Estimating project costs and allocating resources in Instructional Design projects

Estimating project costs is a difficult exercise, particularly considering that each project is unique, thus making it difficult to rely on budget estimates for past projects (Portny et al., 2008). However, the following two resources by Clark (2010) and Kapp & Defelice (2009) provide useful information on estimating project costs.

Estimating costs and time in Instructional Design

This article by Clark (2010) provides guidelines on estimating training costs based on contributions from various researchers. Clark provides average estimates as well as references to relevant research that has been conducted on the topic. One point that is highlighted by Clark is that the costs of developing training increases substantially as the level of interactivity in the training materials increases, with high level simulation presentations being the most expensive.

Time to develop one hour of training

Kapp & Defelice (2009) conducted a survey to establish average estimates of time taken to develop instruction as well as factors that cause delays in the development process. Survey results indicated that a major factor that affects development time is the time spent interacting with the client who, in most cases, is unsure of the requirements. Ways to minimize the effect of this factor include effective communication with stakeholders and conducting training for subject matter experts and key stakeholders during project kick off.

Fixed budgets in instructional design projects

A further challenge of instructional design projects is that the budget is often fixed before the scope is determined. It is therefore important for the project manager not only to know how to allocate resources effectively but also to estimate costs associated with individual activities in order to remain within budget.

References

Clark, D. (2010). Estimating costs and time in instructional design. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/costs.html

Kapp, K.M. & Defelice, R.A. (2009). Time to develop one hour of training. Retrieved from

http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/Learning-Circuits/Learning-Circuits-Archives/2009/08/Time-to-Develop-One-Hour-of-Training

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.