Abstract
There is a need for accurate procedures for monitoring both process and productivity in educational systems. An accountability system was developed as part of a federal project to develop curriculum materials for individuals who have mental retardation (Project MORE). The accountability system was designed to monitor the development and completion of 46 products and to produce cost estimates. A 34-step process lattice was constructed to describe the procedures used in product development and then a PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart was designed to show the temporal relationships among the 34 steps. Data were collected on how long each step in the lattice required for completion. These data were then used to predict the product development that was feasible over the next three years. It was predicted that each product would require 490 days.
These data were then used to make yearly projections. After one year's data were collected these projections were compared to actual productivity. While there was a fair amount of variability across these steps, and the project has undergone extensive changes in both personnel and physical location, the mean actual time required was within one month of the original estimates. The use of the PERT has proven useful for doing long-range planning, for supervising the activity of a federal project; and for training new staff members in a fairly complex set of procedures.
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