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leeannmerrill
Community Member

Reality check on job I'm bidding on

Hi all - I'm talking with a potential client on a job that would have me writing a (quoting from job descr.) "training document will allow our firm to provide certification and licensing to our staff and clients" on stormwater discharge requirements for construction projects and "outcome should result in a document that can be used to satisfy the requirements of an approximately 15 hour training course" - so the curriculum and material for a 15-hour training (and he also said he thought this would be 50-60 pages of material). This requires specific expertise, which I have. I thought realistically about how long this would take (considering but not fully utilizing the principle that you should double the time you think it will take). I gave an estimate of 120-150 hours and he came back saying they thought it would be 1/4 of that - so 40 hours.  Does anyone have any sense of whether either of us is being outlandish? 🙂

14 REPLIES 14
leeannmerrill
Community Member

Just to suppement - deadline was set at Nov. 15 and client had also asked as supplemental question how many hours per week freelancers were available - making it sound as if they expected a signficant time commitment.

martina_plaschka
Community Member


Lee Ann M wrote:

Hi all - I'm talking with a potential client on a job that would have me writing a (quoting from job descr.) "training document will allow our firm to provide certification and licensing to our staff and clients" on stormwater discharge requirements for construction projects and "outcome should result in a document that can be used to satisfy the requirements of an approximately 15 hour training course" - so the curriculum and material for a 15-hour training (and he also said he thought this would be 50-60 pages of material). This requires specific expertise, which I have. I thought realistically about how long this would take (considering but not fully utilizing the principle that you should double the time you think it will take). I gave an estimate of 120-150 hours and he came back saying they thought it would be 1/4 of that - so 40 hours.  Does anyone have any sense of whether either of us is being outlandish? 🙂


You are the professional telling the client how much time the task will take. If the client disagrees, hard pass. 

Sounds accurate and concise!

tlbp
Community Member

I just completed 11k words of researched content and it took me 100+ hours. 

gilbert-phyllis
Community Member

I don't have formal experience or credentials with training course development but my gut tells me you are in the right ballpark. I took at quick gander around and found quite a few resources including the following, which could be helpful in getting a client to understand or at least accept the scope of what they require:

 

http://www.chapmanalliance.com/howlong/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/instructional-design-development-ratios-how-long-does-diane-valenti/

https://www.td.org/insights/how-long-does-it-take-to-develop-one-hour-of-training-updated-for-2017

 

It sounds like you  bring the subject matter expertise and the curriculum development, which is a lot of value.

I would be wary of trying to bring a client who is that far off the mark around. They may eventually accept reality but I wouldn't want to be the first freelancer they work with after they have to triple their budget. 

Thank you so much everyone!


Tonya P wrote:

I would be wary of trying to bring a client who is that far off the mark around. They may eventually accept reality but I wouldn't want to be the first freelancer they work with after they have to triple their budget. 


True dat. 

Thank you for this Phyllis!

Oh  - forgot - I am not really getting the ratios related to time required that I think at least the first two sources refer to - i.e. the 22:1 for low-range, 43:1 for average, etc.

oops never mind, I found it!


Lee Ann M wrote:

Oh  - forgot - I am not really getting the ratios related to time required that I think at least the first two sources refer to - i.e. the 22:1 for low-range, 43:1 for average, etc.


I just glanced at them. I believe they all pertain to creating course material in consultation with SMEs. If you are the SME, then you could probably knock some time off their estimates. How much, I don't know. I just like having some kind of departure point when I'm scoping something new. The more pins in the ground I start with, the more comfortable and confident I am sticking w/ my estimate because I can offer the client a basis for my quote, so they can't get away with thinking I just pulled it out of my A: drive.

 

Thanks Phyllis!

FWIW, my experience in writing curriculum was that it generally took 5-7 hours of work per hour of class time. But, that was in a context that required zero research.

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