STEP Project Plan

TEAM 1  STEP School Technology & E-Learning Providers

Prairie School Technology Project IFSM 438: Project Management Project Deliverable #3Project Plan 03/08/2011

Engin Gursoy Gregory Allen Boyd Joel Burns Joseph Harris-Gantt Mervyn Ortiz

Project Manager Documentation Manager Infrastructure& ImplementationManager Procurement & Resource Manager Communications Manager

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PRAIRIE SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY PROJECT

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Prairie Elementary School has expressed its needs f or a school wide computer networked information system and other technological needsand has nominated ³School Technology & E-Learning Providers-STEP´ project project team to analyze, develop and implement implement such system. The STEP project team¶s team¶s acceptance and involvement will deliver those technological opportunities to the recipients of Prairie Elementary School. The project plan will give a comprehensive overview of the project and delineate those elements crucial in the development and execution of delivery. Those elements described within are the problem statement, background, scope, objectives, constraints, and assumptions which will help define the reason, goals, equipment used, and internal and ex ternal factors that may affect the project¶s progress. Also, the plan will describe the project team¶s management approach, incl uding the team¶s operating budget and the project schedule in which it will follow. follow. With every project plan there is potential for changes to t ake place as they are discovered in developing a project, big or small. The process in which change will be addressed, accepted and implemented will be found in the change management section of this plan. Upon nearing completion of the project, the final phases described within the project plan will include the testing and eventual deployment phase of of the networked information system. system. If project testing and deployment phases go without rework, then it will be anticipated what follows next is the transitional ownership of project deliverables and maintenance m aintenance expectations. Once the school administration accepts full responsibility of its newly implemented networked information system, STEP will transition its control over the system to the school¶s technology coordinator who will become the sole steward in maintenance, operation, and life cycle continuity of the integrated network information system. Inclusive to this transition is the knowledge that the school will manage its own integrated student management system which is provided and centrally centrally managed by the school district. The school district uses two commercial off the shelf shelf products from Blackboard, Inc. These two programs, ³Blackboard ³Blackboard Learn´ and ³Blackboard Connect´, will allow Prairie Elementary Elementary School to manage its student information, lessons¶ plans, parent reviews, grading, and its financial and administrative functions as required by the district. In summary, the project plan specifiesthose elements that will give the stakeholders an overview of how the STEP projectteam plans to develop, implement, and deliver Prairie Elementary School¶s networked information system and how the school will manage and maintain its new system once STEP retires its services.










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Table of Contents I.

Problem Statement .......................................................................................................................... 1

II.

Project Background ......................... ........................... ......................... ............................ ................. 1

III.

Project Participants ........................ ........................... .......................... ............................ ................. 2

1.

Internal Stakeholders ................................................................................................................... 2 Executive Committee ....................................................................................................................... 3 Project Management Team .......................... ........................... ......................... ............................ .... 4

2.

External Stakeholders .................................................................................................................. 6 Parents ............................................................................................................................................ 6 School District ................................................... ....................... ............................ ......................... ............................ .......................... 7 Vendors ........................................................................................................................................... 7

IV. Scope .............................................................................................................................................. 7 V.

Objectives, Constraints and Assumptions................................................. ....................... .......................... ............................ ............ 9

VI. Project Management Approach ......................... .......................... ............................ ....................... 10 VII.

Project Budget............................................................................................................................ 11

VIII.

Project Schedule ......................... ........................... ......................... ............................ ............... 12

IX. Change Management ................................................. ...................... ........................... ......................... ............................ ............... 12 X.

Testing......................... ............................ ......................... ............................. ......................... ....... 13

XI. Implementation / Deployment ........................ ......................... ............................. ......................... .. 13 XII.

Maintenance .............................................................................................................................. 15

References ............................................................................................................................................ 16

Table of Figures Figure 1: Lines of Authority .......................... ......................... ............................ .......................... ............. 3 Figure 2: Project Budget ........................................................................................................................ 11 Figure 3: Estimated Schedule of Tasks ......................... .......................... ............................ ................... 12










I.

