The report writing begins!
We are now done most of our interviews with just a few more to go in these last two weeks of August. Thank you to anyone and everyone who has participated in a face to face interview. We have had some very helpful input from all those we have interviewed.
We have sent surveys out in the mail and have been receiving some of these surveys back. We appreciate those who have taken the time to fill the surveys out and send them back. If you have a survey that you have not yet completed or have completed and not sent back yet, please send it to us as soon as you can! We definitely want as much input into our project as possible. Thank you!
We recently had a discussion about our next steps. Once our interviews are finished and the surveys have come back in the mail we will begin analyzing the data. Some of the things we are looking to find is an overall feel of whether people would use the centre or not, what sort of demographics would be more apt to use the centre and what sort of things the centre should do. Then will come the writing of the report followed by many changes and edits. The end goal is to get the report published in an academic journal. Owen Roberts will be doing a lot of the editing and writing for the final report and working on the submission end of it.
Thanks once again to all of those who have helped us by participating in the survey!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Return from Ottawa
Well now that the long weekend is past us, we can finally get back to work. This week we have dedicated to southwestern Ontario organizations and can't wait to meet with them and get there feedback on our study.
Just to update our loyal followers on our Ottawa trip, which took place last week, everything went very smoothly and the feedback was great. As a last second decision, Nicole decided to stay back in Guelph to continue scheduling meetings, answering phone calls and completing the usually day-to-day tasks that would have accumulated if we had all gone. That left Harriet and myself to make the trek up to Ottawa, which we did on Monday afternoon. Our meetings began bright and early on Tuesday morning as we meet with the CFBMC, L'Union Cultivateurs des Franco-Ontariens, the Canadian Seed Growers Association and finally the CFIA. All meetings ran smoothly and we would like to thank all of those who participated in those meetings for their input as well as their kindness.
Wednesday saw us meet with the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency, the Food Processors of Canada, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, and last but not least, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Once again we were very pleased to meet with all these organizations and appreciated their time, input and friendliness.
Finally, on Thursday morning, we woke up early, checked out of our hotel and made our way over to SeCan in Kanata. From there we started our journey home, making a planned stop in Peterborough to the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education. Here we talked with a Todd Barr about the structure and workings of the Trent Centre and saw how we could use similar methods as a template for a possible business structure for our centre. He was extremely informative and we would like to thank him for his time and hospitality.
Overall it was a great trip, with lots of positive feedback as well as constructive input. If there is anyone in the Ottawa region or more broadly put, in either the north and/or eastern Ontario that we missed or has not been contacted and would like to participate in this study, please email acecstudy@uoguelph.ca or call 519-824-4120 ext. 52667. Thanks again to all.
Just to update our loyal followers on our Ottawa trip, which took place last week, everything went very smoothly and the feedback was great. As a last second decision, Nicole decided to stay back in Guelph to continue scheduling meetings, answering phone calls and completing the usually day-to-day tasks that would have accumulated if we had all gone. That left Harriet and myself to make the trek up to Ottawa, which we did on Monday afternoon. Our meetings began bright and early on Tuesday morning as we meet with the CFBMC, L'Union Cultivateurs des Franco-Ontariens, the Canadian Seed Growers Association and finally the CFIA. All meetings ran smoothly and we would like to thank all of those who participated in those meetings for their input as well as their kindness.
Wednesday saw us meet with the Canadian Pork Council, the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency, the Food Processors of Canada, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, and last but not least, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Once again we were very pleased to meet with all these organizations and appreciated their time, input and friendliness.
Finally, on Thursday morning, we woke up early, checked out of our hotel and made our way over to SeCan in Kanata. From there we started our journey home, making a planned stop in Peterborough to the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education. Here we talked with a Todd Barr about the structure and workings of the Trent Centre and saw how we could use similar methods as a template for a possible business structure for our centre. He was extremely informative and we would like to thank him for his time and hospitality.
Overall it was a great trip, with lots of positive feedback as well as constructive input. If there is anyone in the Ottawa region or more broadly put, in either the north and/or eastern Ontario that we missed or has not been contacted and would like to participate in this study, please email acecstudy@uoguelph.ca or call 519-824-4120 ext. 52667. Thanks again to all.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Interviews in Ottawa next week
Two weeks have passed and our interviews have been going very well! We have interviewed close to 50 organizations already and everyone has given us a lot of valuable feedback regarding the centre's concept. The organizations we have interviewed so far have spanned across Southern Ontario, with the majority of them being in the Guelph area. If the centre is deemed to be feasible at the end of our study, we will definitely be able to use a lot of everyone's comments to improve on our existing ideas. A very big thank you to those who have participated in our study thus far!
