Helping Third Sector Organisations Make Sense of ICT Introduction to net:gain

Agenda What is net:gain? How can we help? … .. … . … . What’s next?

What is net:gain?

How can we help?

… ..

… .

… .

What’s next?

“ For a list of the ways in which technology has failed to improve your quality of life, please press 3.” Phil Green

Icebreaker – pairs exercise Introduce yourself to each other Name, Role Apart from funding, what are your top 3 technology challenges?

Introduce yourself to each other

Name, Role

Apart from funding, what are your top 3 technology challenges?

What is net:gain? A national, membership-based support programme Delivered as a local service For CEOs, Trustees, Senior Managers Funded under ChangeUp Heavily subsidised Pay as little as 12.5% of the market value

A national, membership-based support programme

Delivered as a local service

For CEOs, Trustees, Senior Managers

Funded under ChangeUp

Heavily subsidised

Pay as little as 12.5% of the market value

How will net:gain help? net:gain will introduce you to: Other sector leaders/managers And will provide: Easy-to-use planning techniques Inclusive exercises Visual grids and charts to collect your planning data and questions to resolve Sources of help and support Free publications and discounts

net:gain will introduce you to:

Other sector leaders/managers

And will provide:

Easy-to-use planning techniques

Inclusive exercises

Visual grids and charts

to collect your planning data and questions to resolve

Sources of help and support

Free publications and discounts

How will net:gain help? net:gain will help you to: Look before you leap Involve staff, volunteers, users Gather, sift and prioritise information Understand your technology requirements better Align these with your mission Contribute to quality assurance eg PQASSO, IiP (Investors in People) and other quality processes net:gain will help you to take control

net:gain will help you to:

Look before you leap

Involve staff, volunteers, users

Gather, sift and prioritise information

Understand your technology requirements better

Align these with your mission

Contribute to quality assurance

eg PQASSO, IiP (Investors in People)

and other quality processes

net:gain will help you to take control

Analysis What you do Understanding Why you do it Commitment to change to a shared vision Progress Culture, Values Enthusiasm A living, working document What is a strategy?

Analysis

What you do

Understanding

Why you do it

Commitment

to change

to a shared vision

Progress

Culture, Values

Enthusiasm

A living, working document

Successful planning requires Leadership in your own organisation Time to invest in finding new ways to work Focus on improving the way you work Support Some of which net:gain will provide A route map! net:gain 10 Step Reference Guide

Leadership

in your own organisation

Time

to invest in finding new ways to work

Focus on improving the way you work

Support

Some of which net:gain will provide

A route map!

net:gain 10 Step Reference Guide

What will I do? Using a Ten-step framework for planning: Review: Mission and goals Explore possibilities Refine decisions, via: initiatives, outcomes & outputs, benefits & risk, costing & funding

Using a Ten-step framework for planning:

Review: Mission and goals

Explore possibilities

Refine decisions, via:

initiatives, outcomes & outputs,

benefits & risk, costing & funding

What will this give me? Technical Specifications covering Full Cost of Ownership eg better funding bids Implementation plan Strategic view on ICT … to incorporate into a written plan if you wish Template provided

Technical Specifications

covering Full Cost of Ownership

eg better funding bids

Implementation plan

Strategic view on ICT

… to incorporate into a written plan if you wish

Template provided

How it’s helped... “ Due to better communication flow staff are now being included in writing and contributing to bids” Travelling Light Theatre Company “ We have better communications between staff.. and a section in the next Strategic Plan (2008) setting out our needs and plans in relation to ICT.” Devon Voluntary Youth Services “ The best thing is now we know how much to ask for in funding bids.” Anon, net:gain delegate

All aboard? net:gain helps you consider/include all points of view: Staff and volunteers Service users/beneficiaries Customers/suppliers Funders Stakeholders Board

net:gain helps you consider/include all points of view:

Staff and volunteers

Service users/beneficiaries

Customers/suppliers

Funders

Stakeholders

Board

Bridge the gap…

Better staff buy-in…. “ A shared diary was an obvious solution, but formally to get clinical staff to understand this was hard. Going through the net:gain process really helped.” Dorothy House Hospice “ Staff left our meeting feeling motivated - we agreed goals and new initiatives.” Lloyd Park Centre “ The funding blog is now owned and maintained by the funding advice team.” Voluntary Action North Somerset

net:gain templates & tools

Tools help filter information: Mission> Goals> Initiatives> Re-process> Requirements> Cost-Benefit> Resource> Implement>Plan

