2. Agenda
• Introduction and Recap of iTaNGO
• What is a Community of Practice?
• Benefits to you
• What next?
Subtitle
3. You know why ICT matters!
Increase Increase
effectiveness strategic
of service opportunities
Decrease Decrease
costs Risk
4. Benefits of ICT Planning
• Relationship building
• Identify issues and root causes of ICT challenges
• Identify strategies to increase capacity, efficiency and
effectiveness
• A framework for decision-making
• More accurate and predictable budgeting
• Fewer crises and ad-hoc approaches
5. Information Knowledge
Workshops
Sessions Base
Communities Demonstration
of Practice Project
7. It’s All About the Mission and Objectives
What is your mission?
What are your organisation’s key strategic objectives?
THEN add technology:
– How can technology help you reach your objectives?
– Where does technology intersect with your objectives?
8. Communities of Practice
• Communities of Practice (CoPs) are groups
of people which exist to build knowledge and
expertise in a particular knowledge domain
• The iTaNGO project has provision for support
of 8 CoPs across the state
• Case Study of each CoP to be presented 30th
April 2012
9. Communities of Practice
• Self managed
• Self defined and self directed
• Investigates challenges and critical ICT problems
• Drive their own learning through interaction; action
learning and research; collaborative projects and
shared practice
10. Communities of Practice
iTaNGO Support:
Initial group meeting of CoP – facilitator to assist
group in setting direction and formulation of learning
focus
Online tool provision, administration and guidance
11. Communities of Practice
Group Responsibilities:
• creating the community
• identifying community needs
• participation in discussions and activities
• injecting insightful comments and making provocative points in
online discussions to keep them flowing and engaging
• providing closure when necessary and giving constructive feedback
• working to network community members with topic experts
• accepting and welcoming new community members
13. Challenges
• What are some of the major issues that inhibit
your organisation and the sector’s ability to
increase its digital proficiency?
• What are the common themes and challenges in
the room?
14. • Please introduce yourself
What’s your Name, Organisation and Role?
• Why are you here?
What are your ICT interests and issues?
15. Next Steps
As a result of our discussions and your reflections,
what are your first actions back in your workplace
going to be around ICT planning?
What are you going to ask the online CoPs to help
you with to achieve what you need?
Who are you going to share your experiences with?
Further there are many applications available as web services that can assist with collaboration, data management and reporting and don't require you to make an investment up front. While free products and services make it possible for nonprofits to lower the risk of trying new technology, in the long run you'll have to pay to have precisely the right tools for supporting your mission.
There is a wealth of information on the internet to help you and you staff with ICT planning. And now some of that has been bought together under the iTaNGO Knowledgebase. Plans, policies, templates for ICT planning can be found at www.iTaNGO.infoxchange.net.au
You need to formalise a staff ICT committee or working group and make sure that you meet regularly to give input to the senior management on strategic ICT issues. The committee should include a cross-section of staff - administration and finance, programmatic, secretarial. This should not just be a committee comprising the technically capable as you need to get you entire staff comfortable and up to speed with the technology issues in your organisation.
The cost in person hours of using and maintaining non-standard or sub-standard configurations is astonishingly high, and donated equipment does not allow you to get consistency in your IT infrastructure. Similarly, donated or voluntary services maybe great while they last but what when the person has another priority? Beware of the database building or web site design services volunteered by a well intentioned friend of a member of the board! You may end up with something you can't use, can’t support or maintain.
