"Buying
technology without a plan
is sort of like going grocery
shopping without a list after
fasting all day." Jason
Saul, Chicago Tribune, April
29, 2002 (co-founder of The
Center for What Works, a national
organization that promotes
better business practices
in the nonprofit and public
sectors)
Does your organization have
a technology plan? While experts
agree that a technology plan
is the single most important
ingredient to effective use
of technology in your organization,
most nonprofits don't have
one! This web page is designed
to jumpstart your thinking
about developing a technology
plan for your organization.
If you want more information,
follow the links to other
resources.
What
is a Technology Plan
The key to good technology
planning is to remember that
technology is a tool, or a
means, to help you reach your
goals, it is not the end.
Your technology plan is a
roadmap that connects your
organization's use of technology
to achieving its mission.
Therefore, the plan should:
- Focus on
how technology can help
you meet your organization's
mission
- Focus on
technology that can make
something easier or better,
or allow you to do something
you couldn't do, but wanted
to
- Have strong
ties to your overall strategic
plan
- Reflect
the values
of your organization
- Take
a broad view, considering
hardware, software, staff
training, support, development
and ancillary costs, other
IT equipment (phones, faxes,
etc.), and funding
The advantages
of technology planning include
- Proactive
approach to the use of technology
in your organization, rather
than reacting to crises
- Better allocation
of financial resources
- Ability
to prioritize technology
initiatives so that they
best meet the organization's
needs
- Using staff
more efficiently
- Increased
ability to fundraise for
technology - allows you
to focus grant requests
on organizational goals
that might be enhanced by
technology rather than on
technology
Good
technology planning
- Has leadership
commitment
- Has a team
focus
- Involves
many stakeholders - staff,
board, volunteers, membership
- Allows for
evaluation
- Is ongoing
- Follows the
70-30 rule: of the money
you spend on technology
- 30% on hardware/software
- 70% on people
who will design programs,
train staff, use computers,
support systems (including
staff, consultants and trainers)
Below are some
general steps that you can
follow in the technology planning
process. Use them as a guide,
but don't become so overwhelmed
by the scope of the task that
you never start! Technology
planning is ongoing, so even
if you are only able to focus
on one or two organizational
goals and how to better use
technology to meet them, you're
on the right track.
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Technology
Planning Steps
This overview
is an outline on the technology
planning steps - you may want
to modify them for your organization.
Remember - the technology
planning process should be
empowering by giving you control
over your organization's technology
needs and future - not a bureaucratic
hassle!
1. Form a technology
team
- Some members
should have technical knowledge,
some programmatic experience
- Include
front-line staff as well
as management and board
members
- Make sure
everyone on the team understands
the organizations' mission
- For more information:
TeamTech's Technology
Committee Information
sheet
2. Conduct assessment
and research
- What are
the tasks/projects/goals
of your organization?
- How do similar
organizations use technology
to meet these goals?
- What are
your current hardware/software/networking/Internet
access resources?
- What kind
of technical support, documentation,
and technology use policies
exist?
- What is
your staff's level of skill
with specific software/tasks?
- Assessment
tool:
3. Set goals
and strategies
- State your
organization's mission in
terms of how technology
can accomplish it
- Brainstorm
technologies that can help
accomplish the mission -
this part needs the most
technical knowledge and
may require a consultant.
Tech Soup's The Planning
Process: Explore
Solutions has some guides
to help you understand some
of the issues
- Develop
the goals for your technology
plan
4. Operationalize
and prioritize goals, and
divide into stages
- Some goals
should be short-term; others
should be long-term
- Include
outcomes for each goal
- Set
a timeline
5. Establish
a budget
- Include
all costs involved such
as: hardware, software,
setup, furniture, networking,
Internet access, staffing
for implementation and maintenance,
life cycle replacements,
staff training
- Remember
the 70/30 rule
- Figure out
where money will come from
6. Write the
plan
- Synthesize
and summarize information
from all sources
- Include
a timeline that is cautious
and flexible
- Formats
vary, but should include
the mission of the organization,
technology vision, mission
related technology goals,
tasks, budget and timeline
- Resources:
7. Implement
(in stages, if necessary)
- Designate
someone to manage the process
- Set small
goals so you don't feel
overwhelmed
8. Evaluate,
revise, update
- Evaluate
using surveys, anecdotes
and statistics
- Evaluate
original outcomes and effect
of specific technologies
- Research for a tool
to calculate Return
on Investment (ROI)
- in planning stage
and as an outcome check
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Sample
Technology Plans
Look at the
following sample technology
plan to see how other not-for-profits
have used these concepts to
plan for their organizations.
Notice the different formats
and types of goals and gather
ideas that can help you as
you think about your own organization's
needs.
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More
Information
If you want
more information, the following
general resources provide
extensive information on technology
planning:
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