Detailed Task List and Task Map

The detailed task list should be an Overleaf document that describes the tasks that your team is planning to do throughout the semester and how you will accomplish these tasks. It is highly recommended that you work off of the list of challenges already created for your subteam. The task list will break down into two parts, a Task Map, and a Task List.

The purpose of the Task Map is to help the team visualize our common goal — to provide clean drinking water and wastewater treatment to communities everywhere — and to sequentially list all of the tasks required to get there.  

The Task List is written below the Task Map and is your chance to explain the steps on the Task Map.  You should be as detailed as possible and include the steps you will carry out. You can assume that we understand how to code or how your experimental apparatus works here, but you cannot assume that we understand the logic behind what you are doing. The detailed task list should be included in every research report over the course of the semester, and every time you submit a report you should come back to the detailed task list/map and make revisions.

In addition to listing tasks, you must assign each task a due date and an individual responsible for seeing the task through. This person does not need to complete the entire task on their own, but they will be in charge of ensuring its completion.

The detailed task list, as well as every other report submitted, must have a designated "Report Proofreader." This role can rotate between subteam members over the course of the semester. This individual is responsible for checking and correcting any errors in grammar or formatting in the report.

The Detailed Task List/Map should be put into the AguaClara Research Report Template that your team will use and update for the rest of the semester.  

Here is the example Task Map which was copied from word, and pasted into the Google Doc.

Creating a Task Map

Task Maps should be created in Microsoft Word and then copy and pasted into the Detailed Task List in Overleaf. Save your word document on Google Drive so that you can make adjustments later in the semester.

To Create one, open Microsoft Word. Under Insert, go to Smart Art, click Hierarchy, then Horizontal Hierarchy.  Click the arrows on the left side of the box to open up a bulleted list of how your Map is organized. Make sure your map is as large as possible on the page (it may be necessary to increase the font size), then copy and paste it into the Google Doc.

Assigning Roles

The detailed task list must also designate roles for each team member, along with a few sentences describing the responsibilities of that role. Designated roles should be related to the tasks assigned to each individual.

One role for each team must be that of "Team Coordinator." The Team Coordinator is responsible for facilitating Team meetings and keeping track of progress over the course of the semester to ensure that goals are completed in a timely manner. Additionally, the Team Coordinator is the point person for communication between their team and their faculty or student advisor, as well as between their team and the entire AguaClara leadership team.

All teams that will be purchasing or using materials other than a computer need to have a "Materials Coordinator." This individual is responsible for ordering materials (through Casey) for their team, as well as keeping track of and organizing materials previously ordered.

Other roles are to be decided upon by individual teams based on their tasks for the semester. For instance, teams with a focus on experimentation might opt to have a "Data Coordinator," who would be responsible for ensuring that data from experiments is saved in an appropriate place on the server and with an appropriate name. The Data Coordinator could also be responsible for doing a preliminary review of data collected to lead discussions about experimental results in meetings.

Specific Guidelines for Research Teams

Do not detail how you collect or analyze data in your detailed task list, that will be documented in your Research Reports.You will want to organize your team so that every team member will do all tasks on the team including: literature review, experimental set-up, collecting data, data analysis, and technical writing.

Grading

The detailed task lists will be turned in as a first draft and teams will undergo a brief editing process. Teams will then post their final task lists on the wiki as their semester goals. For full credit, it is expected that the first draft is thoughtful and adheres to all of the guidelines above. The final posted semester goals must show that the edits were addressed from the rough draft.

Final detailed task lists must be posted to the sub-team's wiki page as a PDF document (You can save a Google Doc easily on the AguaClara S Drive as a PDF). Navigate to the wiki page where you would like to add the document as a child page. On the drop-down menu "Edit" click "Attachments." (Make sure you are logged in.) Save your file to a secure location and then "Browse" for your file. After you have located your file, click "Attach file." Next, edit your child page and type in the code that will ensure that the file will be viewed. 

To submit the detailed task lists, save the task list in your team's google drive folder and email the link to your advisor.