Being Systematic

We reviewed the handout Systematic thinking – using checklists and realized that we were talking about databases, (most of us are engaged in a Microsoft Access training course at the moment) and page-a-day diaries. George passed round a sheet he had devised for his first two days in the project:

BPL Activity Log (George)

Codes: v = volunteer m = mentor p = paid

Date	Time	Activity	Code
010201	0.5hr	Print pictures for Jim Johnston	v
	0.5hr	Get AS comments on Consultation Paper	m
	0.25hr	Revise and email Consultation Paper	m
	1hr	Review ESF Application Form	p
	1hr	Read FCWTG Setting up a Community Work Skills Course	p
	1hr	Download lists from internet	p
010202	3hr	Read various training related materials	p
		Design draft log sheets	p
		Consider agenda items for this afternoon’s meeting	p

Those of us who are not by nature overly systematic realized that we would have to exercise some discipline. On reflection, however, most of us realized that we already keep records of some kind and that, if we are careful about how we design our new system, the process should not be too painful. The ESF guidelines suggest:

SATURN = systematic, accurate, transparent, up-to-date, retrievable, neat

Mark will be coming in on Thursday to help Donna design an access database into which we can all feed our diary entries either on a daily basis or once a week. In advance of this we will need a checklist of learning needs and a set of codes which can be used to generate reports.

Bob thought it would be useful to have an acronym for recording and reporting systems which are not Saturn – it could spell Uranus! Suggestions collated at the next meeting!

Notes by George Clark 03 February 2001

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