Formal Report:
Humanitarian Database Design for
Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store
Prepared for
Susan VandeVen
By
The Yellow Team
November…… 2008
Habitat for Humanity Database Project
We implemented a project to help volunteers at the habitat for humanity thrift store to track the amount of hours they work. A database program is installed on the donated computer to use in order to keep track of the volunteer’s working hours. The database program is designed to record the user’s first name, last name, address, phone number, time in, time out, and area worked in accordance to the user’s input.
Yellow Team Members:
Saint Reincher
Brandon Greene
Amanda Fouts
Douglas Hartley
Ifeyani Egebike
Scott Estes
Joshua Harrell
Letter of Transmittal
__________________________________________________________________
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Yellow Team
Habitat for Humanity Project
Dear Mrs. VandeVen,
Here is the Yellow Team’s final project. In preparing this report, the Yellow Team has completed a delightful humanitarian project. We believe we have provided a valuable service to the Habitat for Humanity. Thanks for your guidance and encouragement throughout the process of designing and implementing our project.
The Habitat for Humanity desperately needed a way for the individual to keep track of his/her hours worked and donations for many purposes. This included tax purposes, keeping track of “sweat equity” hours, and keeping track of hours performed for community service. We also provided games for the children to play while their parents shopped at the Thrift Store.
The project was implemented and the staff was trained how to use the database programming Interface. We also provided instructions and a newsletter detailing our project. We set the computer up on a table that we provided. The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in
We have enjoyed working on this project, and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can email us tcyellowteam@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
The Yellow Team
_____________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
This will have to be done when we are finished.
| Table of Contents: | |
| | |
| Cover Page | Page 1 |
| Title page | Page 2 |
| Letter of transmittal | Page 3 |
| Table of contents | Page 4 |
| List of tables and/or figures (a minimum of four) | Pages 5-7 |
| Executive summary | Page 8 |
| Introduction | Page 9 |
| Body of your report | Pages 10 – 14 |
| Conclusions and Recommendations | Page 14 |
| List of references (a minimum of 10) | Pages 15 – 16 |
| Service Project Deliverables | Pages 17-24 |
v Tables and Figures
Tables and Figures
Figure 1.0 Project Flow Table…………………………………………...…….5
Figure 2.0 Team Task Assignment Table……………………………………6
Figure 3.0 Implementation Log Table……………………………….………..7
Figure 4.0 Specific Assignment Table………………………………………..7
Figure 5.0 Team Meeting Schedule Table……………………………...……7
Project Flow Table
Figure 1.0
Team Task Assignment Table
| Team Members | List of Duties |
| Amanda Fouts Henry Scott Estes | · Software Specialist · This person must provide the database design software. · The database must be written to the software · An instruction manual must be written for the software |
| Saint Reincher Ifeanyi Egbebike | · Hardware Gatherer / Project Implementer · Responsible for gathering computer, table, and peripherals together · Must be able to acquire a used computer, table, etc. through donations, etc. · Must be able to transport them to the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store |
| Douglas Hartley | · · One person needs to provide a phone number and act as the administrator and hub for our project. · Be able to answer phones for a certain number of hours at least 2 days a week · Coordinate Activities · Keep track of email addresses, phone numbers, due dates, etc. |
| Brandon Greene Joshua Harrell | · PR Specialist · Design pamphlet and logo for our team · Schmooze with Habitat people in order to get our project implemented |
Figure 2.0
Implementation Log Table
| First Table: Contacts Table ID: First Name: Last Name: Address: Phone Number: Worker Code: | Second Table: Sign In Table: ID: Date: Time In: Time Out: Area Worked: Worker Code: Hours Worked: | Third Table: Donations Table: ID: Date: Amount Donated: | Worker Codes: 1:Volunteer 2:Community Service 3: College Student 4: Home Owner 5: Other |
Figure 3.0
Specific Assignment Table
| Assignment | Due Dates |
| Project Planning Forms | October 4, 2008 |
| Interim Assessment Memo | October 11, 2008 |
| Investigative Report | October 18, 2008 |
| Peer Review-Progress Report | November 8, 2008 |
| Final Project | November 13-15, 2008 |
| PowerPoint Presentation | November 15-20, 2008 |
Figure 4.0
Team Meetings Schedule Table
| Work Schedule | Due Dates |
| Interim Assessment Memo | October 9-11, 2008 |
| Investigative Report | October 16-18, 2008 |
| Peer Review-Progress Report | November 6-8, 2008 |
| Final Project | November 13-15, 2008 |
| PowerPoint Presentation | November 15-20, 2008 |
Figure 5.0
Executive Summary
__________________________________________________________________
The main purpose of this report is to elaborate on the project performed by the Yellow Team in discussing the project and to providing copies of the project deliverables. Our team has been working on the project since early September of 2008. We have been developing materials for our report for the entire semester. The final report includes a formal report on the database project implementation for the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store and a copy of the project deliverables that the Habitat for Humanity received.