As the title says, we will be moving over to Ottawa next week. We have several interviews lined up in and around Ottawa already and plan to leave for Ottawa on Monday afternoon, returning on Thursday evening. We are very excited about speaking with the representatives in Ottawa-- if you are in the Ottawa area and can schedule a phone or in-person interview with us between July 31st - August 2nd, please e-mail us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca or call us at 519-824-4120, ext. 52667. Feel free to contact us for an interview or for more information even if you aren't in Ottawa or aren't available next week. Alternate arrangements can be made.
We are hoping to wrap up our interviews by the end of August and we will be working on a final report and business plan from September to December. Let us know if you are interested in getting a copy of the results of our study. If you have any other questions or concerns, you may also contact project co-ordinators Owen Roberts (owen@uoguelph.ca) or Lilian Schaer (lilian@uoguelph.ca).
We look forward to hearing from you!
As the title says, we will be moving over to Ottawa next week. We have several interviews lined up in and around Ottawa already and plan to leave for Ottawa on Monday afternoon, returning on Thursday evening. We are very excited about speaking with the representatives in Ottawa-- if you are in the Ottawa area and can schedule a phone or in-person interview with us between July 31st - August 2nd, please e-mail us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca or call us at 519-824-4120, ext. 52667. Feel free to contact us for an interview or for more information even if you aren't in Ottawa or aren't available next week. Alternate arrangements can be made.
We are hoping to wrap up our interviews by the end of August and we will be working on a final report and business plan from September to December. Let us know if you are interested in getting a copy of the results of our study. If you have any other questions or concerns, you may also contact project co-ordinators Owen Roberts (owen@uoguelph.ca) or Lilian Schaer (lilian@uoguelph.ca).
We look forward to hearing from you!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sector Survey Launched
Well the day has finally come. After months of "blood, sweat and tears" our surveys arrived yesterday. Nicole, Harriet and myself couldn't contain our excitement as we tore open the box to get a first glimpse at what has been in the works for a couple of months now. We were very impressed with the outcome and the great job Moffitt Print Craft Limited did.
So bright and early this morning, at 8:30am, we had our first official sector interview. The process had begun. After months of creating the feasibility questionnaire and approximately a week of contacting individuals from various organizations and scheduling interviews, we have experienced the first results from our hard work.
We are continuing to schedule and conduct interviews over the coming months and ask that if you are interested in having a questionnaire mailed to you that you email us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca or call us at (519) 824-4120 ext. 52667.
So bright and early this morning, at 8:30am, we had our first official sector interview. The process had begun. After months of creating the feasibility questionnaire and approximately a week of contacting individuals from various organizations and scheduling interviews, we have experienced the first results from our hard work.
We are continuing to schedule and conduct interviews over the coming months and ask that if you are interested in having a questionnaire mailed to you that you email us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca or call us at (519) 824-4120 ext. 52667.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Student Survey launched!
We have some very exciting news, the student survey has officially been launched! Students within the OAC (Ontario Agricultural College) at the University of Guelph have been some of our first respondents and we appreciate their responses. We are working to get other individual colleges as well as the Central Students Association to send the survey link out. In the meantime, if you are a University of Guelph student, please email acestudy@uoguelph.ca for the link and give us your opinions on an agricultural communications education centre. Thank you in advance!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Read our story in the Farm Journalist!
Read about our study in the May 2007 Edition of the CFWF's Farm Journalist! Go to http://www.cfwf.ca and click on the e-newsletter in the top right.
If you would like to make sure you will be contacted for the survey, email us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca.
If you would like to make sure you will be contacted for the survey, email us at acestudy@uoguelph.ca.
Monday, June 11, 2007
A Feasibility Study…
Up to this point all of our mini-reports have been geared toward explaining concepts such as social communication, service-learning and extension. All of these are beneficial to the understanding of concepts the proposed centre may incorporate, but we have yet to define one very important aspect of our study. What is a feasibility study? For simplicity sake, a breakdown of this concept into three areas will be performed with those areas being: What is a feasibility study, what are the components of a feasibility study and finally, how to write a feasibility study report.