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Problem Statement

For over 25 years, the Prairie Elementary School has been relying on manual and paper laden systems to run its curriculum and administrative processes which have been time consuming in distribution, in sharing information and getting immediate results.Lagging behind in the world of technology has caused the Prairie School to fall behind in comparison to other schools of similar makeup. Students have been unable to take t ake advantage of technology in their education, and this has been a great concern for the parents. The general consensus am ong parents, teachers, and the school administration has led the Prairie School to seek out technological solutions to improve its current academic standing as well as its business processes.

II.

Project Background

The Prairie Elementary School recently received a government grant for its first technology project. With this grant, the school is now ready to look f or help to upgrade its manual processes and to take advantage of technology in classrooms, which is expected to bring about the results long sought by the school administrators, the teachers, and the parents. The Prairie Elementary School administration contacted the ³School Technology & E-Learning Providers-STEP´ to help plan and implement the school wide computer networks and other technology needs.As a starter, the STEP project team researched on similar schools¶ IT implementation experiences. According to studies conducted in different years and different settlements,computersettlements,computerbased technologies are shown to help student achievements, improve their critical thinking skills, enhance their motivation, and teach them working in collaborative environments (Kelley L., et al, 2002). In 2002, Allen et al. (2002) from the SRI International, a nonprofit research institute, prepared an extensive report for the Planning and Evaluation Service, U. S. Department of Education. In this report, Allen et al. reported on the effectiveness of the c omputer use in education with a comprehensive literature review and statistics from various studies. The authors especially focused on the discrete educational software (DES) programs which include the i ntegrated learning systems, the computer assisted/based instructions teachers used in classrooms, and the set of new software programs teaching students the subjects such as reading and m ath. The report¶s conclusion was: was: ³The associations between DES use and achievement varied along several importantdimensions. importantdimensions. Students in the early grades, from pre-K to grade 3, and in the middle schoolgrades appear to benefit most from DES applications for reading instruction, as dostudents with special reading needs. The magnitude of the effect was largest for f or studies ofreading applications that randomly assigned students to treatment and comparisongroups, comparisongroups, for studies that used researcher- or vendor-developed outcome measures of mathand reading achievement, and for evaluations of math applications conducted byindependent byi ndependent evaluators´ (Allen et al., 2002, p.78). The Prairie Elementary School currently has 200 students enrolled in five grades with 10










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

will satisfy the school¶s current technology needs. The details about the servers, Internet connections, hardware and software needs will be discussed later in this document. STEP will provide a networked information system that will allow the Prairie Elementary School to focus more on its students and giv e them the opportunityto excel and reach new levels in learning. The STEP project team will use its technical expertise to analyze, develop and implement an information management system capable of meeting the schools¶ needs and give it the similar opportunities found in other schools within the school district. With the network system provided by STEP, the school will now be able to take advantage of the district sponsored sponsored education and administrative management tools and manage its student information, lessons¶ plans, parent reviews, grading, and its financial and administrative administrative functions via the school district¶s centrally centrally managed, webbased student information system, Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Connect, from Blackboard, Inc. According to Blackboard (2011), this combined product provides the followings features for teachers, students, administrative staff, and parents: Interactive smart tools enhance learning in and beyond the classroom Real-time parent participation Proactive feedback from teachers Online professional development, centrally managed grades, integrated lesson plans, standards tools, and more.

III.

Project Participants 1. Internal Stakeholders Dr. Donna McKalip Principal / Chairperson, Executive Committee Celine Broker Administrative Administrative Staff Representative, Representative, Executive Committee Committee George Fuller Teaching Staff Representative, Executive Committee Engin Gursoy Project Manager Gregory Allen Boyd Documentation Manager Joseph Harris-Gantt Procurement & Resource Manager Mervyn Ortiz Communications Manager Joel Burns Infrastructure & Implementation Manager Mike Orwell System Administrator Dustin Miller IT Technician Brad Stone IT Technician Kim Green Web Designer Technology Coordinator (To be hired by the school administration)










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Figure 1: Lines of Authority