The major milestones in our project were choosing a project from various proposals, assigning duties for the completion of the project, implementing the project, and presenting our project via a PowerPoint project presentation.
Each member of the team submitted their own individual project proposal and these were posted to our team blog. We each voted in order to choose a project that we could implement. The Habitat Project won by two votes.
Duties were assigned to each member of the team in order to break down the project into more comprehensible portions and complete the project in a timely manner.
We implemented the project on October 29, 2008. We provided the computer system and a table. We also setup and installed the computer system. The staff of the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in
The project deliverables include instructions on how to use the system, a computable table, the computer system, and a newsletter. The instructions included screenshots of the database system, and the newsletter was a synopsis of our team and their mission.
The purpose of this report is to provide the user with a formal report of the Yellow Team’s Project that was implemented on October 29, 2008 at the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in
The Habitat for Humanity is famous for building houses for families in need and the corresponding volunteer opportunities. Homes are built using volunteers labor and are sold at no profit. A prospective homeowner must also work to earn his/her home.
“Homeowners are usually expected to put approximately 500 hours of "sweat equity" into their own or other project homes, although this amount may vary by location; the number of wage-earning adults in each family, and the recipients health issues.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_for_Humanity 9/12/2008 12:54:25 PM
This “sweat equity” can be worked off by actually participating in the construction of the home or volunteering at your Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store. Community Service for misdemeanor offenses is also performed at the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Stores. Volunteers from local colleges and the surrounding area also put in hours of thrift store work that can be written off on their taxes. Currently, their method of signing in and keeping track of hours at the thrift store is a blue notebook with signed names that are mostly illegible. With a donated computer and a simple program, users could login in a legible manner and their hours could be easily determined. Keeping track of one’s own hours is often fallible, complicated, and dull. With a simple program and a computer, we could change that for your Habitat for Humanity thrift store. A list of contacts could also be provided voluntarily from the software using the worker’s input. Days and areas where volunteer’s works were most needed could also be tracked.
My project:
- Place a used computer in the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.
- Install software (freeware or original) for time tracking, etc. on the computer.
- Install and maintain the program and the computer hardware at this Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.
Requirements:
The project requires the setup and installation of the hardware and software necessary to operate a database-oriented program. This database system is designed to record and track the hours of work performed by your volunteers, community service workers, and prospective homeowners. Our software program will be very simple, very easy to use, and very inexpensive to maintain. The computer hardware will be donated free of charge for the purpose of the project. Peripherals that may be included are a printer, printer paper, a computer table for display of the computer, and a tablecloth.
Design and Implementation:
In order to set up the database project that I am proposing in this Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, a database program would be installed on the donated computer to use in order to keep track of the subject’s working hours. The database program will record the subject’s first name, last name, time in, time out, and area worked in according to the user’s input. The user would also be given the option of recording his/her phone number or address. The database should gather all of this information together in order to produce reports for the thrift store with detailed total of hours worked for each volunteer. A report also needs to be produced for the total hours of all volunteers of any days worked of the week. The reports should be easy to obtain and readily available for all users to view. The volunteer should only be allowed to edit/alter his own information and the group information should be locked to the average user and only available to your staff.
An average scenario involving a prospective homeowner would involve the homeowner walks into the thrift store to do his/her volunteer work. He/she walks over to the computer area and signs his /her name in the book in order to keep the records permanent with ink and paper in case a backup were needed. Then, he/she signs in on the computer so that he/she can keep track of his/her hours easier. He/she inputs his/her first name and his/her last name and the computer records the time and date for him/her. He/she does his volunteer work throughout the store. The volunteer might focus on one area in particular such as putting out new books and putting current books in order, or the volunteer might focus solely on the clothing area. When the volunteer finishes the assigned work for the number of hours chosen, the volunteer can again go to the computer station that has been set up and enter the first name and last name. The computer will again assign the current time and date to the prospective homeowner. If the homeowner would like to know how many hours he/she has put in towards his/her “500”, he/she can pull up the information from the database. This lets the volunteer know how many he/she has left, and this can save him/her a lot of time and effort required to keep up with the hours. It also makes the process of keeping track of his/her hours more accurate and precise. I believe that this would also benefit your community service workers because they would also be able to better keep track of their time in and out.
