D5.1 Dissemination plan 10 July 2009

Lifelong Learning Programme - Transversal Programme

Key Activity 3 – Development of ICT-based content and services

143434-2008-LLP-GR-KA3-KA3MP

Innovative Enterprise Architecture Education and Training Based on Web2.0 Technologies (EATrain2)

D5.1 Dissemination Plan

Editor(s) : / Magdalena Sroga (COI)
Author(s) : / Lillian Buus (AAU), Paraskevi Eleftheriou (UOM), Deirdre Lee (NUI), Stavroula Maglavera (ECS), Elena Miron (BOC), Christoph Neuroth (UKL), Eleni Panopoulou (UOM), Thomas Ryberg (AAU), Magdalena Sroga (COI), Maria Wimmer (UKL)
Due date of deliverable : / 31 March 2009
Actual submission date : / 10 July 2009
Start date of project : / 01 January 2009
Duration : / 24 months
Leading organisation for this document : / COI
Revision : / v1
Dissemination Level : / PU

Abstract:This deliverable describes the detailed dissemination plan of the EATrain2 consortium. It includes all important aspects of planned dissemination activities, defines dissemination phases and presents material and tools prepared in order to disseminate information on the EATrain2 solution. It aims at defining the dissemination goals as well as the project’s target audience and channels through which the EATrain2 solution is going to be promoted. It also includes partners competences in the dissemination area and detailed schedule of events thematically related to the project’s scope. The deliverable constitutes the base of the whole EATrain2 dissemination process.

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

 Copyright by the EATrain2 Consortium

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

D5.1 Dissemination plan 10 July 2009

The EATrain2 Consortium consists of:

Name / Role / Country / Short name
University of Macedonia / Coordinator / Greece / UOM
Euroconsultants S.A. / Partner / Greece / ECSA
University of Koblenz-Landau / Partner / Germany / UKL
AalborgUniversity / Partner / Denmark / AAU
BOC Asset Management GmbH / Partner / Austria / BOC
“Cities on Internet” Association / Partner / Poland / COI
NationalUniversity of Ireland / Partner / Ireland / NUIG

Table of contents

Table of contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

Executive Summary

1Introduction

1.1Purpose of the document

1.2Structure of the document

2Dissemination overview

2.1Dissemination objectives

2.2Project outputs and results

2.3Partners competencies for dissemination

3Means of dissemination

3.1Disseminations material

3.1.1Project Logo

3.1.2Website

3.1.2.1Design principles

3.1.2.2Logical structure and site map

3.1.2.3Online services

3.1.3Leaflet

3.1.4Poster

3.1.5Presentation template

3.2Dissemination activities

3.2.1Newsletters

3.2.2Press releases

3.2.3Participation in events

3.2.4Articles publishing

3.2.5Internet presence

3.2.6Contacts with other LLP projects

4Target groups

5Dissemination methodology

5.1Planning dissemination activities

5.2Performing dissemination activities

5.3Reporting dissemination activities

5.4Defining responsibilities

5.5Collecting and updating information and data

6Conclusions

A.Appendix A – List of events relevant to dissemination purposes

B.Appendix B – Screenshots of partners websites

C.Appendix C – Internet presence search results

List of Tables

Table 1 Phases of the EATrain2 dissemination strategy

Table 2 Purpose of EATrain2 dissemination means

Table 3 Potential media channels for publishing press releases

Table 4 Recommended journals for EATrain2 publications

Table 5 Initial schedule of dissemination activities and material

Table 6 Dissemination activities reporting template

Table 7 EATrain2 thematically related events

List of Figures

Figure 1 EATrain2 project’s logo (colour version)

Figure 2 EATrain2 project’s logo (black and white version)

Figure 3 EATrain2 website structure

Figure 4 Website areas

Figure 5 EATRain2 initial leaflet

Figure 6 EATrain2 initial poster

Figure 7 EATrain2 presentation template

Figure 8 Google main page with search results for “EATrain2” (May 2009)

Figure 9 Yahoo! main page with search results for “EATrain2” (May 2009)

Figure 10 Google main page with search results for “EATrain2” (June 2009)

Figure 11 Yahoo! main page with search results for “EATrain2” (June 2009)

Executive Summary

Efficient dissemination is a fundamental activity in any research or implementation project, since the success of these dissemination activities contributes decisively to the short and long term success of the project. Following that assumption planning of EATrain2 dissemination activities has been established since the very beginning of the project. Since the dissemination activities are executed within the whole project’s duration, the initial dissemination strategy is to be revised and updated and shall be conducted in such a way that benefits the project until its completion, with successful results and delivered products.

