ICT for Development Workers Mark Walker, SCIP ICT Champion for South East England

About me Worked in voluntary sector 15 years Communications and information Founder of SCIP 1996 Not for profit org Helping VCOs make best use of ICT Brighton-based, work across region/UK

Worked in voluntary sector 15 years

Communications and information

Founder of SCIP 1996

Not for profit org

Helping VCOs make best use of ICT

Brighton-based, work across region/UK

ICT for Development Workers SkilD found the same 4 needs arose when talking to development workers about ICT: Awareness of the increasing potential for ICT Information on issues groups should consider when using ICT (planning, policies, support contracts) Information on sources of funding and local support Ability to explore the barriers created by ICT for some members

SkilD found the same 4 needs arose when talking to development workers about ICT:

Awareness of the increasing potential for ICT

Information on issues groups should consider when using ICT (planning, policies, support contracts)

Information on sources of funding and local support

Ability to explore the barriers created by ICT for some members

Outline of what we’ll cover Your questions about ICT Benefits of ICT Total Cost of Ownership Funding for ICT ICT Planning ICT Health Check Who can help? Net:Gain Rounding Up

Your questions about ICT

Benefits of ICT

Total Cost of Ownership

Funding for ICT

ICT Planning

ICT Health Check

Who can help?

Net:Gain

Rounding Up

Your role Questions your clients ask about IT How you answer those questions Where you can get help Supporting the sector How to help groups make better use of IT Planning Tools Services

Questions your clients ask about IT

How you answer those questions

Where you can get help

Supporting the sector

How to help groups make better use of IT

Planning

Tools

Services

About you Who are you and where do you come from? What questions do you have about ICT? What questions do your clients have about ICT?

Who are you and where do you come from?

What questions do you have about ICT?

What questions do your clients have about ICT?

Benefits of ICT Individuals + Organisations + Communities Efficiency Do the same things better Effectiveness Do better things

Individuals + Organisations + Communities

Efficiency

Do the same things better

Effectiveness

Do better things

Benefits of ICT Information Communications Administration Involvement Engagement Empowerment

Information

Communications

Administration

Involvement

Engagement

Empowerment

Potential benefits of ICT Effective communications and trust Happy, productive staff & volunteers Increased likelihood of funding Happy, well-served clients More effective delivery Good quality, readily available information

Effective communications and trust

Happy, productive staff & volunteers

Increased likelihood of funding

Happy, well-served clients

More effective delivery

Good quality, readily available information

Exercise: Benefits and Costs of ICT In pairs: An example of how ICT is used by the groups you work with Lessons that can learned by others

In pairs:

An example of how ICT is used by the groups you work with

Lessons that can learned by others

Funding and budgeting Be realistic Fit for purpose Full cost recovery Appropriate budget ICT Hub ‘How to Cost and Fund’ Available to download or from ICT Champion

Be realistic

Fit for purpose

Full cost recovery

Appropriate budget

ICT Hub ‘How to Cost and Fund’

Available to download or from ICT Champion

Total Cost of Ownership It’s not just a box It’s like buying a car and not budgeting for petrol, an MOT and insurance Some technical knowledge may be needed Must be linked to overall organisational budget Must reflect overall goals of organisation, eg Growth or new services Key strengths or weakness

It’s not just a box

It’s like buying a car and not budgeting for petrol, an MOT and insurance

Some technical knowledge may be needed

Must be linked to overall organisational budget

Must reflect overall goals of organisation, eg

Growth or new services

Key strengths or weakness

Exercise: Costing IT "Happy to Help”: advocacy and support organisation based in MiddleTown You are general manager preparing a budget for the coming year. You have 4 staff (2 of whom are part time) and they manage 60 volunteers who provide advocacy to about 80 people as well as run an annual awareness-raising event. You are reviewing your IT needs. You have been told it's a good idea to get a server, and want to get everyone using email properly. Staff are using a mixture of computers and some complain that theirs is too slow. They are using different versions of windows and office software. You're not sure if software is licensed. What should their budget be and what should it include? Estimate figures for each item on worksheet

"Happy to Help”: advocacy and support organisation based in MiddleTown

You are general manager preparing a budget for the coming year.

You have 4 staff (2 of whom are part time) and they manage 60 volunteers who provide advocacy to about 80 people as well as run an annual awareness-raising event.

You are reviewing your IT needs.

You have been told it's a good idea to get a server, and want to get everyone using email properly.

Staff are using a mixture of computers and some complain that theirs is too slow.

They are using different versions of windows and office software. You're not sure if software is licensed.

What should their budget be and what should it include?

