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The Art of Technology

The Art of Technology is made possible by generous funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

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CORE TECHNICAL SERVICESThe Art of Technology

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Topics for This Segment1. Starting from the Top: Your Strategic Plan2. A Technology Plan: What, Who, How3. Right-Sourcing Your Technology Decisions

Breakouts for Groupwork Derive a Technology Project from Your Strategic Plan Right-Source a Project with Vendors, Volunteers or Staff Assess Your Strengths & Weaknesses

Throughout This Segment Examples of Technology Projects Focus on Core Services: email, IT support, online services …

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Starting from the Top

Your Strategic Plan

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I understand my business needs. How do I evaluate my technical options?

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Strategy first. Technology follows.

Set goals & directionEnable decision-makingSet basis for accountabilityPromote growth & changeSupport fund-raisingClarify & explain visionGuide ongoing operations

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Without a Strategic Vision ….

Technology acquisitions are ad-hoc, short-term

Evaluation of options is cursory

Technology costs are unknown, unmanaged

Technical training is elusive, uneven

People get used to things “not working”

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It doesn’t have to be like this!

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Three Levels of AnalysisStrategic

Goals•Organization as a Whole•Example: Grow Audiences

Business

Needs•Activity or Division•Example: Better Marketing

Technology

Projects•Objective, Budget, Timeline•Example: Staff & Outcomes for

Social Media

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Four Viewpoints. All Essential.

Technology People Information

Process

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Your Turn! A Short Exercise Buddy up! Identify 3

strategic goals. Pick 1 that gets the

biggest boost from technology.

Say why. Link the 4 viewpoints.

Strategic Goals That Need Good Technology

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A Technology Plan

Who, What, How… and for What Purpose?

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Technology + Planning =

A roadmap

A tool for budgeting & fund-raising

A guide for management & staff

A process

A document

ExecuteEvaluate

Analyze

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Planning is Cyclical

Doing a Project

Staff & Vendors

4

ED & Leaders

1Goals &

Team

Results & Feedback

(+/-)

5

Funders & Leaders

Needs

Alternatives

Vendors

Terms

Options& Priorities

Consultants& Team

2

+ $Decisions& Funding

Funders &Leaders

3

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Think zones of business operationWhere may better technology help?

Proprietary inner zone Secure, archived Controlled access

Public outer zone 2way, multi-channel Monitored messaging

Mediating zone Planning, delivering Managed services

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Think projects & outcomesDiscrete initiatives, measured results

Quick wins, to get started Fast, cheap, doable Clear impact

Three-year view, not more Funding targets Pace of technical change

Evidence & evaluation Feasibility Knowable outcomes

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Think projects & schedulesGood sequence, manageable overlap

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Think projects & budgetsMatrix of project, years – “the ask”

Project Year1 Year2 Year3 Total

1. Standardized IT Practices

$ 11,500 $ 1,500 $ 1,500 $ 14,500

2. Shared Online Workspace

$ 50,000 $ 45,000 $ 45,000 $140,000

3. Consolidated Online Database

$ 66,500 $103,000 $ 78,000 $247,500

4. Administrative Operations

$ 0 $ 22,000 $ 6,000 $ 28,000

Total $128,000 $171,500 $130,500 $430,000

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Goal: Organizational StabilityProject: Standard IT Practices

Guidelines for privacy & professionalism

Standard computers & applications

Remote access & smartphones

Backups & archives for critical data

Shared calendars, contacts & docs

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Goal: Better CollaborationProject: Shared Online Workspace

Move files to more secure storage

Make key docs & media more accessible

Segregate public files from proprietary ones

Create staging & archiving space for website & social media

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More Information …

Offsite BackupFor critical documents (e.g.,

contracts) & databases (e.g., accounting), automated offsite backup makes sense. Articles like these can get you started: http://www.networkcomputing.com/

print_entry.php?eid=86901

http://i.cmpnet.com/custom/backup_recovery/assets/InformationWeek-Analytics-NWC-Backup-Restore.pdf

Online CollaborationThere are lots of good options.