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee will consist of the school¶s Principal, the administrative staff representative, the teaching staff representative, and the Project Manager and will meet once each week during the project. The Project Manager will inform the committee members on the progress of the project, and the committee will work to resolve any issues that may be forwarded to them from the Project Management Management Team. The Executive Committee Committee is expected to provide a vision of the school¶s long-term goals and objectives, objectives, set priorities, and approving approving scope. They will aid in promoting the computer network and provide informational support to the project team as needed to complete the project. The Executive Committee Committee will also have the change control authority in the project and will approve/disapprove changes in scope, cost, or schedule.The Executive Committee members are expected to be available throughout the life of the project, dedicating 10 hours per week at the beginning of the project. This time will be renegotiated as the












y y y

y y

y

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

directly communicate the school¶s long-term goals and v isions to the Superintendent is the chairperson of the Executive Committee communicate the importance of the project to the faculty, parents and school boardSTEP will provide any assistance needed in communicating such importance maintain regular and visible contact with the project assist in clearing organizational obstructions to t he projects especially those of a political nature make business decisions on issues escalated by the Project Management Team and accepts deliverables on behalf of School

Administrative Staff Representative is expected to perform the following tasks for Celine Broker: Administrative the success of the project: y y y y y y

act as the voice of the administrative administrative staff in the project communicate the school¶s administration related issues issues and needs to the project team is a member of the Executive Committee embodya quality assurance team for f or the usability testing among the administrative administrative staff schedule the administrative staff time for 3-5 hours per week for each delivery phase assist the PM in the project

f ollowing ing tasks for the Fuller:Teaching Staff Representativeis expected to perform the follow success of the project:

George

y y y y y

y

act as the voice of the teaching staff in the project communicate the education related issues and needs to the project team is a member of the Executive Committee embodya quality assurance team for f or the usability testing among the teaching staff schedule the teachers¶ time for 3-5 hours per week for each deliv ery phase as negotiated by the PM team assist the PM in the project










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

The Project Manager must proactively anticipate project deviations and be responsible for taking immediate corrective corrective action. It is also her responsibility to obtain obtain an understanding of the overall system business network network integration in the school¶s environment. The Project Manager will decide on all project relevant issues and the budget based on discretionary review of the Executive Committee. She will also escalate the issues requiring a change in the scope, cost or schedule to the Executive Committee for a common decision. The responsibilities of the PM: manage the project control project scope and monitor project work plans identify and manage risks provide leadership and direction to all members of the project team provide and update project plans and deliverables approve significant changes to project planswithin the constraints specified in the project charter analyze project progress ensure deliverables are completed on schedule and are presented to t he Executive Sponsor for sign-off ensure timely issue resolution or appropriate escalation of issues report project status; provide and discuss updateswith the Executive Committee on a regular basis ensure effectiveness of the project structure and roles y y y y y y

y y

y y

y

Gregory y

y

y y

Documentation Manager Allen Boyd: Documentation facilitate the collection and analysis of requirements for reports, interfaces, forms, and implementation strategies as per the project plan support document production, publication of meeting minutes, tracking schedules, developing presentations, interview confirmations, and conf erence/meeting bookings design materials for end user training inform the PM on all issues impacting the project and project plan










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Mervyn Ortiz: Ortiz: Communications Manager ensure good communication between team members m embers within the project ensure that appropriate project management practices are observed throughout the project, including Quality Assurance reporting standards in accordance with the Communications Plan. disseminate information to project stakeholders on a schedule outlined in the Communications Plan inform the PM on all issues impacting the project and project plan y y

y

y

Administrator Mike Orwell:System Administrator supervise technical staff assigned to project ensure all testing of network is performed according to testing methodology responsible for providing technical support to the project manage the installation of the required hardware and network services ensure that all the necessary network provisions are in place f or all stages of the Project inform the PM on all issues impacting the project and project plan y y y y y y

Dustin y

Miller:IT Technician perform duties as assigned by the System Administrator

Brad Stone:IT Technician perform duties as assigned by the System Administrator y

eb Designer Kim Green: W eb design and implement school web site y

administration) Technology Coordinator (To (To be hired by the school administration) The school administration is expected to hire a technology coordinator at the beginning of the project. The project team members, Joel Burns and Mike Orwell will be ready to offer any assistance to the school¶s hiring authority regarding the technical interview process and nomination of the technology coordinator.The technology coordinator will be the key person who will be supporting the school¶s technology needs once the project retires. His/her responsibilities










