web project management training for clients

Sophie Bessemer Gold
Head of Strategic Communications at EdComs

20 December 2005 17:08pm

Hi
Has anyone come across a 'train the client' course?
We’ve just won a pitch to redevelop a client’s online educational website. The client has never been involved in a web project before and feels like she needs a ‘dummies’ training session on what websites are all about eg what the terminology is, what the issues around accessibility are, how long does it take to do stuff (eg difference between changing text or a photo), the benefits or not of a cms system etc.
Of course it’s something we could run ourselves, but her preference is for an external adviser who can provide her with some impartial knowledge and understanding to use in managing us.
Can you recommend anything?
Would love to know
Thanks
Sophie
Andrew Allfrey
eTail Optimisation Specialist at Click Funnel Ltd

20 December 2005 17:41pm

One book i'd thoroughly recommend is "Web Site Project Management: Delivering Successful Commercial Sites" by Ashley Friedlein available through Amazon and although hardly a quick fix for your client it'll help explain the processes involved so that you can better manage their expectations.
An alternative but also highly recommended is "Real Web Project Management" by Thomas J Shelford and Gregory Remilliard. Definitely worth a read.
Hope that's of help.
On 17:08:02 20 December 2005 sophiebess wrote:
Hi
Has anyone come across a 'train the client' course?

We’ve just won a pitch to redevelop a client’s online educational website. The client has never been involved in a web project before and feels like she needs a ‘dummies’ training session on what websites are all about eg what the terminology is, what the issues around accessibility are, how long does it take to do stuff (eg difference between changing text or a photo), the benefits or not of a cms system etc.

Of course it’s something we could run ourselves, but her preference is for an external adviser who can provide her with some impartial knowledge and understanding to use in managing us.

Can you recommend anything?

Would love to know
Thanks
Sophie
Nathalie Allard
Director at Raspberry Frog

21 December 2005 10:04am

I recommend it too. The book is very good when dealing with big projects. However, for smaller projects, it is best not to follow everything "but the book". ...
NathalieVu-Van-Toan
Ashley Friedlein Staff
CEO at Econsultancy

21 December 2005 10:15am

Thanks for the recommendations Andrew and Nathalie. There's still hidden away on this site a section all about my book.
I think a lot of it still holds up (I wrote it in 1998) but also there are some significant holes in it now as best practice has moved on.
I posted some thoughts on this in "Web Project Management" - what do I think 1 year on? but even that was written in 2001. Things like search engine optimisation and accessibility still aren't in there and would be were I writing the book now.
Something more recent that I posted earlier this year, and which is related, is From Paper to Page – what’s the ideal web design process? which tries to think through how to integrate all these new things that have cropped up!
As for the training, that's certainly something we can help with - we're running over 60 public training courses across the country next year and we've done a lot of in-house training this year as well (both for big blue chips and smaller companies, including agencies and consultancies).
We're shortly to relaunch this site which will have all the training details for next year, but do get in touch if you want to discuss further - we are, of course, completely independent as we don't do any implementation work ourselves.
Ashley Friedlein
CEO, E-consultancy.com
Sophie Bessemer Gold
Head of Strategic Communications at EdComs

21 December 2005 11:04am

Thanks for this Ashley - I actually nearly just wrote to you directly before deciding to post... The book and the associated updated links I have but I'm just not convinced that our client will ever sit down and read it. A half/full day session explaining the terms and the basics is what they need.
Is it worth talking offline about it?
Sophie
On 10:15:23 21 December 2005 Ashley wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations Andrew and Nathalie. There's still hidden away on this site a section all about my book.

I think a lot of it still holds up (I wrote it in 1998) but also there are some significant holes in it now as best practice has moved on.

I posted some thoughts on this in "Web Project Management" - what do I think 1 year on? but even that was written in 2001. Things like search engine optimisation and accessibility still aren't in there and would be were I writing the book now.

Something more recent that I posted earlier this year, and which is related, is From Paper to Page – what’s the ideal web design process? which tries to think through how to integrate all these new things that have cropped up!

As for the training, that's certainly something we can help with - we're running over 60 public training courses across the country next year and we've done a lot of in-house training this year as well (both for big blue chips and smaller companies, including agencies and consultancies).

We're shortly to relaunch this site which will have all the training details for next year, but do get in touch if you want to discuss further - we are, of course, completely independent as we don't do any implementation work ourselves.

Ashley Friedlein
CEO, E-consultancy.com
Lawrence L
Freelance Web Consultant at architxt.net

22 December 2005 12:48pm

Wouldn't it be more benefitial for your client to engage a consultant to translate their business requirements into very detailed brief?
During this process your client would inevitably learn more about what the final product is and how it should perform from an expert third party.
And you will end up with a better understanding of what is required.
Craig Hanna Staff
EVP North America at Econsultancy.com

17 January 2006 12:25pm

Hi Sophie
My name is Craig and I've started as the new Training Director at e-consultancy. Its been a bit of a break since you posted but if you still feel that training would help then please get in touch. My e-mail is craig@e-consultancy.com.
Craig
On 11:04:56 21 December 2005 sophiebess wrote:
Thanks for this Ashley - I actually nearly just wrote to you directly before deciding to post... The book and the associated updated links I have but I'm just not convinced that our client will ever sit down and read it. A half/full day session explaining the terms and the basics is what they need.
Is it worth talking offline about it?
Sophie
On 10:15:23 21 December 2005 Ashley wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations Andrew and Nathalie. There's still hidden away on this site a section all about my book.

I think a lot of it still holds up (I wrote it in 1998) but also there are some significant holes in it now as best practice has moved on.

I posted some thoughts on this in "Web Project Management" - what do I think 1 year on? but even that was written in 2001. Things like search engine optimisation and accessibility still aren't in there and would be were I writing the book now.

Something more recent that I posted earlier this year, and which is related, is From Paper to Page – what’s the ideal web design process? which tries to think through how to integrate all these new things that have cropped up!

As for the training, that's certainly something we can help with - we're running over 60 public training courses across the country next year and we've done a lot of in-house training this year as well (both for big blue chips and smaller companies, including agencies and consultancies).

We're shortly to relaunch this site which will have all the training details for next year, but do get in touch if you want to discuss further - we are, of course, completely independent as we don't do any implementation work ourselves.

Ashley Friedlein
CEO, E-consultancy.com