Tech Tune Up: Expert Assessment Optimizes Existing Systems and Lays Groundwork for Future Technology Value
The Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children and TechBridge
Technology has enabled nonprofit associations to continually improve member communications with tools like e-mail, e-newsletters and Web sites that provide access to databases and other services. While these groups tend to be strategic in their vision, even the most proactive technology adopters have to balance priorities, and resource constraints often limit their ability to implement technology in a planned fashion. IT systems often grow incrementally, based on immediate needs, without consideration of the system as a whole. When this happens, the system tends to become less efficient over time and less capable of supporting new applications.
Another challenge is that nonprofits often lack the knowledge and resources to diagnose and resolve underlying system deficiencies. Tech support, if the organization is lucky enough to have it, typically has its hands full supporting daily operations and troubleshooting immediate problems. Organizations in this predicament are discovering that an independent, expert assessment of their technology can provide a blueprint for system improvements that allows them optimize current systems using existing resources. This, in turn, can pave the way for future expansion.
The Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children (GAHSC)
Conceived as a voluntary problem-solving group with only five children-service providers over 40 years ago, GAHSC has evolved into a 75+-member association dedicated to supporting those who care for children at risk of abuse of neglect. GAHSC is recognized by many child welfare agencies as their voice for children at risk and the agencies that provide services to them.
GAHSC has been proactive in pursuing new technologies to enhance service delivery. The association was an early adopter of electronic databases. It has also used e-mail and the Web extensively to streamline member communications. Like many nonprofits, however, GAHSC’s IT system had grown in a piecemeal fashion. Equipment and software were added as new staff came on board or as new applications became available. A technology committee oversaw the evolution of the system, but decisions on how to resolve problems and assess opportunities were limited to the committee members’ knowledge of available options. Wrestling with the sense that GAHSC was not realizing the full potential of its technology, the committee had the wisdom to understand its limitations and to seek a fresh perspective.
“We knew that our technology could be more efficient and we wanted to be proactive about attacking the problem, but we weren’t sure we knew all of the options,” said Joe Wassell, Deputy Director GAHSC. “After attending a few TechBridge technology seminars, it became clear that they really understood nonprofit technology issues so it was pretty much a “no-brainer” that they we would tap into them to conduct our systems assessment.”
Understanding that nonprofits operate within tight budgetary parameters, TechBridge worked with GAHSC to narrow its technology assessment to critical areas that could be addressed within GAHSC’s budget. TechBridge conducted an assessment of GAHSC’s base infrastructure, with specific emphasis on the configuration of its PCs and local area network (LAN). After a half-day immersion session, the TechBridge team audited the configuration of every PC workstation in the organization. The team then evaluated the use and setup of the GAHSC’s Microsoft Exchange server, which manages e-mail, calendars and contact lists. TechBridge also conducted an assessment of GAHSC’s referral database, which is used by the association’s clients to access information about at-risk children. Lastly, TechBridge developed a formal assessment report, outlining the specific system improvements GAHSC needed to make. “The final output It was right on track and now we have a credible external validation of the recommendations we want to make to our board on a number of technology issues,” said Wassell.
While the technology assessment was not a comprehensive technology plan for GAHSC, it gave the organization a workable plan for optimizing its IT systems. GAHSC plans to tackle each of the recommendations as resources become available. Its long-range vision is to further harness the Web to give members the ability to populate and update databases and activate services remotely. Addressing back office efficiency upfront will pave the way for front-end expansion into these types of Web services. “In the short term, this project may not have a huge impact on our work, but in the long term, we will be more efficient as an organization with greater ability to focus on the future,” Wassell observed
Read about other TechBridge customers.
Read more about TechBridge's Tech Planning Services.