Since dissemination concerns the development of communication strategies for creating project visibility, the development of a well elaborated strategy is critical. It aims at diffusing the results of the project to its various target groups. Therefore the dissemination plan formulates a coherent strategy of spreading knowledge about the EATrain2 project among different target groups and with usage of different instruments adjusted to users’ needs and expectations.

This report constitutes the dissemination plan which involves five main aspects of the dissemination process, namely WHAT will be disseminated, WHO will disseminate, TO WHOM will be disseminated, HOW will be disseminated and WHY. The answers to these questions allow to build the plan considering expected results and outcomes of the project (in order to clearly define the dissemination object), EATran2 consortium skills and attitudes in the dissemination area, potential receivers of the EATrain2 solution, as well as ways of reaching these receivers and attracting them with EA courses enhanced by innovative solutions. The plan considers also the reason of dissemination activities which helps to build an appropriate strategy and to formulate particular dissemination objectives to be realised within the project’s duration.

The dissemination process is going to be concentrated on different types of activities using different dissemination material in order to reach interested target groups related to all three types of planned courses (VET courses for employees in private and public sector and educational courses for students) and on different levels of understanding. Activities such as press releases, electronic publications, newsletters, fair, workshops and conferences participation, promoting and diffusing the project’s resultsare properly characterised and relevant ways of usage as well as relevant target aredetermined. These activities are the main ingredients of the dissemination plan carefully adjusted to dissemination phases regarding the different project stagesthat influence the dissemination object and consequently the dissemination target.

In order to effectively disseminate the EATrain2 project results relationships between dissemination instruments, target groups and dissemination phases were identified. Moreover, the detailed dissemination methodology describes the way of acting within the dissemination process, namely defines the way of planning, performing and reporting dissemination activities, as well as the way of allocating responsibilities among the EATrain2 consortium partners. All dissemination actions, independently on the country of event and partner organising it, will be planned before, according to a four-steps schema and afterwards reported to the consortium on the reporting sheet. All of them will be performed with usage of relevant dissemination material, the project logo and presentation template (if needed).

Although the dissemination and exploitation actions are being planned separately (as separate documents), near to the project end dissemination activities shall be directed towards exploitation purposes agreed by the consortium partners with the intention to raise interest among long-term target groups of the project, who might be interested in using the final project solution. Therefore, the dissemination strategy has been planned to support the successful exploitability of results by the end of the project.

1Introduction

By “dissemination” we shall understand activities being aimed at wide spreading and extensive promulgating information and knowledge of some issue, which includes mainly information provision and raising awareness of a well targeted wider audience. In the case of the EATrain2 project it means to undertake different types of activities to spread the knowledge about the Project and to reach the right target groups. Therefore by dissemination plan we shall understand in the Project’s scope planning activities of making results of the Project visible to a wide, target audience, as well as organising all additional actionsnecessary to efficiently promote the Project’s objectives, developments and results.

It shall not be forgotten that dissemination is an ongoing process starting at the very beginning of the project, involving showcasing the project’s activities and outcomes, as well as the very final results. The dissemination shall be the key element of the project’s visibility and sustainability among similar solutions. Therefore dissemination activities shall be done within the whole project’s duration, in order to promote the Project’s ideas, technologies used, general knowledge from the project, as well as completed project outcomes and their future exploitation. Due to these dissemination activities shall be organised in a different way and addressed to different target groups in different stages of the project.

The general aim of the document is to describe in detail and then assist in the generation of an effective flow of information about the EATrain2 project, its objectivesand results. It is expected that this information shall become a significant contribution to the European knowledge and research excellence.

