Process

Over the years we have developed a process that works well for both us and our collaborators. Of course, the process doesn’t go exactly like this every time. While we try to keep to this structure as much as possible, we can be flexible to meet your needs.

Step 1: It starts with a conversation!

Reach out to our directors via the “Contact Us” page. We will set up a time to talk about your proposed project and timeline. The earlier you reach out to us, the better! It’s never too early to start a conversation.

After this conversation, CHCR directors will determine if the project aligns with our center’s mission. If so, we are ready for step 2!

Note: If you’ve already received funding for your study, we will determine if we have the capacity to work within your schedule and budget.

Step 2: Budget, grant submission, and award

We will collaborate with you to provide a budget and personnel justification for your grant application. CHCR will also  help provide any information you may need for resubmissions.

After you receive your funding award, we will refine the scope and budget with you and your financial team. We will take into account any changes in the original budget.

We will then connect you with the project management team to develop a timeline and project scope. Our finance teams will connect to set up a project grant number and short code to apply funds.

Step 3: Kick-off, design, and prototyping

Our project kick-off is the first few weeks of project development. During this time, we work with you to gather as much information as we can to start our development process. We plan and facilitate a series of kick-off and study design meetings.

We will work though questions such as:

  • What are the key critical features?
  • How will the intervention be presented to participants?
  • What will the overall design be like?
  • What is the end-to-end user experience?
  • What is the study flow?
  • What data needs to be collected?

The goal of the kickoff is to have a strong direction for the project and map out the timeline for deliverables.

Step 4: Development and testing

After the kick-off, we will set up weekly meetings for our team to ask questions, report progress, and gather feedback. Full team development can take between 3 and 9 months and cross fiscal years, depending on the scope or complexity of the project.

As much as possible we try to include several phases of usability testing throughout the development process. To do this we recruit potential users to give their feedback on different areas of the intervention.

We test different sections as they are built. We have as many people as possible testing the site to find bugs and issues. We encourage your team to join in the testing process!

Step 5: Study launch, maintenance, and close out

After our development phase is over, we are ready to support your study launch! We make sure you have everything you need to successfully conduct the study.

We keep a project manager and software engineer in the budget at a low percentage for maintenance. This is to fix minor bugs or technology issues that may arise during your study. Our team will also maintain the technical infrastructure for the duration of your study.

The study data will be archived and securely transferred to you for your data analysis. Your study content, code, and data will be archived and given to you for future use. We can assist in dissemination of your project by converting it from a private intervention to a publicly accessible site.