05.03 Art Commission Work Schedule
Art Commission Schedule Guidelines
- Start by understanding the client’s or commissioning agency’s needs and expectations. This includes the scope of the project, the desired budget, and the deadline. It is also important to discuss any specific requirements they may have.
- Once you have a good understanding of the project, you can begin to develop a schedule. This should include a breakdown of all the major tasks involved in the project, as well as the estimated time required for each task. Be sure to factor in some buffer time for unexpected delays.
- Be realistic about your own capabilities and limitations. Don’t over commit yourself and risk falling behind on schedule. It is better to set realistic deadlines and deliver high-quality work than to rush and produce substandard work.
- Communicate regularly with the client or commissioning agency. Keep them updated on your progress and let them know if there are any changes to the schedule. If you are running behind on schedule, be honest and explain why.
- Be flexible and adaptable. Things don’t always go according to plan, so it is important to be able to adjust your schedule as needed.
Fact, Opinions, Guesses
The following framework of Facts, Opinions, and Guesses is a good way build in a safety factor into project estimates you use for planning and bidding jobs. Artists and Designers often get excited about new projects and are eager to get started. If this enthusiasm prevents one from objectively estimating and accounting for the resources required to complete a project, including time, money, materials, expertise, and equipment, it can be a costly mistake. Most things inevitably take longer than initially expected. Although sometimes projects finish early and under budget that is generally the exception to the rule.
Facts
Time & Cost for Facts = Estimate X 1.5
Facts represent things that you have previously done and are knowledgeable about how long they took and cost. You have a previous time log or after project budget of a previous time you used the technique or material. Facts are distinguished from opinions because you have empirical data and experience to justify your estimate. When estimating a new project based on a “Fact” multiply the time you think it will take and how much it will cost by 1.5. This will give a slight buffer for contingencies.
Opinions
Time & Cost for Opinions = Estimate X 2
Opinions represent things that you have not previously done and are not completely knowledgeable about how long they will take to complete and cost. The new process is not completely unknown to you since you have completed different but related work so you can form an educated opinion about how long the proposed project will take and how much it will cost. When estimating a new project based on a “Opinion” multiply the time you think it will take and how much it will cost by 2. This will give a reasonably sized buffer for the inevitable contingencies that you know will happen when trying something relatively new.
Guesses
Time & Cost for Guesses = Estimate X 3
Guesses represent things that you have not previously done and are not knowledgeable at all about how long they will take to complete and cost. The new process is completely unknown to you since you have no experience with it and must learn a new, process, material or tool that you do not have relevant related experience. Before even making an estimate you will likely need to do research and potentially small test projects to get enough information to make a guess estimate When estimating a new project based on a “Guess” multiply the time you think it will take and how much it will cost by 3. This will hopefully give a big enough buffer for the inevitable contingencies that you know will happen and for the problem you do not know will happen when trying something completely new.