PROFESSIONAL EXAMPLE
In 2006, faculty at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln College of Education and Human Science (CEHS) wanted to convert a former office suite into a museum-quality textile storage facility. CEHS owns a teaching collection of antique and ethnographic textiles and clothing that had currently been stored in a former janitorial closet in cardboard boxes. Before the project could begin, the following external EEFs needed to be researched and considered: costs of construction, supplies needed, museum standards for storing textiles, HVAC and humidity requirements, condition of the actual building and roof, fire codes, and cultural issues regarding proper storage of ethnographic items.
The internal EEFs needing consideration was: staff availability to supervise and work on the project, and software available to design storage space, as well as to catalog the items once relocated. Because the space was in a building full of classrooms and offices, noisy construction needed to be scheduled carefully to avoid disruption.
After researching and documenting the external and internal EEFs, the project management team realized that the project would be more expensive than initially thought and would require hiring temporary help. With the information gathered and documented, the team wrote a grant. They included all the documentation gathered about internal and external EEFs. They received the funding, which included funds to pay two graduate students to fill in the labor gap. The construction project took place over the summer of 2006. When completed, the new facility provided state-of-the-art storage that not only met the needs of students and faculty, as well as followed professional standards and environmental codes.