Estimate figures for each item on worksheet

Budgeting: What to include Hardware Software Installation Maintenance Backup Consumables Insurance Broadband Web hosting Training

Hardware

Software

Installation

Maintenance

Backup

Consumables

Insurance

Broadband

Web hosting

Training

Break

Break

Funding for ICT Some funders are more positive about ICT than others Research published on NCVO website Be realistic about total costs Identify benefits of investing in ICT

Some funders are more positive about ICT than others

Research published on NCVO website

Be realistic about total costs

Identify benefits of investing in ICT

Planning in VCOs What happens in the groups you work with? How much time is spent? What support do you offer? Any examples of ICT planning? Think about Methodologies What works What doesn’t

What happens in the groups you work with?

How much time is spent?

What support do you offer?

Any examples of ICT planning?

Think about

Methodologies

What works

What doesn’t

ICT Planning Good practice for all areas of work Different methods Where are we now? ICT Health Check Not just about IT Where are we going? How can ICT help us get there?

Good practice for all areas of work

Different methods

Where are we now?

ICT Health Check

Not just about IT

Where are we going?

How can ICT help us get there?

Exercise: DIY ICT Health Check For your organisation: Use headings on page 17 Spend 10 minutes reading and answering these questions Then… Switch your answers with someone else

For your organisation:

Use headings on page 17

Spend 10 minutes reading and answering these questions

Then…

Switch your answers with someone else

Exercise: DIY ICT Health Check Reviewing: What does this tell you about development needs of the organisation? Are there specific short-term needs? Is there someone clearly responsible for ICT? Are budgets realistic? Have skills and training needs been considered? What else? Feedback to the group

Reviewing:

What does this tell you about development needs of the organisation?

Are there specific short-term needs?

Is there someone clearly responsible for ICT?

Are budgets realistic?

Have skills and training needs been considered?

What else?

Feedback to the group

Where to get help What type of help do you need? Who currently provides that help? Where can you get more help? What can you get for free? What do you need to pay for?

What type of help do you need?

Who currently provides that help?

Where can you get more help?

What can you get for free?

What do you need to pay for?

Roles and Responsibilities Planning Budgeting Project Proposals Fundraising Project Management Purchasing Installation Maintenance Training Review/evaluation Legal Requirements

Planning

Budgeting

Project Proposals

Fundraising

Project Management

Purchasing

Installation

Maintenance

Training

Review/evaluation

Legal Requirements

Types of help for groups Volunteers - one off projects + ongoing Accidental Techies IT Support Companies Web Designers Database Consultants Circuit Riders Net:gain Centres UK Online Centres

Volunteers - one off projects + ongoing

Accidental Techies

IT Support Companies

Web Designers

Database Consultants

Circuit Riders

Net:gain Centres

UK Online Centres

Working with volunteers Job description and recruitment process Do they have the technical skills they claim? Do they have people skills you need? What support and training do you need to offer? How do they link to other staff? Passwords and security issues

Job description and recruitment process

Do they have the technical skills they claim?

Do they have people skills you need?

What support and training do you need to offer?

How do they link to other staff?

Passwords and security issues

Choosing suppliers Concentrate on what you require We want a website to support our fundraising campaign We want to be able to update the content ourselves Research suppliers Online and in local networks Ask your peer group for feedback Always take up references

Concentrate on what you require

We want a website to support our fundraising campaign

We want to be able to update the content ourselves

Research suppliers

Online and in local networks

Ask your peer group for feedback

Always take up references

Where to get help National ICT Hub, AbilityNet, NAVCA, helpline Regional RAISE, ICT Champion Local/sub-regional CVS, IT support orgs, volunteer bureau, university, private companies

National

ICT Hub, AbilityNet, NAVCA, helpline

Regional

RAISE, ICT Champion

Local/sub-regional

CVS, IT support orgs, volunteer bureau, university, private companies

Who can help you? ICT Hub: www.icthub.org.uk Knowledgebase Suppliers Directory Publications IT4Communities: www.it4communities.org.uk Volunteers AbilityNet: www.abilitynet.org.uk Accessibility

ICT Hub: www.icthub.org.uk

Knowledgebase

Suppliers Directory

Publications

IT4Communities: www.it4communities.org.uk

Volunteers

AbilityNet: www.abilitynet.org.uk

Accessibility

Review/discussion Using the web for support What are the most useful websites you use when you need help? What questions do they answer? What sites do you find unhelpful? How do you find out about useful sites? List them and share them

Using the web for support

What are the most useful websites you use when you need help?

What questions do they answer?

What sites do you find unhelpful?

How do you find out about useful sites?

List them and share them

Who can help you? Email lists VCANet UK Riders - ICT specialists Local community networks What do you use? Your top tips

Email lists

VCANet

UK Riders - ICT specialists

Local community networks

What do you use?

Your top tips

Net:Gain National programme Local centres Pay a fee + get subsidised consultancy support Linked to other discounts www.net-gain.org.uk

National programme

Local centres

Pay a fee + get subsidised consultancy support

Linked to other discounts

www.net-gain.org.uk

Any other questions? Mark Walker SCIP 01273 234049 [email_address] www.scip.org.uk

Any other questions?

Mark Walker

SCIP

01273 234049

[email_address]

www.scip.org.uk