Time to knuckle down.

After our final trip to Alaska yesterday, it is time to bid her adieu. The in-situ data collection and verification was fun (yet challenging) but now it is time to knuckle down and start with the project compilation.

The first task at hand is compiling the final data set of Alaska. This will be done by first removing redundancies within the excel dataset and the dataset collected via Epi-collect +. The second step will be to merge the excel spread sheet with the .csv shapefile of last year so as to be able to work with it in QGIS. Once this is done, let the analysis and modelling commence.

Whilst the final data set is being produced, we decided to delegate wok within the group to ensure efficiency and effectiveness:

* One group member will be in charge of creating the final maps for the project. These maps will portray possible optimal communal recycling locations, footpaths, roads and dwellings within the community.

* 2 group members will begin coding the data sets for the spatial database needed within the project. A spatial database is necessary in order to link it to the web-mapping app. The database we plan to create will have information pertaining to the community dwelling addresses as well as information about volunteers within the community. The volunteer data will be "dummy data" seeing as no volunteers exist yet.

* One group member will begin the web-mapping application coding. The app must be aesthetically pleasing, easy to use and successfully linked to the spatial database.

Lessons learnt thus far are:

1) Delegate work within your group. You will never get everything done on time if you want to perform all tasks together. Delegate the work so that it links with the group member's skills and abilities. Also, be sure to delegate the work optimally meaning don't give one group member everything to do whilst the others having nothing.

2) Communicate concisely and write the final agreements down. Your project idea is inevitably going to morph and evolve as you go along. Be sure to write these changes down and take special note of the final outcomes you come to. This will reduce a lot of confusion and help with creating a solid and agreed upon final goal in the end.

3) Take feedback seriously. Don't be stubborn and believe that your idea is the only way of going about things. Feedback will allow you to edit and re-vamp your idea into (probably) a much better, more effective one.

Yours sincerely

The Alaskan Assimilators