Highlights from 2009 study by Forrester Research: http://www.centraldesktop.com/

attractive if “looking to deploy quickly and easily without IT support”

http://www.mindtouch.com/ (hosted version) “open source offering with a large and active community”

http://www.microsoft.com/online/sharepoint-online.aspx a “leader” with “integrated suite approach”

Cisco WebEx Connect and Google Enterprise rated as “contenders” worth watching.

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Right-Sourcing Your Technology Decisions

Options & Basic Steps

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How can I get the right expertise, at the right cost, to make technology work better for my organization?

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Goal: Rationalized CostsProject: Realigned Our Roles & Rates

Volunteers & Whoever Hidden costs, uncertain

reliability OK for minor, non-

critical needs

Scheduled Support Part-time consultant,

regular visits Best from small shop

supporting .orgs like you

Outsourced Services Medium-large firms,

financially stable Best for integrated

products & support

Full-Time IT Staff If just one – beware! Consider technical

manager of services & vendors

Which roles best fit your needs?

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Goal: Efficient OperationsPossible Project: Core to the Cloud

Migrate data & get trained

Identify core apps & benefitsEmail, accountingSecurity, access, cost

Compare vendorsEmail: Google, MicrosoftAccounting: Financial Force, NetSuite, Blackbaud

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Breakout Exercise

Right-Source with Vendors, Volunteers or Staff

Join up in groups of 4-6. Pick 2 technology-enabled

goals from the last breakout. Decide right-sourcing for

both. Be ready to defend! Remember: viewpoints,

zones, outcomes, schedule, budget

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Basic Steps … and More Examples

Focus on more complex projects Pick a solution and a vendor Follow four steps systematically

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Specify

Needs

Solicit Alternatives

Decide on Solution

Engage Vendor

Evaluating Technical Options

AvoidConsider

Recommend

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Goal: Engaging the CommunityPossible Project: Website Content

Select software for web content managementOpen Source: Joomla!, Drupal, WordpressCommercial: Convio, Alfresco

Identify staffing plan – who does ongoing updates?

Consider implementing CMS with website redesign

Plan for the transition!

WebsiteBlog

Comment

Forum Page

Poll

Story

Tool for low-tech admin of web content

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More Information …Web Content Management Systems (CMS)

For a good, independent review start here:

“2009 Open-Source CMS Market Share Report,” Water&Stone and CMS Wire (2009) http://www.cmswire.com/downloads/cms-market-share/

Information Architecture

Key to any web design is a good information architecture. Start here:

The Information Architecture Institute: http://iainstitute.org/en/learn/resources/what_is_ia.php

http://iainstitute.org/tools/

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Goal: Deep Knowledge of AudiencesPossible Project: Constituent Database

Select vendor for CRM - Constituent Relationship Management

Identify existing dataProcure & configure CRM

software or serviceMigrate existing dataGet trained on usage

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Goal: New Connections, New PatronsPossible Project: More Social Media

ObjectivesAudienceIntegrationTools and TacticsMeasurement

AudienceObjective

One Wayemail

Search EngineAds

SocialListening

ConversationConnecting

HomebaseWeb Site

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Basic process … Don’t skip steps!

Specify Needs

Solicit Alternatives

Decide onSolution

Engage Vendor

Analyze Needs

Prioritize

Requirements

InvestigateAlternatives

Target Solutions

Solicitation

EvaluateSolutions

SelectVendor

NegotiateTerms

SignContract

ContractFinal Proposal

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Final Exercise: Self-Assessment

Your Organization, The Past 12 Months

Strategic plans enabled by smart use of technology

Four viewpoints: technology, people, information, process

Project with targets for business zone, outcomes, schedule & budget

Deliberative decisions on right-sourcing Four key steps in selecting a solution & vendors