S chool chool

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Dist r i ct rict

School district wants to ensure that Prairie Elementary School is brought up to speed with technology and joined the other schoolsin the district in taking advantage of the digital educational tools that are provided by the district. district. Vendor s

The vendors are the subcontractors who will be hired for their labors and also the product vendors from which the hardware, software, and equipment will be purchased. Michael Norman Computer Vendor ± ABC Computers, Inc. Chuck Stoney Electrician ± Best Electric Works, LLC. Kurt Frady Computer Desk Vendor ± CDV, LLC. Russel Harvey Air Duck & Ventilation ± CleanAir, Inc. y y y y

IV.

Scope

The Prairie School project scope will be to plan, design, and implement a networked information system for the Prairie Elementary School in order to improve the school¶s educational needs. In completing the planning, designing, implementing, and eventually t ransitioning the maintenance over to the Prairie Elementary School technology coordinator, the STEP project team will ensure project accuracy, customer service quality, and cost effectiveness. There will be ten primary steps which which will be completed to ensure a successful successful project. Additional details can be found later in this document in the Project Project Implementation area. These steps include: 1. Participating in planning meetings with with stakeholders. stakeholders. This will allow allow the the STEP project team to fully understand what is expected during the projects¶ life. 2. Designingthe network topology and the configuration. configuration. This will will allow the STEP project team to figure out the best possible way to implement network for the workstations. workstations. 3. Installing the DS3 lines, electric, electric, and network network cables by by the vendors. vendors. This will will help the STEP project team maintain a solid connection with the ISP. 4. Installing server server room ventilation. This will will allow the STEP STEP project team to ensure proper proper ventilation will be present to prevent prev ent overheating from the workstations. 5. Installing furniture which which includes lab desks and server server blade cabinets. cabinets. This will allow the










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

10. Finalizing the project and transitioning ownership ownership and maintenance m aintenance to the school¶s technology coordinator. This will be the final phase, phase, and during this phase, the STEP project team will ensure every objective has been met and that the technology coordinator can maintain the workstations and serv ers without the STEP¶s intervention. In further detail, the STEP project team will be implementing the installation of a total of 60 computers (20 computers per lab for a total of 40, i ncluding 13 teacher workstations, five administrative administrative staff workstations, one library computer, and one infirmary computer; forming an overall total of 60 computers). Additionally, there will also be a number of servers to be installed. This list includes: y y y y y y y

two DNS/DHCP servers, one application server (NetInstall) two print servers two email servers (MS Exchange) four web servers (intranet and external site) one DB Server two Domain Controllers (primary and backup) one virtual center server.

Along with these servers the t he following similar resources will be needed: A DS3 line will be installed by the ISP supporting speeds speeds up to 45 mbps which fulfills the school¶s internet two Cisco Catalyst 6500 switches for LAN connections, and two Cisco 3750G switches for server blades, and two Cisco 7600 Series Routers that support wireless connectivity. In terms of the building infrastructure, the following needs are required to be fulfilled: those rooms designated by the school to be used as the server room and the computer labs should be emptied to ensure an adequate amount of space is allocated and free of any unneeded obstruction. This will allow the STEP project team members to work effectively and efficiently. Due to the age of the building, there will be work needed to be done in i n this project for additional and sufficient electrical wiring and surgeprotected outlet installs in all rooms including labs, classrooms, server room, project team room, administration office, teacher offices, library and the nurse¶s room . The Prairie Elementary School is expected to obtain the permit from the city ordinance necessary for the electrical subcontracting. subcontracting. The project schedule is contingent of the valid permit permit to start the work. Also, the area that will be used used as the server room will need sufficient ventilation to keep the servers up and running safely. The STEP project












PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

with training the teachers and other staff on how to use the new technology so they can then show the students how to successfully use the technology. The technology coordinator will will serve as the technology liaison for the life of the project and will join the roster for the Prairie Elementary School to ensure maintenance on the system and the t he website.

V.

