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Web Development and Coding Issues Discussion

Background:

As P2Rx has grown and evolved, development of website features, databases, integration, and code development has become increasingly ambitious and complex. A "web" group has been established to coordinate and work cooperatively to develop code, communicate on code development efforts, and/or coordinate the development of database and site architectures. The P2Rx centers are implementing cooperative agreement scopes of work that includes projects (content sharing) that are requiring extensive coding and recoding and an iterative process of site development. Simultaneously as difficulties are encountered in one project area requiring a greater investment of resources, additional resources are invested in scoping expansion and potential enhancement of database development and site function in another project area. Concerns have been expressed that Center Directors/Admin Group should have more control over the work agenda of the web group so that resources and efforts are focused on the highest priority areas, and resources are appropriately allocated to achieve grant commitments and agreed upon objectives.

Discussion:

• Are uncertainties surrounding how project objectives will be achieved adequately communicated?
  
• Should we improve our estimation of resources required for site development efforts and assessment of resources expended?
  
• Are the web group efforts managed so that resources and efforts are focused on areas identified and agreed upon by the admin group as priorities?
  
• What are the highest priority P2Rx project tasks?
  
• Is the admin group alerted to problem areas occurring with web development and the P2Rx functionality and center resource implications when these occur?
  
• What is the process for the web group to propose activities and receive admin group direction or approval for their work? Is it working effectively?
  
• Is P2Rx as an organization able to maintain increasingly complex site architecture and coding? Do we have adequate documentation of coding, a guide, or a manual? Are we overly dependant on individuals?
  
• Should a specific project deliverable be to establish consistent national base code and debug the system?
  
• Where do we strike the balance between how the site might be enhanced and what is technically possible to be improved versus having a quality stable and functioning product?
  

P2Rx Web Group Suggestions

1. All content sharing coding should be identical throughout network center web sites to ensure:

• Consistency (when a content sharing problem arises, only one problem has to be solved, instead of eight);
  
• The most efficient manner in which the exchange of data can be achieved;
  
• That all center webmasters be knowledgeable about the entire content sharing programming;
  
• The promotion of a tool that is easily manageable and maintainable.

2. Begin a detailed evaluation of the problems/deficiencies associated with the web projects.

• Based on evaluation, identify the root cause of each problem/deficiency.
  
• Once the root cause has been identified for each problem/deficiency, resolve the problem/deficiency individually. (Diverting resources to solve a multitude of problems will only dilute and fragment our focus and prolong the repair process.)

3. For future reference, a manual for each web project implemented should be developed to guide future users/programmers/administrators in using the tools (guide should be written in layman's terms).

4. Improvements, changes, or suggestions regarding web projects must be passed through the admin group. In addition, similar errors experienced by various centers must be brought to the attention of the admin group.

5. For future coding projects, an experienced contractor/consultant should be hired to plan and develop, with the guidance of the web group, the coding for each specific project.

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