Six Weeks to a Sleeker CBO - A Tech Planning Timeline

June, 2002
By Megan Farrington, AmeriCorps*VISTA, UWNYC Technology Outreach Department

Is this scenario familiar?
Your gung-ho executive director just tapped you to head the technology planning process for your agency. Everyone is excited. In fact, the agency is large enough and has enough technology potential that the task before you is pretty daunting.

Or is this the likelier story?

You're alone in recognizing a need for change in your agency. There are a handful of overworked employees and they don't see why their system should be disrupted. For them, technology looms more as an imposition than as an asset, and you've taken it upon yourself to convince them otherwise.

Regardless of where your agency stands now - whether tech savvy and excited about change, or reticent and skeptical - it will face challenges in the tech planning process.

Whether you're at the helm of an IT system overhaul at an agency with the resources and enthusiasm to commit to the project or leading the charge for an agency more resistant to IT changes, you'll benefit from solid technology planning.

In the first case the agency may be ready to expand its program offerings, while in the second case there may be a more modest focus on improving administrative efficiency. If you find yourself shouldering the tech planning responsibilities for that enthusiastic agency you may have to deal with impatient administrators and a push to implement ideas before they have been thought out. If you are working with the resistant agency, it might be difficult to make tech planning a priority for the staff members when they have so many other responsibilities. In both cases it's possible that you will run into issues like fear of technology among the staff members, general agency disorganization, or lack of good communication among employees.

Any of these problems can mean challenges for your project, but don't let this discourage you. There is no such thing as a perfect climate for tech planning - every agency has its own set of complications. The best way to combat these obstacles is to be well prepared.

There are plenty of resources outlining the components of a good tech plan (see TechSoup or TechAtlas), but it's harder to find guidance on the logistics - how to organize your project and gather the information you need. Given the range of potential difficulties, it's impossible to create a surefire blueprint for getting through the process. But basic guidelines can make the project less intimidating, help you pace yourself, and let you use your energy more efficiently.

Happily, there are numerous resources out there to help you streamline your tech plan. You can shape a tech vision that fits your agency perfectly.

To this end, Tech News has created a tech planning timeline culled from field experience with a variety of agencies. This timeline assumes that you already have an understanding of the key components of a tech plan, which is to say you've read over guidelines and example tech plans on Tech Soup, looked at the Tech Atlas tool, read Tech News how-to articles, among other resources. If you find yourself confused by the terms in the timeline, check out Tech Soup for guidance( Tech Soup tech planning articles).

Week 1 - Orient yourself to the project. Figure out who else is involved and determine their responsibilities. If your agency is small you may be doing everything yourself. If there are people assisting you, find out how much time they can put in and how much responsibility they are willing to assume. Put the Belarc software (a program that will create a profile of a PC including all the installed hardware and software) on a floppy disk so that you can start taking inventory.

Take advantage of any staff meetings this week - an all-staff meeting is a great way to introduce the project and make everyone aware that you will be coming around to talk to them and assess their computers over the next couple of weeks. The more people understand about what you're doing, the more helpful they can be. Establish your tech committee (see Tech Soup for additional information) and figure out when you're going to meet (this may be as simple as piggybacking on the weekly staff meeting).

Finally, be prepared for some grumbling or confusion. Not everyone will initially welcome the changes on the horizon.

Week 2 - Do an equipment inventory. Be sure to check for computers that might be crammed in storage closets or back offices. There is frequently hidden equipment which has been at the organization longer than most of the staff, so be prepared to throw some things out. Don't be afraid to take a stand on getting rid of obsolete equipment. People will likely be nervous about throwing away anything technology-related because they don't know whether it's useful or not. It's up to you to tell them.

Next, begin assessing staff needs (there are plenty of questionnaires/guidelines for this on TechSoup). You might not be able to get to all employees in one day but at least try to schedule everyone so they're aware it's going to happen. Even at this early stage it can't hurt to start looking over a few tech plans and printing out examples to use for reference. This will give you a feel for how you want to organize your plan and if you have down time you can start writing up your inventory of equipment.

Week 3 - Finish up any inventory/needs assessments that remain undone. By this time a technology profile of the agency as it currently stands should be emerging. Meet with your tech committee to establish clear short and long-term goals. Look at issues like staff training, web presence, and networking/internet access. Come into your tech committee meeting with some suggestions - for instance building a computer lab, upgrading Internet access, or instituting computer training for staff professional development. Encourage the committee to think in terms of the end result they envision for the organization - not just what the agency has the means to accomplish at this moment in time.

This is also the time to pin down a technology vision for the organization that you will be able to put in your tech plan. (In order to prepare for this look at examples on TechSoup.) Be ready to guide your tech committee in the right direction. The tech vision and the goals you establish go hand in hand so by the time you are done with your meeting you should have a clear picture of how technology fits into your agency's future.

Week 4 - Write up a mission statement and an overview of programs for your agency (this should just be a matter of tweaking pre-existing literature). This is a good time to focus on format. Make sure your plan is clearly laid out and easy to read. Refer to your sample tech plans for inspiration.

Week 5 - Complete the draft of your tech plan and review it with your tech committee. Direct their attention to any components of the plan you may have created without their input.

Week 6 - If you need to make additional revisions, finish those up. Once your plan is finalized, start the implementation! If you will not be handling technology issues permanently, now is a good time to start involving the staff member(s) who will. You can start planning for training, network installation, and related concerns. This is the time when the vision you set out for your tech plan really comes to fruition. Some aspects of implementation may require additional funding and you may not be able to meet particular goals immediately. However, there should be short-term goals that are easily attained. Tackling these will keep everyone motivated because the agency will be making visible progress. Continue your tech committee meetings as a way of maintaining the staff's commitment to and excitement about the project.

With this six-week guideline you'll be well on your way to making the necessary changes to your agency's IT system. The key to creating an effective tech plan is to remain flexible and encouraging. The good news is that you'll likely find the whole process to be much easier than you think.