Objectives, Constraints and Assumptions The project objectives are: y y y

y

y

y

y

Finalizingcosts for installation labor and supplies needed to ensure project success. Effectively incorporating sixty computer workstations into Prairie Elementary School. Effectively incorporating the servers to successfully run the technology within Prairie Elementary School. Additionally, the current situation situation of electrical outlets, cabling/wiring, and ventilation will be re-designed, as needed, to allow the technological incorporations. i ncorporations. Effectively installing all software necessary to running all workstations with with a security level that meets best practices and appropriate to protect school¶s data. Following through with information and training the technology coordinator on how one should go about navigating the technology, and how one could teach others (the staff and students) of how to use the technology. Ensuring constant communication flow between the stakeholders of Prairie Elementary School and the members of the STEP project team. Assisting the Prairie Elementary School in taking advantage of the digital learning platform provided by the school district.

The key constraints and assumptions of the project are as f ollow










VI.

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Project Management Approach

The STEP project team will use a traditional project management approach when implementing the Prairie Elementary School IT project. Below are the phases of this approach and the general activities that are performed during each phase. Initiation ± During the initiation phase, the STEP project team schedules formal meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the school¶s long-term long-term needs and current state. The project team performs performs competition analysis on similar similar schools¶ computer network infrastructures. infrastructures. They review all the schools¶ schools¶ current methods for communicating, processing, processing, and storing information. information. Then, this information, along along with the pre-determined budget information, help in determining the cost of implementing a new networked information system. system. The project team takes those ideas to review with all stakeholders and support personnel proposed ideas for improving current current infrastructure. Once all sides feel they are clear on the direction and requirements the project team creates the project charter. Planning ± The first step in planning is to construct the project project scope. Based on the completed scope the Project Manager assigns roles to the project team members within STEP.The next task is to develop a communication plan for all parties involved in the project. The project team then conducts a series of of formal meetings to: Identify project deliverables and activities needed to complete those deliverables Create the work breakdown structure for each task in logical sequence Estimate the amount of resources required, and the time and cost for those resources Obtain contractor estimates Develop the schedule y y y y y










PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

They also work with him/her to administer training documentation and classes to f aculty and students on how to utilize the applications, computers, and peripherals. Then all support is turned over to the technology coordinator permanently.

VII.

Project Budget

The project will have t he following cost categories with the Rough Order-of-Magnitude (ROM) for each: Hardware Unit HP Pro All-in-One MS218 Desktop PC

Cost per Unit

Quantity

Total Cost

$589.00

60

$35,340.00

HP ProLiant BL460c G6 Server Blade

$3,289.00

12

$39,468.00

HP StorageWorks SB40c Storage Blade

$1,428.00

1

$1,428.00

Cisco Catalyst 3750G-24TS Stackable Gigabit Ethernet Switch

$5,072.00

2

$10,144.00

Cisco Catalyst 3750G-48TS Stackable Gigabit Ethernet Switch

$10,329.00

1

$10,329.00

Cisco 7604 Router

$16,770.00

1

$16,770.00

Blade Rack Chassis Units

$5,390.00

2

$10,780.00

Server Cabinets

$1,842.00

2

$3,684.00

$399.00

20

$7,980.00

Computer Desks for Labs

$135,9 23.00










VIII.

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Project Schedule

The project will take approximately six months and will have the below estimated schedule: Month1: May 2011

Conduct the Initial Planning meeting with stakeholders Conduct the Design meetings Obtain project plan approval Begin design of network topology and configuration plan Order technology assets (Computers, Printers, Servers, switches, routers) Schedule installation DS3 lines from ISP Schedule and complete electric work and server room ventilation Schedule and complete furniture installation

Month2: June 2011

Finish network topology and configuration plan Start and complete Cat 6, fiber, and network/phone port installations Start and complete router installation Start and complete Installing switches Start and complete Installing Domain Controllers Purchase software licenses Start and complete Installing Imaging Server Start installing and configuring Web, Application, Email, and DB servers Start imaging and Installing Computers(Monitor, Keyboards, Mice) Install Printers Start on the Web Design

