Project Management Office (PMO)

The Project Management Office (PMO) Team:

How the PMO Works

JGI Project Managers work with users and JGI scientists and technical staff to prepare a Statement of Work (SOW) document that defines the scope of sequencing and analysis and lays out roles and responsibilities. The SOW includes the following items:

• Defined source, protocols, and timeline for the provision of DNA/RNA material, libraries, and any other resources needed to initiate the project, including required ancillary documentation (e.g., experimental data supporting genome size estimates, community resources, etc.).
• Platform and approximate quantity of JGI sequencing to address the scientific goals of the project, and timeline for the generation of this data, including responsibilities for analysis of pilot sample data to assess sequence for contamination, uniformity, and other quality control checks at the initial stages of the project. If contamination is a problem at this stage, the project may be suspended until suitable materials are available.
• Defined plan for maintaining regular communication between the JGI and collaborators through the duration of the project.
• Defined responsibilities for collaborators and the JGI after the completion of sequencing, including genome assembly, automated and/or manual annotation, and other analyses, and initial plan for experimental and/or computational studies needed to address the specific scientific aims of the project.
• The initial publication plan, including a provisional timeline and anticipated authorship. To the extent that JGI scientists contribute scientific and/or technical expertise or leadership to the project, it is expected that they will participate in the publication.
• Acknowledgment of JGI Data Release policies, and affirmation that the project will conform to applicable safety regulations, including regulations that govern organisms that are pathogenic or could potentially be used as bioweapons.

Additionally, before work can begin, users must sign a formal User Agreement that defines legal responsibilities of the JGI and the User.   Depending on the type of project, additional agreements may be needed.

Once a proposal has been approved through the review process, and the Statement of Work and User Agreement documents (if applicable) have been signed, the project may begin. Essential elements of the project are entered into JGI’s LIMS (Integrated Tracking System, or ITS) to allow staff to understand the requirements, history and status of any JGI project.  Active project management involves the following considerations:

• Designation of a Project Manager within the JGI.
• Designation of a principal collaborator or “Project Representative,” not necessarily the original applicant, who will be the JGI’s main point of contact throughout the duration of the sequencing project.
• The collaborator will provide DNA or RNA, libraries, and other materials as described in the Statement of Work. Detailed guidelines for DNA/RNA submission are available. All materials described in the project proposal must be available with the appropriate documentation and should be submitted to the JGI as specified by the Project Manager. Failure to provide materials described in the proposal in a timely fashion may lead to cancellation of the project and/or return of the proposal to the review panels.
• All source materials must pass the JGI QC process. Work will not commence on a new or resubmitted project component until the source material has passed the QC process.
• The JGI’s Project Manager will communicate with the Project Representative to confirm, in a timely manner, when the initial sample data is of appropriate quality, free of contamination, etc.
• Samples from approved projects will enter the production queue. This queue is managed primarily on a first-in/first-out basis, so it can take weeks or months for actual production to begin on a project, depending on the current workload and the length of time required to prepare and quality control representative libraries. Scheduling of the sequencing will be at the discretion of the JGI, given the overall production sequencing queue and the need to optimize available resources.

The post-sequencing analysis and publication plans must be coordinated and scheduled as specified in the Statement of Work.