{"id":77644,"date":"2023-01-09T10:05:06","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T16:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/?p=77644"},"modified":"2026-03-13T13:42:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T18:42:15","slug":"gap-series-every-day-different","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/es\/gap-series-every-day-different\/","title":{"rendered":"Group Project Administrator Series: Every Day Is Different"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Typical Day as a Group Project Administrator<\/h2>\n

What I like about being a project administrator is that every day is different.<\/p>\n

We are lucky that our North of Ireland project<\/a> is one of the larger groups, and that means there is always lots to do. Sometimes I am answering an enquiry from someone wondering how to join, and sometimes it is a query from someone wanting to know which test is best for them. Then on other occasions, people want advice on interpreting results or on how to upload results to FamilyTreeDNA from another company.<\/p>\n

Then there is also the fact that Irish records can take a bit of getting used to, so people constantly have questions about where to find the record they need to prove a connection. Others ask for help with adding trees to their account, doing the linking required to use the Family Matching tool, and learning how to use \u2018Matches Maps.\u2019 Often, we use Zoom to show people how to do these on an individual basis. We also get requests asking if we will manage people\u2019s accounts after they die using the FamilyTreeDNA beneficiary request form, and of course, we always agree!<\/p>\n

All that is before I even mention our successful Ballycarry<\/a> and Islandmagee<\/a> projects. With these, we have carried out fundraising to purchase DNA tests for people who live in a specific geographical area, have little to no interest in family history, and\/or wouldn\u2019t otherwise test. Finding and approving new testers and then effectively managing their results also takes its toll on my waking hours and adds a whole new dimension to DNA research.<\/p>\n

With testers picked to represent the families who lived in this area in the 1700s and 1800s, we have been able to push the boundaries of genealogical knowledge by finding and providing connections between people who are long forgotten and connecting people right around the world. Whilst the majority of discoveries have been made by effectively using the Family Finder<\/a> test (the Chromosome Browser<\/a> and Family Matching are particularly useful), we are now expanding into more Y-DNA<\/a> and mtDNA<\/a> testing to prove more links and to get a better picture of how everyone is connected.<\/p>\n

When I\u2019m not busy doing all of this, I am trying to organise more talks and educational DNA classes. I have found that in order to maintain interest in DNA and keep our project growing, people need to keep getting good matches. To maintain the number of matches coming in, it is important that we continue to recruit new testers.<\/p>\n

I have been doing this in a number of unique ways. As well as speaking to a number of local community groups, libraries, and organisations (in person and on Zoom), and I have been working with housing associations to provide genealogical and DNA training for a number of groups. We also attend local fairs and events and hope to do more of that as more opportunities arise in 2023. Thanks to FamilyTreeDNA, we always have a good supply of kits available, so we can take them with us to events and encourage people to test there and then. Our other plan is to use the media more effectively to promote DNA testing and get coverage about what we are doing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Team Effort<\/h2>\n

Thankfully, I am not doing all of the above alone. I have a very capable and dedicated group of fellow administrators who help me with many of the things we need to do to run an effective project. The only way to make sure things don\u2019t become too much is to split the duties as best we can. Here are some of the people who are currently helping to lighten my load most considerably:<\/p>\n