IT Strategic Leadership and
Planning:
How to Plan for Technology Without Knowing How it Works
Centre For Social Innovation
Nov. 23rd, 2007

Facilitators
Nadia Gouveia

Partnership Coordinator
Partnership Platform
Jane Zhang

Partnership Coordinator
Partnership Platform

The Partnership Platform
Trillium­funded project that helps non­profits

find partners to implement technology
projects
Identify your technology needs

Get connected with corporate resources

Help find technology volunteers

Help develop a technology strategy


Introductions
Name

Organization

Is your organization technology saavy?


Learning Outcomes
Overview of developing a strategic

technology plan
Understanding the resources required for

technology implementation
How to leverage external IT resources and

support

How to plan for IT without
knowing how it works
Technology is not a ‘magic box’

Discussing technology at a technical level

propagates this misconception
See ‘past the box’ to strategic application


Planning IT
Strategic planning ties technology to

organizational goals
Leverages existing planning skills and

capacity to integrate technology into
organizational mandate
Demonstrates leaders understand how

technology can serve an organization – not
the other way around

Planning IT
Visioning

How can technology help my organization?

Planning

How can I plan and document a path to that

vision?

Planning IT
Visioning
Goals – What do you want to achieve to move

your organization closer to fulfilling its mission?
Objectives – What concrete, measurable,

specific, and achievable ‘targets’ are you aiming
at to achieve those goals?
Strategies – What approaches can be used to

achieve the objectives?

Technology Visioning Exercise
GOAL(S)
What do you want to
achieve to move your not­
for­profit
organization closer to
fulfilling its mission?
OBJECTIVE 1 OBJECTIVE 2
What concrete, What concrete,
measurable, specific and measurable, specific and
achievable (within a achievable (within a
certain timeframe) certain timeframe)
“targets” are you aiming “targets” are you aiming
at?
at?
STRATEGY 1A STRATEGY 1B STRATEGY 2A STRATEGY 2B
What is one general What is another general What is one general What is another general
approach to achieving approach to achieving approach to achieving approach to achieving
Objective 1? Objective 1? Objective 2? Objective 2?

Writing IT Down
Strategic Technology Plans

Document and plan a path to achieve your vision

Define needs, state strategies, and identify

required resources
Clearly communicate intentions to external

partners – including consultants and funders

Writing IT Down
Strategic technology plans will:

Help ensure you have the right resources, your

employees have the right skills, and access to
the right support structure
Position you for success with funders and

potential partners
Integrate specific technology projects into your

overall technology strategy
Revisit your plan every 2 to 3 years


Writing IT Down
Strategic technology plans are quite simple

when approached step by step
Successful plans:

Map technology needs to organizational goals

Assess an organization’s current situation

Detail resources required to maintain and

support basic technological infrastructure
Reference specific technology projects (detailed

in other documents)

Writing IT Down
Strategic technology plans include:

Overview

Technology assessment

Technology infrastructure

Training and support

Web site and online applications

Individual technology projects

Action plan and technology budget


Overview
Introduces your organization

Describes organizational goals

Details technology goals and maps them to

your strategic goals.

Technology Assessment
Describes the current state of technology in

your organization
Strengths and weaknesses relating to how

you work with technology,
Who is responsible for technology, and any

areas that require improvement or
addressing.

Technology Infrastructure
Details specifics relating to your current

technology equipment
Software usage

Networks

Management procedures.


Training and Support
Details how you will address IT training and

support needs for your staff members
Writing technology training into your staff’s

professional development programs
Includes contact information for external

technical support providers

Website/Online Applications
Information on your users, the functionality

of your web site, content management
strategies and tools
Online marketing campaigns

Information on the technical architecture of

the web site/application (server access
passwords, etc.)

Technology Project Plans
Collection of smaller technology plans

relating to the specific initiatives that
comprise your overall organizational plan
The technology plans contain specific detail

as to the critical path, resource
requirements, and budget.

Action Plans and Budgets
Action Plan – high­level schedule and

responsibilities for implementing the various
technology projects described in the
previous section.
Technology Budget – Details all of the

budgeting requirements of the specific
technology projects your organization plans
to implement, as well as information on
general maintenance, purchasing, training,
and support.

Budgeting for IT
Total cost of ownership (TCO)

What it costs to install, operate, and maintain a

technological infrastructure – not just the price of
the hardware
An accurate measure of the true cost of

technology

Budgeting for IT
Not allowing for TCO results in wasted

technological assets
Calculating IT budgets accurately can

ensure you have the resources you need
Funders are starting to realize that

technology funding is important

Budgeting for IT
How to position technology expenses in

funding requests?
Ensure the expenses are part of overall budgets,

where the ‘sell’ is the strategic objective
I.e., request funding for online fundraising

campaigns, not for 6 new computers
Funders want to buy social and economic

benefit, not boxes and wires

External Assistance
Most organizations will require external assistance

in at least 1 of 3 areas:
Planning

Development

Maintenance

Sources of external assistance

Volunteers / Board Members

Individual Consultants

Small IT Companies

Large IT Companies

Other Charities and Non­profits


External Assistance
Ideal Scenario

Volunteer board member to work on requirements

gathering
Individual consultant to prepare requirements

documentation and provide project management support
Key tools – hardware and software – donated from a large

IT company
Small IT company or other charity or non­profit to perform

any technical work
Individual volunteers to assist with daily updates and

maintenance
Maintenance and support contract with another charity or

non­profit

Today’s Take­aways
Visioning Worksheet

Strategic technology plan template

External Assistance Tips and suggested

partnership model

Questions?
Contact us:

Partnership Platform.
http://www.partnershipplatform.ca
Email: info@partnershipplatform.ca
Phone: 416­644­1018