Project Description

When first learning how to outsource, we should keep in mind a lot of things when learning how to prepare an effective project description, our basic aim is ‘to produce a description which describes the project requirements, specifies the category, and describes the work required in a complete and compressive manner so that the provider has enough information to estimate a suitable amount for his bid’.

First of all you should specify a project title, the title should be compressive and should be targeted to the type of provider you are trying to hire, for example, ‘Technical Writer for Rapid Prototyping Process Applications’ and ‘C# Expert for integrated programming’. These titles clearly state who is required to complete the job. If the job you are initiating the project is for a long term you could start the title with the phrase Long Term for example, ‘Long Term – Technical Writer for Website FAQ Project’. When first learning how to outsource, try to make the description brief but attractive so that you receive maximum bids, a good job description should have the following qualities:

• It should be short approximately two to three paragraphs but should explain all the skills required to do the job.
• It should specify the payment mode, either hourly or fixed price. It is usually advised that you go for hourly payments because you can monitor your providers work and good providers prefer working on an hourly basis.
• It should have a specified due date, it is usually advised that the due date you allot to the provider should be a few days before you require the work to be completed, this can accommodate for any problems that may occur if the project is not delivered on time.
• It should be in simple and easy to understand language so that providers can read it easily.
• You may add phrases like, ‘only serious candidates should apply’ or ‘people with 500 plus hours are encouraged to apply’ etc. This will help filter the candidates.
• You are encouraged to give attachments of the kind of work required or give raw material on which work is to be performed.
• Always request work samples, they will give you an idea of the calibre of the provider and the quality of his or her previous work and help you during the interview phase.
• If you are planning to pay a fixed price, quote a price which suits the job! For instance no one will do a months work efficiently if he gets $10 for it! When first learning how to outsource, always quote an amount that is a few dollars less than that you can pay because good providers usually bid more than you quote, this will allow for a fair balance in pricing for both buyer and provider.

Some GURU Tips!

When learning how to outsource, you will find project planning is the most important factor if you want to get good quality work at the lowest possible price. Learning how to outsource properly will help you achieve the best results. Here are a few guru tips to help:

• Always plan your project well and have a complete idea in mind before writing the description.
• Your aim is to target the most efficient provider at the lowest price so you will have to work for that! i.e. ‘Attracting excellent people to interview’.
• Always keep in mind that people from developing and underdeveloped countries provide work at a much lower rate because labour rates are much less expensive there, so try to target such people with good capabilities. It is important to check the English communication level of such providers before hiring them.
• Try to offer incentives for providers, such as future work, bonuses and long term hiring etc. This will give him an incentive where he or she will put his or her best effort into your work.

Once you get a grasp on these facts, learning how to outsource well is mostly based on proper project planning and long term practice.