Another benefit to using this method is the ability to gather information pertaining to all of your thrift store workers at the same time. This “store-wide” information is needed in order to gather an accurate statistical representation of hours worked in each area. This information is needed in order to determine the times and areas of the store that are most in need of volunteers and workers.
For example, if I wanted to come on the days when no one else comes and work in the areas with the least amount of workers in order to better serve the thrift store, I could discover the areas and hours that need help the most with the touch of a button. This information could also serve as a contact list for your thrift store. Those who chose to enter their names and phone numbers, and members could be contacted when the need was highest. For instance, Christmas time is a great example. The store needs extra merchandise and help during this busy season. Thrift store workers or volunteers should be responsible for producing detailed reports each month, and contacting those who wish to be contacted regarding assisting your area Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store.
Maintenance and Repair:
Maintenance and repair of the hardware and software services should be an ongoing volunteer service offered to thrift store workers or volunteers with computer experienced. The computer specialist’s phone number will be placed beside the computer terminal with detailed instructions on how and when would be the best time to reach the individual. The computer specialist will also provide a detailed instruction manual for the users written in a clear and concise manner. The instruction manual should be placed next to the computer terminal as well for ease of use. Maintenance should include regularly backing up the system, performing file cleanups and other disk maintenance, and routinely checking to make certain that all hardware and software is functioning correctly. Maintenance should ideally be done once a month by thrift store volunteer or worker with prior computer operating experienced.
Timeline:
This project should take three weeks to implement. Required items include a used computer, database software, a computer table, and floppy disks used to store backup information. The first week is spent gathering the required items from our team. The second week is spent gathering the required information for designing the database for the thrift store. The third week is spent on the installation, testing, maintenance of the hardware and software required for the project. This should be done at the beginning of the third week so that the last part of the third week should be spent following up on the implementation of the database. The project should be completed in three weeks.
Your local Habitat for Humanity thrift store needs this service in order to run more efficiently and keep track of hours worked for prospective homeowners, community service workers, and volunteers. The project that we have proposed should only take two to four days to install and less than a week afterwards to have it up and running. The idea of the database is relatively inexpensive. It only requires the donation of time, a table, and a spare computer. I recommend this project to your store because it is easy to implement, it serves a clearly defined, and real purpose that I believe is beneficial to the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store. Its volunteers and workers can provide a contact list for the thrift store to use in times of need. Your volunteers, community service workers, and staff will appreciate the implementation of this project. With a simple program and a used computer, we could change the way your workers keep track of their hours for your Habitat for Humanity thrift store. The volunteers, staff, and community service workers will be able to keep track of their hours more efficiently. Please feel free to contact us at tcyellowteam@gmail.com to set up your computer database system or if you have any further questions.
Attn:
Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store
(706) 354-0936
Project Planning Form
Project Title: Humanitarian Database Designers
Audience: Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store
Project Manager: Henry Scott Estes
Team Members: Ifeanyi Egebike, Brandon Greene, Joshua Harrell, Henry Scott Estes, Amanda Fouts, Douglas Hartley, Saint Reincher
Purpose of the Project: Provide Sign-in Database for the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Stores
Specific Assignments Due Dates
Project Planning Forms October 4, 2008
Interim Assessment Memo October 11, 2008
Investigative Report October 18, 2008
Peer Review – Progress Report November 8, 2008
Final Project November 15, 2008
PowerPoint Presentation November 20, 2008
Work Schedule
Team Meetings:
Interim Assessment Memo October 9-11, 2008
Investigative Report October 16-18, 2008
Peer Review – Progress Report November 6-8, 2008
Final Project November 13-15, 2008
PowerPoint Presentation November 15-20, 2008
Please check email and all other correspondence during these hours. Be prepared with a rough draft of the assignment on these dates and submit it for review. Project Implementation is October 18 – Nov 6. Please sign in to check the status of class at least 4 times a week during this time period.
Miscellaneous
How will disputes and grievances be resolved?
- Email
How will performances be evaluated?
- Attendance
- Punctuality
- Participation
Other Matters (Internet searches, email routing, computer conferences, etc)
- All Internet matters should be routed through our Google account and posted to the blog.
- Discussions should be posted concerning these matters.
Positions necessary for the implementation of the project:
1. Hardware Gatherer / Project Implementer
- Responsible for gathering computer, table, and peripherals together
- Must be able to acquire a used computer, table, etc. through donations, etc.