Month3: July 2011

Continue Installing Computers(Monitor, Keyboards, Mice) Finish Installing Web, DB, Virtual Center and Imaging Servers Finish Installing and configuring Web, Application, Email, and DB servers










y

y y

03/08/2011

Re-evaluate the project plan to determine all areas affected by this change Inform all team members who are affected by the proposed change and it s artifacts and o discuss any other issues that might arise by this change. o If the proposed change results in a change in the original project plan including but not limited to the scope, the schedule, and/or the budget, and the eff ect on budget and/or schedule is greater than 10 percent, then submit a change request to the Executive Committee, which also acts as the Change Control Board, detailing the reason of the change and all affected project areas. The Executive Committee Committee is the only entity with the authority of approving or declining these propositions. If the Executive Committee initiates a change request: o Then, the committee is expected to fill out a change request form whose format will be determined at a later time. Re-evaluate the project plan to determine all areas affected by this change. o o Inform all team members who are affected by the proposed change and it s artifacts and discuss any other issues that might arise by this change Communicate the consequences of the change request back to the Executive Executive Committee o When a change request is approved, plan on how to integrate the change to the t he current implementation phase. Implement the change and do quality assurance testing on all areas affected by this change. Ensure changes are both documented and maintained after implementation. implementation. Documentation and maintenance updates/notes should be recorded in the project plan (as it is either altered with changes or examined for maintenance). o

y

PROJECT PLAN












PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

the technology coordinator in administering training documentation and classes to faculty and students on how to utilize the new software software and hardware being installed. After adequate training has been received and all contractual requirements have been met, the Executive Committee and the STEP project team will dismantle, and the support for the system will be shifted entirely to the Prairie School¶s technology coordinator. Below outlines a breakdown breakdown of how these phases will will be initiated and completed. 1.1 ± Participate in planning meetings with stakeholders 1.1.1 ± correlate schools needs with technology feasibility 1.1.2 ± finalize project plan 1.2 ± Design network topology and configuration 1.2.1 ± conduct walk-through analysis 1.2.2 ± research competition and similar design structures 1.2.3 ± finalize network topology and configuration plan 1.3 ± Vendors install DS3 lines, electric, and network cables 1.3.1 ± schedule DS3 installation with ISP










XII.

PROJECT PLAN

03/08/2011

Maintenance

The project, when completed, will have a final transition of ownership from Project Management Team to the school administration; and its technical responsibility will be handed over to its technology coordinator to oversee the needs of software/hardware updates, staff training, and operations and maintenance of the networked information information system. It is the school¶s prerogative prerogative and/or pre-arranged agreement with STEP if the project team or any part of the team is to be contracted after project completion to provide further support in coordination with the school¶s technology coordinator. This support can be but not limited to in providing any specified maintenance work and developmental progress over a term period and/or renewable and renegotiable contract. If STEP is not to provide any further service beyond project completion, then it is understood that it will be the school¶s responsibility to seek another service or contractor to provide the needed hardware and software updates, equipment repair, and further training beyond the scope of responsibility responsibility of the technology coordinator. Upon Prairie Elementary School¶s final acceptance of its newly implemented networked










PROJECT PLAN

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References Allen, J.E., Korbak, C., Means, B., Murphy, R.F., Penuel, W.R., Whaley, A. (2002). E-DESK:A review of recent evidence on the effectiveness of discrete educational software.Retrieved on March 5, 2011, from http://ww http://www.ctl.sri.co w.ctl.sri.com/publications/dow m/publications/downloads/Task3_FinalReport3.pd nloads/Task3_FinalReport3.pdf f Blackboard . (2011). Blackboard Learn & Blackboard Connect for K-12 . Retrieved on March 7, 2011, from http://www.blackboard.com/Markets/K-12/Lear http://www .blackboard.com/Markets/K-12/Learn-and-Connect.aspx n-and-Connect.aspx Bright Hub.(2009). Sample communications management matrix . Retrieved on February 21, 2011, from http://www.brighthub.com/office/projecthttp://www .brighthub.com/office/project-management/media/p/33270 management/media/p/33270.aspx .aspx Caltrans.(2003). Project communication handbook . Retrieved on February 21, 2011, from

STEP Project Plan

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