The document will be prepared and submitted at the very beginning of the project (developing the detail plan of dissemination actions, and preparing all relevant staff required to efficiently run dissemination tasks).At the end of the project all performed activities and prepared material will be reported and summarised in the D5.2 Dissemination Activities Report.

1.1Purpose of the document

The Dissemination Plan provides a view of the expected results of the EATran2 project, and comprehensivelydefines the strategy how the knowledge about the project will be disseminated within target groups. It describes in detail planned dissemination activities to be undertaken by the whole consortium and/or individual partners.

In order to effectively disseminate knowledge, the whole process must be started from a coherent plan where several conditions must be fulfilled, namely the following questions must be answered:

What exactly should be disseminated?

Who is the target audience of the Project?

How to approach the target audience?

When, where and how to disseminate the knowledge about the Project?

What are the effective ways to transfer information (may depend on the target group)?

Why shall we disseminate it?

It shall be also clearly indicated that there is no general answer to the above mentioned questions. For each dissemination aim there is separate answer (output), particular timing and also specific target group.

The purpose of the document is exactly to plan the strategy of the Project’s dissemination activities, considering all the necessary staff and different dimensions of the dissemination. That requires:

Definition of the Project’s results.

Definition of the target groups and markets which shall be reached within dissemination process.

Providing relevant dissemination material, maintaining and systematic updating it:

  • Project website,
  • Project leaflet (brochure),
  • Project poster.

Identification of events relevant to the Project’s area of interest, and choosing the ones where the Project will be presented.

Recommendation of scientific papers, magazines, and publication possibilities where EATrain2 can be presented.

Plan of effective cooperation with EATrain2 target groups (that is required because of specific character of the project assuming training people).

The first two points (project’s results and target groups and markets) are the integral part of project’s exploitation and will be provided within the WP6 in detail. Neverthelessit is also important from dissemination point of view, therefore it is also mentioned in this document.

The Dissemination Plan will be expanded in two directions: towards notification results of the project, used technologies and innovations in the scientific sector, mainly related to Enterprise Architecture research and development, and towards marketing activities being aimed at promoting EATrain2 future outcomes (mainly EA courses) among prospective target and at enhancement of commercial potential of project’s results. According to these two directions different target groups will be indicated and adjusted to the relevant types of dissemination activities performed in the particular time.

1.2Structure of the document

The document consists of seven chapters including introductions and summary formulating main conclusions for dissemination plan. The main sections of the document are passed on the above mentioned questions and describe the answers for them.

After providing the introduction to the document, the second section describes the issues being the basis for the whole dissemination process, namely: dissemination objectives answering the question “why shall we disseminate”, project outputs and results answering the question “what will be disseminated”, and competences of the EATrain2 consortium in the area of dissemination answering the question “who will disseminate”.

The third section of the document presentshow knowledge about the projectmaybe disseminated. This chapter defines different dissemination tools, dividing them into two groups: dissemination material which will be preparedand dissemination activities which will be undertaken by the consortium partners.

The fourth section describes the target audience of the project, to whom we are going to disseminate the knowledge. The next chapter presents the dissemination methodology which describes the exact way how the consortium is going to act within the whole dissemination process, which instruments will be used, which activities will be undertaken and how the plan will be updated (to include the future activities). Since it is not possible to minutely plan beforehand all activities for the whole project’s duration (2 years), the dissemination plan of activities will be prepared, accepted and extendedconstantly, what will be coordinated by the WP leader.

2Dissemination overview

2.1Dissemination objectives

EATrain2 consortium constitutes a balanced set of a variety of institutions operating in different domains and in different ways. There are four educational and research organisations (universities), two enterprises (SMEs) and one association (NFP). Additionally consortium organisations are relevantly related to different target groups, what will make easier direct contacts with them. With regard to the Dissemination Plan will explain how this variety of partners will contribute in EATrain2 dissemination according to own (and most relevant) contacts network (reaching particular project’s target groups) and using the most suitable communications channels. Considering the specific character of each partner will allow optimum and effective planning of dissemination strategy of the EATrain2 project from its early phase.