- Must be able to transport them to the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store
2. Software Specialist
- This person must provide the database design software.
- The database must be written to the software
- An instruction manual must be written for the software
3. Database Designer
- Design databases and assist in writing the databases to the software.
4. PR Specialist
- Design pamphlet and logo for our team
- Smooze with Habitat people in order to get our project implemented.
5.
- One person needs to provide a phone number and act as the administrator and hub for our project.
- Be able to answer phones for a certain number of hours at least 2 days a week
- Coordinate Activities
- Keep track of email addresses, phone numbers, due dates, etc.
Conclusion:
The Yellow Team’s project has really been set into motion. Hardware has been acquired. The software and databases have begun to be designed. Meetings have formed and gained structure. The wheels are definitely in motion. This is shaping up to be a work of humanitarian database designers that we can be proud of for years to come.
Recommendation:
The Yellow Team and the members thereof should establish better communication methods and a clearer meeting structure. Everyone should respond to emails and read everything in the discussion area thoroughly and regularly. Everyone should be on time to meetings, and participate in voting and discussions. A list of contacts for the team should be available and displayed to all members of the team. Copies of the meetings should be made and posted in an area that is easily accessible. Notices for meeting should be given in a timely manner. The team members should be able to post if not available to attend.
v List of References
- http://www.lantica.com/Files/quickanswer2/cQA0110.PDF
- This was used to research the Q&A software
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_for_Humanity
- This was used to research H4H
- http://yellowteamproject.blogspot.com
- This is our team’s blog
- http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/2514.aspx
- How to write an effective progress report.
- John M. Lannon. Technical Communications Eleventh Edition. ©2008
- We referenced this book to write many of the reports
- http://www.download-free-games.com/kids_games_download/
- This site can be used to download free children’s games
· Slides:
· http://www.slideshare.net/jvbree/critical-success-factors-for-virtual-teams/
This is a presentation from 2001 about the success factors for virtual teams, based on interviews in 12 multinational organizations. The information was accurate, came from an unbiased, IT professional (http://ynno.blogspot.com/). The slideshow was very useful, but I needed much more information for the paper.
· Videos:
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_gG1Sk08QE
Coach Maria Elena Duron reviews the "whys" of having a virtual team and some things to consider before launching into creating a team. The information was accurate and reliable. The source was a business coach featured weekly on CBS. She is featured as an expert author on ezine articles. The information was only marginally useful, and I needed more information.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1NyIBiYuFQ
This is a great short video on virtual teams. The information was only a short summary and not very useful. The author was not an expert.
· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B40WNlMIxY4
Darlene Lee, VP of marketing & strategic initiatives for Experian Research Services speaks about her experience with GlobeTask. This was only a glimpse into a particular virtual team. The information was still not very useful, and I needed more for the paper.
o http://www.managementhelp.org/grp_skll/virtual/defntion.pdf
This was a pdf file featuring a short summary on the key points of virtual teams. It was taken from Free Management Library: Copyright 1997-2008, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. The credentials for the firm included two associates and a member with a PHD. The information was reliable, very informative and concise, and encompassed most of the aspects of the topic. I found the entire article useful.
o http://iit.bloomu.edu/Spring2006_eBook_files/chapter10.htm#h10_1_2
Vince Basille discusses some ways in which virtual teams can be successful. Vince is a physical therapist and instructional technology graduate student at
· http://www.mountainplains.org/articles/2000/general/mpa6.htm
“Virtual Teams in the Classroom: A Case Study”
· http://www.socialtext.net/ctc/index.cgi?effective_virtual_teams
Top 10 reasons why virtual project teams fail and 5 key strategies for success. This has been created by Dara Gray Tynefield on Jun 8 8:02am. These were notes on a conference session. I considered this information reliable because Larry Cannell ( http://larry.cannell.org/AboutMe ) corroborated it. It was a very useful and helpful outline of some of the key points of virtual teams.
· http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheory/Geisler721.html
“Virtual Teams” ã2002 by Barbara Geisler The information was very useful, complete, and cited in an extensive bibliography. She verified the claim with facts and gave all the necessary information for the topic.
· http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/Executive_Summary.html
How to write an executive summary
v Optional Attachments or Appendices
Service Learning Sponsor Deliverables:
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Yellow Team
Habitat for Humanity Project
Dear Mrs. VandeVen,
The Habitat for Humanity desperately needed a way for the volunteers to keep track of their hours worked and donations for many purposes. The duties included tax purposes, keeping track of “sweat equity” hours, and keeping track of hours performed for community service. We also provided games for the children to play while their parents shopped.