What is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study is an important component of the project/business development process, assisting in the evaluation of new business ventures. A feasibility study is mainly used to assess the economic viability of a proposed business, allowing planners to determine whether the project idea is realistic and if the benefits of the project outweigh the costs. One important aspect to consider when conducting a feasibility study is the people involved. It is important to involve independent researchers or consultants of the organization in order to ensure that results are unbiased.
What are the Components of a Feasibility Study?
Feasibility studies include many components. Whenever a feasibility study is conducted the researchers must examine four major areas of feasibility including market, technical, financial and organizational or managerial feasibility. Market feasibility examines the demand for the product in the marketplace. Technical feasibility looks at the both the physical space and equipment required to produce the product. Financial feasibility is one of the most important aspects of the study and must be examined carefully. Every potential cost and benefit must be analyzed to ensure that the project can be profitable on a long-term basis. Organizational or managerial feasibility determines the structure of the project and where people fit within it. These components are crucial to the study and must be analyzed thoroughly to ensure the results are accurate.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/AGDM/wholefarm/html/c5-66.html
How to Write a Feasibility Study Report
One important aspect of a feasibility study is to be able to write a report at the end detailing your results and recommendations. Many people get caught up in believing that the report is the most important aspect of the project believing that a large report means a large effort. However the process is actually just as important as the final report when conducting the feasibility study and the size of the report is irrelevant as long as you get across the points in a clear and concise manner.
Seven key areas of focus on writing the report include: appearance (looks professional), table of contents (makes it easier to locate sections of information), an executive summary (provides a synopsis of the report that allows readers to gain an understanding prior to reading the report), sections (break information into sections for easier reading), quotations (adds credibility), other supporting elements (visuals such as charts, graphs and tables) and finally, appendices (provides an area for additional information to be read). These areas of a report help the readers by providing a clearer, more appealing and professional structure of the information.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=M-4tQQ_U4wsC&pg=PA55&ots=Z_8I2lYGdF&dq=feasibility+study+-+writing+a+report+is+important&sig=GCQjCL6MlXZEeGtSRGRCpZ_YKm4#PPA55,M1
What is a Feasibility Study?
A feasibility study is an important component of the project/business development process, assisting in the evaluation of new business ventures. A feasibility study is mainly used to assess the economic viability of a proposed business, allowing planners to determine whether the project idea is realistic and if the benefits of the project outweigh the costs. One important aspect to consider when conducting a feasibility study is the people involved. It is important to involve independent researchers or consultants of the organization in order to ensure that results are unbiased.
What are the Components of a Feasibility Study?
Feasibility studies include many components. Whenever a feasibility study is conducted the researchers must examine four major areas of feasibility including market, technical, financial and organizational or managerial feasibility. Market feasibility examines the demand for the product in the marketplace. Technical feasibility looks at the both the physical space and equipment required to produce the product. Financial feasibility is one of the most important aspects of the study and must be examined carefully. Every potential cost and benefit must be analyzed to ensure that the project can be profitable on a long-term basis. Organizational or managerial feasibility determines the structure of the project and where people fit within it. These components are crucial to the study and must be analyzed thoroughly to ensure the results are accurate.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/AGDM/wholefarm/html/c5-66.html
How to Write a Feasibility Study Report
One important aspect of a feasibility study is to be able to write a report at the end detailing your results and recommendations. Many people get caught up in believing that the report is the most important aspect of the project believing that a large report means a large effort. However the process is actually just as important as the final report when conducting the feasibility study and the size of the report is irrelevant as long as you get across the points in a clear and concise manner.
Seven key areas of focus on writing the report include: appearance (looks professional), table of contents (makes it easier to locate sections of information), an executive summary (provides a synopsis of the report that allows readers to gain an understanding prior to reading the report), sections (break information into sections for easier reading), quotations (adds credibility), other supporting elements (visuals such as charts, graphs and tables) and finally, appendices (provides an area for additional information to be read). These areas of a report help the readers by providing a clearer, more appealing and professional structure of the information.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=M-4tQQ_U4wsC&pg=PA55&ots=Z_8I2lYGdF&dq=feasibility+study+-+writing+a+report+is+important&sig=GCQjCL6MlXZEeGtSRGRCpZ_YKm4#PPA55,M1
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