Jisc FE and skills development and resource programme – Auto Share and Learn
Project
CSG Briefing Paper 1
This is the first in a series of briefing papers that will document and share the planning and
progress of activities, actions and outcomes by Coleg Sir Gâr as a regional partner in the Jisc Auto
Share and Learn project. The purpose is to both aid and inform regional project management and
to provide information about achievements against targets for the main Project Board.
1. Formal approval of regional project planning proposal and budget
A meeting was held on Friday 11th
April at the Beacon Centre, Llanelli to formally consider the
proposed project plan and budget for the South West Wales contribution to the project
deliverables, managed by CSG.
Present at the meeting were:
Barry Liles, Principal and Chief Executive of Coleg Sir Gâr;
Dave Howells, Director of Business Development at Coleg Sir Gâr;
Tony Toole, Project Manager.
Following a presentation of the plan and budget (copied in the Appendices below) and an outline
discussion about the regional implementation arrangements and the anticipated contractual
arrangements, the proposal was approved by the Principal/CEO on behalf of the institution.
2. Immediate actions: WP1
The meeting then went on to discuss the set-up phase of the project. The outcomes of the
discussion were that:
 The CSG draft regional project plan and budget would be finalised following consideration
and endorsement by BMet as lead partner and by the Project Board;
 The regional project team membership would be agreed and appointments/secondments
made in line with the individual roles, work plans and budget allocations;
 A minimum of six supply chain companies would be invited to participate. The discussion
considered both the range of Tier 1, 2 & 3 companies in the region, their importance in the
supply chain, and their involvement in regional government economic policy and planning;
 Individual discussions would then be held with senior management in each of the supply
chain companies to agree:
1. Their commitment to the aims of the project, their contribution to optimising the
benefits it offers, and their membership of a regional steering group;
2. Arrangements for an initial survey of their current manufacturing and trading
environments with OEMs and other suppliers, together with their associated support
and training needs;
These initial negotiations with the supply chain companies will be organised by Tony Toole and will
be carried out jointly with Adam Twells, Head of Engineering at CSG. From this work:
 Initial proposals will be drawn up for a draft online support system specification;
 A regional project team meeting will be held with the supply company stakeholders
(working lunch) to discuss and agree plans for the online support system development.
 An evaluation of WP1 will be carried out and a report prepared for the full Project Board.
This will include plans and recommendations for WP2.

Jisc FE and skills development and resource programme – Auto Share and Learn
Project
3. Regional project management and communications
All of the documentation, resources and links produced for the South West Wales region will be
made available online at http://autoshareandlearn.pbworks.com. This will be regularly updated and
will be used as both a resource repository and a centre for project communications.
Tony Toole
April 2014

Jisc FE and skills development and resource programme – Auto Share and Learn Project
Appendix 1: Project Plan
The proposed Project Plan for the Coleg Sir Gâr regional contribution to the project is as follows:

Jisc FE and skills development and resource programme – Auto Share and Learn
Project
Appendix 2: Project Budget
The proposed Budget for the Coleg Sir Gâr contribution to the project is as follows:
Amount Other information
Staff costs (including on costs)
Project Director
(Senior Manager, 0.05FTE)
£3,0001
(matched funding)
Dave Howells, Director of
Business Development
Project Manager
(Senior Manager, 0.2FTE)
£12,0002
Tony Toole, Project
Manager
Training Materials Development
(Academic Staff, 0.1FTE)
£7,0003
tba
Implementation and Pilot Delivery
(Academic Staff, 0.1FTE)
£7,0004
tba
Evaluation and Embedding
(Academic Staff, 0.1 FTE)
£2,0005
tba
Non staff costs6
Travel and expenses £2,000 Primarily for company visits.
Project meetings will be
mainly online.
Dissemination £1,000 Workshops, dissemination
events and final conference
costs.
Additional costs (specify) £1,000 Consumables, printing,
telephone, etc.
Overheads (provide breakdown)
Institutional Staff overheads:
0.65FTE @ £13.53/hr (Funding
Council Calculation)
£13,000 Included in the institutional
contribution figure below
Total CSG budget £48,000
Total Jisc contribution £32,000
Total CSG contribution £16,000 Contribution from
institutional senior
management and staff
overheads.
Notes clarifying project costings (see line item references):
1. Responsibility and oversight of the regional project activities equivalent to one day per month of
senior management time for the full project duration.
2. Responsibility for the management of the regional project team and the successful delivery of
all project outcomes. Equivalent to one day per week of senior management time for the full
project duration.
3. Preparation of training materials, pedagogic planning and population of the online support
system. Equivalent to two days per week of academic staff time for 3 months.

Jisc FE and skills development and resource programme – Auto Share and Learn
Project
4. Tutor support of online training delivery, assessment and feedback. Equivalent to two days per
week of academic staff time for 3 months.
5. Evaluation of support system effectiveness, feedback and systems improvement, planning for
institutional embedding, future planning. Equivalent to one day per week of academic staff time
for 2 months.
6. The non-staffing costs amount to 8.3% of the CSG budget and will be largely taken up by
delivery, evaluation and project management expenses.
Specific staff costings will be provided once appointments are made to carry out the tasks involved.
However, it can be confirmed that all activities will be planned to be completed according to the
agreed timescale and within budget.