1. How to fight the credit crunch or do more with less For those supporting or looking after technology of support organisations Miles Maier Lasa London ICT Champion 21 July 2009
28. Workshop prepared by Miles Maier London Region ICT Champion www.lasa.org.uk/ictchampion [email_address] 020 7426 4496
Editor's Notes
** Welcome – 10 mins Welcome 2. Housekeeping – phones off, toilets, fire drill, etc 3. Get folks to introduce themselves plus 1 ICT issue – note on flip chart
** Background to Regional Champions – 5 mins
** Takeaways - 5 mins Today’s training will help you be more prepared to take on responsibility for supporting the ICT in your organisation and to start to plan for the future.
Does this sound like you? Is this a familiar scenario?
** Accidental techie exercise - 20 mins 1. Open questions about org size, budget 2. Does this describe you, the accidental techie? 3. What strategies do you use to deal with these issues?
** ICE BREAKER** Accidental Techie 101 – 25 mins Exercise: ONE question per post-it, put them up on board/wall and group them in to themes under each topic session
Tutor introduces this as a simple, self-administered, diagnostic process – the first step towards getting the right ICT support
ICT HANDBOOK ON NEXT SLIDE
** Exercise: (5 mins) GROUP DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK ON STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING COMPUTER USERS.
Refer to: Abilitynet guides ICT Hub publications – Easy, Free & Quick ICT Accessibility (available as PDF and hard copy) Free text reader: www.naturalreaders.com/free_version.htm
** RISK ASSESSMENT EXERCISE – 30 MINS Divide into groups of 3 or 4 for 15 mins and get them to identify and write down ICT risks. Feedback for 15 mins. HANDOUT: Superhighways and Lasa risk assessment forms.
STRATEGY EXERCISE – 5-10 MINS Open questions on why you should you plan for hard times and have an ICT strategy and budget. Who has a strategy, how to develop one and link it to the business plan.
BUDGET EXERCISE – 10-15 MINS 90% say ICT vital, but many don’t budget for it Get people do a rough budget for their own organisation – 5 mins
** Finding Your Way – 10 mins
EXERCISE: USING THE WEB AS A SUPPORT TOOL – 10 mins **ASK AUDIENCE FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMPARE TO LIST ON NEXT SLIDE** ICT Knowledgebase: www.ictknowledgebase.org.uk Technet: http://technet.microsoft.com Tech Soup http://techsoup.org/ Google www.google.co.uk Local ICT Champion and circuit riders IT 4 Communities Abilitynet Wikipedia Youtube or Common Craft Amazon, Dabs, Misco for hardware Other tech forums
** Top Tips 1, 2, 3 - 15 mins EXERCISE – 5 MINS Give folks 5 mins to write down ways of saving money and compare with this list.
Telephony tips: 1. Check what you’re currently paying 2. Eliminate internal costs - if you have staff at different sites who need to talk to each other a lot, then use a VoIP application such as Skype. 3. Review your tariffs - consider an indirect access service such as Primus or Swiftcall 4. Consolidate - consider using a single supplier 5. Simplify - you may be able to save money by switching to simpler equipment and services 6. Unplug phone chargers -ensure mobile phone chargers are switched off or unplugged when not in use. 7. Use free directory enquiry services - use free services such as 0800 100 100 or online alternatives such as BT’s (British Telecom). 8. Consider pre-owned equipment - some suppliers such as Nimans offer pre-owned equipment which is refurbished and has a 12 month warranty. 9. Share the costs - you can also realise savings by sharing the cost of services or systems with partners. 10. Consider Outsourcing - save money with greater economies of scale than you can achieve yourself.
ITQ - is aimed at IT users and not professional IT staff such as engineers and developers. ITQ is tailored to the needs of your business and your staff. It provides analysis of workforce skills such as making the best use of technology in business systems and in communication with colleagues and customers. It recognises that all organisations need IT skills but that these will vary in level and type depending on individual business needs and the use made of technology in the organisation. ITQ even allows for the inclusion of bespoke units in recognition that many employers have their own unique IT systems.
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