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Local BMD Projects

Roles and Responsibilities

Introduction

This document sets out the several roles involved in the running of a Local BMD project. There is no single standard structure for these projects. The structure will depend upon a variety of factors such as the number of Register Offices involved, the number of family history societies involved and the numbers and skills of volunteers available. There are also functional differences such as whether the indexes are to be made on-site at the register office working from original registers or from scanned/photographed image of the existing index books.

These notes, therefore, set out a possible model for roles and responsibilities rather than a definitive one. Some roles may be combined under a single individual while others may be split between two or more. For example, the Project Manager may also act as a Team Leader and/or a Data Manager or the Data manager may become involved in aspects of basic data checking. These notes should therefore serve as a guide to the tasks to be done and the roles to be fulfilled rather than a structure to be imposed rigidly.

Local BMD Manager

All Local BMD projects will report to a single Local BMD Manager (currently Ian Hartas) whose responsibilities include:

  • Ownership of the Local BMD 'Brand'
  • Design and support of the Local BMD software platform
  • Responsibility for 'look-and-feel' of the Local BMD sites
  • National promotion of the Local BMD sites
  • Development and management of links into local authority payment systems

Area Project Manager

Each Local BMD project will be managed by a single Area Project Manager. The Area Project Manager will report directly to the Local BMD Manager and will be responsible for:

  • Negotiation with Register Office managers
  • Project initiation and overall management
  • Recruitment of volunteers
  • Management of the relationship with Register Office managers
  • Promotion of the Local BMD site within his/her county
  • Recruitment and management of Team Leaders

Team Leader

Each Local BMD project will employ one or more Team Leaders. Team Leaders will report directly to the Area Project Manager. A Team Leader will be responsible for indexing at a single Register Office and in a large office it is possible that separate Team Leaders might be individually assigned to the indexing of Births, Marriages or Deaths. Team Leaders will be responsible for:

  • Recruitment of Site and Home Volunteers
  • Scanning/filming of index books
  • Allocation of work to volunteers
  • Management of the volunteer relationship
  • Receipt of completed work from volunteers
  • Recording of progress
  • Management of the day-to-day relationship with Register Office managers

Data Manager

Each Local BMD project will employ a Data Manager. The Data Manager will report to the Area Project Manager. The Data Manager will be responsible for:

  • Receipt of completed and checked work from volunteers
  • Production of pre-processed files for up-loading to the site
  • Up-loading of completed work to the site
  • Maintenance of the 'common' web pages, in particular coverage
  • Issue of announcements of new additions
  • Management of web space requirements

Site Volunteer

Each Local BMD project will employ one or more Site Volunteers. Site Volunteers will work at their local Register Offices and report to a Team Leader. The responsibilities of Site Volunteers will include:

  • Direct entry of index data from original registers to spreadsheet or database
  • The checking and correction of data entered by Home Volunteers

Home Volunteers

Each Local BMD project may employ one or more Home Volunteers. Home Volunteers will, as the title suggests, work from home indexing material (generally) sent to them electronically. Home Volunteers will report to a Team Leader. The responsibilities of Home Volunteers are:

  • To enter index data from documents provided into a spreadsheet or database
  • To return completed indexes to the Team Leader
  • The keep the Team Leader apprised of progress