsibilities, and further delays.' (lecturer)

  The decision NOT to have scheduled and regular visits by SCOPE staff to CMIs implementing the online services proved to be a mistake, although it was taken for good reasons, being shortage of backup technical staff, and shortage of time of existing staff. Where online texts were successfully delivered to students, at Stirling and Napier Universities, SCOPE staff were on hand and played an active role in assisting with problems as they arose.
  Lesson: The innovative nature of pilot services and the subsequent support implications should not be underestimated.

• Project management
  The project budget was not easy to monitor since three different financial years were involved: the funding (JISC) year, the project year (which was changed twice), and the university year.

  Project management was split between a Co-ordinator (not paid through project funds) and the Copyright Officer, who took responsibility for the routine running of the project. No dedicated time had been allowed for project management and the time required for copyright clearance had been underestimated at the outset. As a result, the staff concerned shouldered heavy burdens.
  Lesson: Project management should be handled by one dedicated member of staff, even if on a part-time basis.

• Security
  Authentication requirements put an unexpected burden on CMIs. The requirement to produce data on potential users, in order for SCOPE procedures to be set up, was a contributing factor in one CMI being unable to participate in the project. Alternatives, such as ATHENS, were explored but found to be unsuitable for the purposes of SCOPE.
  See Appendix XI
  Lesson: Whilst security must take priority, the implications of authentication procedures should be assessed before implementation. If requirements in this area could be reduced, it would enable institutions to use the service more easily.

• Payment mechanism
  This was established as a pence-per-page-per-print rate, according to rightsholders' desire for payment to reflect use. The SCOPE Annual Report for Year 2 already showed an awareness of the inadequacies of this as a mechanism but it was not possible to change for Year 3. This was reinforced in the JISC/PA working party report and borne out by the project's experience in administering the mechanism.
  Lesson: a future service should consider other, less cumbersome payment mechanisms.

• Copyright clearance
  The amount of painstaking work required to extend all the contracts and agreements was only fully realised at the end of the project.

  Lessons:	- variations to contract should be kept to a minimum
  	- a well-designed database with terms of availability is important to
  	streamline the process of contact maintenance.

2.2 The influence of other projects, the programme as a whole, and the programme office on SCOPE

• ACORN roadshow
• eLib business planning workshops
• EduLib (sessions on the methodology and design of training materials being particularly useful)
• NetSkills (web authoring)

2.2.2 The Impact Study1, which distilled the learning of all the other eLib projects in this field was useful in informing the exit strategy of SCOPE.

2.2.3 Collaborative dissemination with other projects at events such as LibTech was very helpful.

2.2.4 We found that the multiple demands made on institutions' library staff by the numerous eLib projects, on top of their normal workload, left them with little time for each project. SCOPE, amongst others, suffered from this.

2.2.5 There is a potential problem when a product developed by an eLib project in which a commercial partner has an interest is required by another project which itself has a (different) commercial partner. If the two commercial bodies regard themselves as competitors, it may not be straightforward to follow JISC's regulations regarding sharing of project deliverables.

2.2.6 The combined effect of eLib projects in OD/ER has continued to focus rightsholders' attention on electronic rights.

2.2.7 JISC/PA working parties also raised rightsholders' awareness of electronic rights issues. One publisher would not discuss the SCOPE contract until the working party reported. Unfortunately, SCOPE was unable to implement recommendations at such a late stage in the project.

2.3 Changes made to the plan (aims, objectives, staffing, activities, etc.) in the light of experience

Staff changes at short notice and with little time for initiation led to a different, but no less effective, style of project management and a number of different procedures.

2.3.2 ERMS TRIALS

Delays to projected trials of the online delivery system and ERMS meant that 'live' testing with delivery of 'real' course material to genuine users was unavoidable. This is undesirable as the inevitable initial problems provoke in users a lack of confidence in the service.

2.3.3 IMAGE V. TEXT FILES

Difficulties in printing out image-based files resulted in the adoption of the lengthier, and therefore more costly, technique of using Optical Character Recognition software, backed up by proof reading of final texts. Use of image-based files was unavoidable where texts contained large quantities of line diagrams and formulae:

A second sample file ... generated an extremely large (11 mbytes) output file. Systems support said that printing such a file was unlikely to be successful if the network was busy ... Such a large file could only be printed centrally at print stations and it could take something like 20 hours. (CMI Technical Support)

See Appendix XI

2.4 Unanticipated outcomes or unexpected opportunities thrown up by the project and how the team has taken account of these

• The SCOPE project received 5 best-selling MBA texts in electronic form directly from the publisher. This presented the opportunity to offer these texts throughout the SCOPE CMIs, over and above the reading list materials that were the core of the service up to that point.

• Student demand for selective printing was expressed and it was discovered that where a single page only was required from an online text, some students would view the text on screen, then get the whole book from the library shelves, if available, and photocopy the required page. Development of the SCOPE plug-in was investigated, so that selective printing could be made an option if rightsholders proved co-operative.

• The problems encountered with delivery of image-based files (See 2.3.3 above) led to investigation of Adobe Capture, which proved to be a possible solution and a further development of the SCOPE delivery system.
  See Appendix XI

2.5 Lessons from SCOPE's experiences of innovation and development

• Whilst the SCOPE ERMS, Cactus, with its considerable security, proved attractive to rightsholders, the number of restrictions was a deterrent to some institutions' becoming involved in the project. This was inevitable, given the overriding desire to involve rightsholders in a new and potentially threatening venture, but a balance now needs to be found between security for rightsholders and accessibility for users.

• Technical issues can be a deterrent to users, especially if teething problems are not rigorously tested and resolved before 'live' implementation of the system. It is essential that adequate trials are conducted. Whilst it is important to make the user interface of the system as straightforward and simple as possible, evaluation showed that what one student finds simple may confuse another, irrespective of previous IT experience.

• Promotion and public relations are vital tools for informing users and stakeholders, and the development of a marketing strategy is essential. In this way, valuable time can be saved later in the project in terms of enthusiasm and co-operation.

• It is clear that the introduction of an innovative concept, such as the delivery of course materials online, requires considerable human input on site: to introduce, implement and promote the new and experimental service. The importance of this should not be underestimated. As well as direct contact with project staff, demonstrations and opportunities for discussion are valuable for both library and IT staff. However, in the long-term, there is no substitute for ownership and vested interest (through payment of a subscription and integration into institutional strategy) for generating real determination within the institution to get the service up and running.

• Any delay in development and testing in a 3 year timescale has serious effects on delivery, evaluation and learning. Contingency time needs to be built in at the project planning stage, and the product to be delivered needs at least two years of use for effective evaluation to be possible.

• Project management should have one, dedicated member of staff allocated to it, even if this is a part-time post.