General goals of dissemination activities within the EATrain2 project are:

To widely disseminate general existence of EATrain2 project and its special focus on innovatively approaching Enterprise Architecture learning (mainly innovative EA learning methodology).

To disseminate knowledge about the project, its specific character, objectives and planned courses to the project’s direct target audience:

  • institutions / persons involved in the phase of collecting stakeholders’ needs / users’ requirements,
  • institutions / persons taking part in EA courses prepared within the project.

To disseminate research results of the EATrain2 project, mainly EA ontology and innovative EA learning methodology.

To propagate EA innovative courses for different target groups in different countries.

To increase public knowledge about Enterprise Architecture and its possibilities and advantages in different types of organisations.

To develop and maintain a user-friendly website to keep general public and other interested stakeholdersinformed about the EATrain2 project and its results.

To participate in thematically related international conferences or to organise national workshops to inform the scientific community and the project’s direct target audience about EATrain2 possibilities.

To disseminate overall project results and outcomes.

The Dissemination Plan describes relevant activities which will be undertaken to realise the abovementioned goals. In order to describe and then efficiently fulfil relevant activities it is necessary to identify and clearly understand potential target groups of users and their needs as well as their Enterprise Architecture competencies.

The dissemination activities will be undertaken in two main directions: in the area of Enterprise Architecture in general (developing new methods based on the ontology and innovative learning approach - methodology) and in the area of potential project’s target (from different domains) in order to promote the project’s future outcomes.

Foreach of the abovementioned areas of dissemination specific target groups are relevant and particular phases of the project’s development shall be assigned for particular activities directed to particular receivers. Therefore objectives of EATrain2 dissemination depends on the project’s phase and target audience, which is an important determinant and is described in detail in the chapter 4 of this document.

To effectively achieve the dissemination goals a relevant dissemination strategy assuming three phases of the whole dissemination process is introduced. These phases will be adjusted to the project’s phases, namely: beginning of the project, development of EA functionalities and learning courses, end of the project.Each of the above mentioned phases will be adjusted to the project lifetime and dissemination material and activities will be adapted according to needs and requirements of these phases, which are shortly described in the table 1 below.

Table 1 Phases of the EATrain2 dissemination strategy

Phase characteristics and timing / Phase purposes / Possible tools
PROJECT’S BEGINNING
No particular outputs yet, only plans, goals, and technologies to be used defined.
M1 – M6 / Raising general awareness of the EATrain2 project;
Announcing the project’s goals and plans;
Raising attention among relevant target groups;
Spreading information among questionnaires participants and potential courses participants;
Starting disseminating knowledge among research communities. / EATrain2 logo;
Presentation template;
Initial leaflet and poster;
Website;
Spreading short information on the project and EA connected to collecting feedback related to Enterprise Architect competences;
Newsletter.
FUNCTIONALITIES DEVELOPMENT
Months when functionalities and tools will be developed which shall be gradually announced.
Dissemination shall concentrate on creating awareness of developed (ready) outputs.
M7 – M17 / Creating awareness of EATrain2 technologies and methodologies among research communities;
Creating awareness of developed tools among the target groups (mainly potential EATrain2 courses participants);
Building contacts and relations;
Announcing the EA courses for relevant target groups;
Developing Internet presence;
Publishing EATrain2 news. / Conferences (at least one event on European / international level)
Second (updated) leaflet concentrated on particular functionalities;
Newsletters;
Press releases;
National workshops / seminars
PROJECT’S END
All functionalities and outputs are ready, pilot courses will beperformed and evaluated.
M18 – M24 / Announcing the final results of the project;
Presenting lessons learnt and best practices;
Presenting EATrain2 advantages
Finding new targets for future courses
Spreading future exploitation plans / Final leaflet (summarising the results);
Final poster (summarising the results);
Final newsletter;
Press release;
Conference (if an interesting one available atthat time)

The end stage of the project will be directed towards the exploitation process, since this is the time of raising interest also among long-term target groups and to support the successful exploitability of the project’s results.