Planning made simple.. “ How useful these processes are! Not just around ICT, but for all planning!” net:gain delegate “ net:gain teaches you a good way of considering a complex situation.” All Saints Action Network “ To have tools for strategic planners to understand an issue or part of a service from different perspectives is really valuable” Travelling Light Theatre Company

How do circuit riders fit? Identify need for strategic planning During visits Selling benefits of strategic planning Referring to net:gain Understanding and supporting the net:gain method

Identify need for strategic planning

During visits

Selling benefits of strategic planning

Referring to net:gain

Understanding and supporting the net:gain method

Circuit rider support Steps 5 to 8 Charts to refine technology needs Step 9 Identifyhelp! Steps 1 to 4 Mission, Goals, Processes… Step 10 Strategy

Typically 2/3 support sessions Group/individual ICT planning clinics & technology demonstrations Discounts and offers Guest speakers Case studies, Peer reviews Sources of specialist support Funding and planning advice online net:gain membership: features

Typically 2/3 support sessions

Group/individual

ICT planning clinics & technology demonstrations

Discounts and offers

Guest speakers

Case studies, Peer reviews

Sources of specialist support

Funding and planning advice online

Charity Technology Trust offer (CTX) 90% discount on CISCO equipment Discounted Microsoft software Free online guidance on selecting order For charities only - eligibility criteria may apply Go to online shop at www.ctxchange.org Experts Online Free year’s membership Membership: Affinity schemes

Charity Technology Trust offer (CTX)

90% discount on CISCO equipment

Discounted Microsoft software

Free online guidance on selecting order

For charities only - eligibility criteria may apply

Go to online shop at www.ctxchange.org

Experts Online

Free year’s membership

Examples Ongoing ‘mentoring’ help A ‘clinic’ session Peer-to-peer support (other net:gain delegates) Links to local ChangeUp initiatives Centre membership benefits Example - discounted/free training Example - discounted ICT access Example - AIG for your staff and volunteers Example - ICT technical support ‘club’ Membership: Centre offers

Examples

Ongoing ‘mentoring’ help

A ‘clinic’ session

Peer-to-peer support (other net:gain delegates)

Links to local ChangeUp initiatives

Centre membership benefits

Example - discounted/free training

Example - discounted ICT access

Example - AIG for your staff and volunteers

Example - ICT technical support ‘club’

How does planning for ICT help? Internally efficient processes effective communications and trust happy, productive staff & volunteers good, available market information Externally increased likelihood of grant success increased likelihood of service contracts happy, well-served clients! This is what is all about!

Internally

efficient processes

effective communications and trust

happy, productive staff & volunteers

good, available market information

Externally

increased likelihood of grant success

increased likelihood of service contracts

happy, well-served clients!

This is what is all about!

Tangible results... “ Our total annual saving could be £2,900… And we have won a funding bid for outreach laptops.” Hartlepool Carers “ We’re getting more for the same - a cost and service benefit: more patients served effectively for the same cost.” Dorothy House Hospice “ We’ve had both funding and technical help from the online forums… it’s good training and good value and more should take of advantage of it.” Failsworth Community Alliance

Reference Guide

The Reference Guide structure Ten Steps Each with an Activity/Template The result of each Step informs the next Use Toolkits to go ‘deeper/wider’ ‘ Step off’ at any time… … armed with completed templates to inform ‘an ICT expert’

Ten Steps

Each with an Activity/Template

The result of each Step informs the next

Use Toolkits to go ‘deeper/wider’

‘ Step off’ at any time…

… armed with completed templates

to inform ‘an ICT expert’

The online Toolkit Templates All tools and diagrams needed An ICT Plan template With sample text With guidance on where to use diagrams Further suggested activities by theme Sources of Support National, Local Sources of Funding … and how to approach these

Templates

All tools and diagrams needed

An ICT Plan template

With sample text

With guidance on where to use diagrams

Further suggested activities by theme

Sources of Support

National, Local

Sources of Funding

… and how to approach these

net:gain members’ area - online materials access to Experts Online www.net-gain.org.uk

net:gain members’ area

- online materials

access to Experts Online

www.net-gain.org.uk

Experts Online - public view

Login at www.net-gain.org.uk

Members’ Area

Sign in using your net:gain ID and password

Experts Online

Meet the Experts

Support from your net:gain centre Centres to add their own slides/info here

Centres to add their own slides/info here

Funders Acknowledgements net:gain centres and mentors for their help with pathfinder work Original Sources Strategy Maps - Robert Kaplan and David Norton The Balanced Scorecard - Robert Kaplan and David Norton The Technology Trap - David Wilcox and Terry Grunwald Development consultants