Sponsoring a DSE Future Talent Project

Each year we put out a call for DSE Future Talent Project proposals which we can consider for our new cohort of participants, bearing in mind the need to offer participants the opportunity to work with colleagues from outside their work areas, on a project also from outside their work area.

Typical projects will enable participants to gain experience in the following areas:

• Managing a discrete project in a work area or subject matter different to their current role
• Delivering a piece of work for a different line manager
• Negotiating the scope of the project and deadlines based on what’s achieivable, given the resources and time available
• Estimating, planning, executing, monitoring progress and reporting on project deliverables
• Influencing colleagues to gain support in achieving deadlines

Guidelines/criteria for suitable projects:

• The objective or purpose of the project should be clear to understand. This could be laid out by articulating the problem that the project seeks to fix. What's wrong with the current situation that this project would address?
• In defining the solution to the problem, it would be helpful for participants to understand the benefits to your work area of having this project completed.
• Projects are expected to have a clear beginning, middle and end point. Starting ‘with the end in mind’ could be a way to articulate your expectations for the work to be done. What tangible output do you expect to be delivered when this project is complete?
• Projects offered should be in a position to start in November and be complete by the end of May. Projects expecting to take less time can be considered but lengthier ones cannot.
• In terms of estimating the size and scale of projects, there will be two/three staff working on a project and on average it could be estimated that they work 2-3 hours a week on this. Some weeks this will equate to more time and some weeks less.
• Submissions are actively encouraged from all Divisions within the Directorate and are not restricted to one per area.