The project was implemented and the staff was trained to use the database programming. We also provided instructions and a newsletter detailing our project. We set the computer up on a computer table that we provided. The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store was very pleased with the project.
We have enjoyed working on this project, and would be happy to answer any questions. You can email us tcyellowteam@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
The Yellow Team
Instructions for the first time user:
How to sign up and start using the database:
1: Double click on the “Yellow Y” button on the desktop
2: The login screen will appear as seen below in figure 1.
3: The start screen includes following three buttons:
a) Personal Information
b) Sign-In
c) Make a Donation
Figure 1:
To enter your personal information into the database, do the following:
1: Click on the button labeled “Personal Information.”
When clicking this button, this takes you to a screen where you can enter your personal information in order to acquire an ID number that you will use to access your information, sign in, and make donations.
This is the user’s information screen as seen below in figure 2:
Figure 2:
After you typed in your information and press the “Enter” button to save your information. This screen below should appear to you to confirm your information has been entered into the database.
Figure 3:
After reviewing this message box, click on the “OK” button to close the confirmation dialog box. After you close the dialog box, your user ID will appear on the screen as shown below in figure 4: See below.
Figure 4:
Please take a moment to write down the ID number for future use.
You will need this ID number to login to the system. Write it down and save it in a safe place. You can now use the reports menus to sign in.
To go back to the Start page screen, click on the House labeled “Start” in the upper left corner.
Click on the “Sign In” button if you are here to volunteer as seen in figure 5.
Figure 5:
Enter your ID number in the spot marked ID number. Press “Calculate Hours Worked” to determine the number of hours you have worked. Press “Enter” when you are finished. You should see this screen again as seen below in figure 6:
Figure 6:
The screen will clear, and your information will be entered.
Click the “Make a Donation” button to make a donation.
Figure 7:
Enter in your ID number, the date, and the amount donated. Press the “Enter”. Your information will be entered, the record added message will appear, and the screen will clear.
If you would like to access records in order to add all your hours total or add up all your donations, use the “Reports” menu at the top of the contacts, sign-in, and donations screens. Enter your user ID and press the button for your information. Then, the following screen should appear as seen below in figure 8.
Figure 8:
You can print the information if a printer is available or save the information to a disk or flash drive.
To save the information:
To select all the information on a grid, click anywhere on the grid and press CTRL & A at the same time. The entire grid should turn green. Then, press
CTRL & C at the same time to copy the information. Next, click a spot on the white box, press CTRL & V to copy the information into the box.
The screen should look like this one below in figure 9.
Figure 9:
Select the “Save” option from the “File” menu”. Show me where you would like to save the file. Finally, click on the save button and give your file a name. It should be saved in the area you have specified.
To Print the Information:
Click the Print Button to print your report.
To View Reports and Access All of Your Records:
At the top of the screen, click on the menu item labeled “Reports”. Choose the report you would like to view, and click it. Enter your ID Number or last name to view all your information.
Habitat For Humanity
October 2008
Who we are Project Yellow We are a student group from an online Technical Communication class. As a group, we had to come up with a service learning project to complete by the end of the semester. Everyone submitted their own ideas and we voted on the best one and we have chosen to implement the project proposed for the Habitat for Humanity. Being that our class is online, and everyone is geographically separated, it takes more effort to get everyone on the same page. Our Project Volunteers from local colleges and the surrounding area also put in hours for the thrift store work that can be written off on their taxes. Currently, their method of signing in and keeping track of hours at the thrift store is a blue notebook with signed names that are mostly illegible. With a used donated computer and a simple program, users could log in a legible manner and their hours could be easily determined. Keeping track of one’s own hour is often fallible, complicated, and dull. With a simple program and a computer, we could change that for your Habitat for Humanity thrift store. A list of contacts could also be provided voluntarily from the software using the worker’s input. Days and areas where volunteer work was most needed could also be tracked. Project Plans A database program is installed on the donated computer to use in order to keep track of the subject’s working hours. The database program will record the subject’s first name, last name, time in, time out, and area worked in according to the user’s input. Maintenance should include regularly backing up the system, performing file cleanups and other disk maintenance. A knowledgeable computer user can make routine checking to make certain that all hardware and software is functioning correctly. Maintenance should ideally be done once a month by thrift store volunteers or workers with prior computer operating experienced. About our Team Members Saint Reincher Amanda fouts Douglas Hartley Brandon Greene Ifeyani Egebike Scott Estes Joshua Harrel
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