What is ICT? do I want it? where do I get the money from?

…and some other stuff!

What are we covering?

• What’s the hubbub about?

• What’s so special about ICT?

• Smile! - you’re part of an experiment!

• Planning your ICT….

•….and how to fund it

• Useful resources

What’s the hub-bub about?

The ICT Hub

• Consortium of 5 national organisations• LASA, NAVCA, NCVO, IT4C, AbilityNet

• ICT guidance, good practice, advice and support for voluntary and community organisations, accessible at a local level

• Regional Champions

All to help organisations use ICT better

What’s so blooming special about ICT?

expensive

complicated

Frustrating

important

useful

manages information

good ICT helps us do things better…

and do better things!

Focus on your goals

…think…

…not…

Some might say…

“There are no ICT projects, only projects to improve

service delivery”

Smile! You’re part of an experiment!

The experiment

• My Regional Champion website• What I’m doing• Resources etc

• Live online “diary” of today

• See the results and comment at

www.ITEM3.org.uk

Goals can be as simple as….

• to produce written documents more efficiently

• to manage your accounting and budgeting so that you have better information about your financial situation

• to record your contacts with clients more accurately and in more detail

• to improve communications within the organisation and with others

• Campaigning - showing and telling people

Basically…

• Decide what you want to do

• Choose solutions that will achieve that end

• Select all the equipment you need to run the solution

THEN work out the ££££££ - ‘total cost of ownership’…

STOP!

• Before you work out where you’re going, you might need to find out where you are…

• Give yourself an ICT Healthcheck http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/healthchecklists

It won’t hurt!

What will it all cost?

Exercise - Total Cost of Ownership

TCO of a car TCO for ICT

5 mins

Core costs

• Hardware• PCs• Printers• Scanner• Server• Backup• Telephones • Cabling

• Cameras• Photocopier• Projector• Broadband router

Core costs

• Software• Server • Email server• Office• Anti-virus• Firewall• Finance• Client Relationship

Management• Database

• Desktop publishing• Image processing• Web content

management

Core costs

Internet• Internet access• Website development• Website hosting

• Consumables• Paper• Toner cartridges• Backup – (CD’s, disks

etc)

• Implementation• Installation• Configuration• Consultancy• Testing• Training• Review

Ongoing costs

• Hardware support

• Networking support

• Applications software support

• Training new staff

• Refresher training

• Keeping up to date

• Reviewing strategy

• Replacement programme

And the biggest of all these is …

Staff time• Planning, managing and maintaining ICT

takes time!

• Make sure you factor this in using Full Cost Recovery methods, so that all their overheads are costed in

Technology Budget calculator online

http://www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/

calculatingtechnologybudget

Purchasing

• Investigate products• Compare costs• Get advice• Talk to other organisations• See demonstrations• Find out what help is available in your area• Take up references – use ICT Hub

suppliers list• Make the choice

Funding and funders

Some tips

• Make sure that in any funding proposal – not just ICT ones – you set 10% aside for ICT

• Keep a log of ICT activity – help you plan better for proposal

• Don’t forget to include the need to replenish computers – funders need to be alerted to this

Who are the funders?

• Big Lottery Fund• Statutory funding – LA’s, European• Grant making trusts and foundations• Community Foundations – www.communityfoundations.org.uk • Companies – local traders or ICT companies• Major donors and personal trusts

• ICT Hub research ‘Sources of Funders’ - 55 altogether – see Funding handout

Who are the funders?

www.icthubknowledgebase.org.uk/fundingict

Writing the proposal

• So you have….• Reviewed/looked at what you have• What you need• Decided what you want to do and have costed it

• Now you have to…• Write a proposal for funding your ICT• Justify your need as well as your costs• Make your proposal as relevant and outcomes focussed

What do the funders look for?

• That the project is needed• The project will be managed effectively• The plans have been properly costed (maybe show quotes)• Backing from the board or senior management • Plans in place for staff when implementation takes place• If you’re not an ICT expert then show you have consulted

someone who is – have their brief enclosed• Show that you have thought of the risks & given solutions• You can show how you will evaluate and monitor the success

of your ICT• Explain how the project is connected to your overall

mission/strategy

Who else can help you?

Help

• Consultants

• Circuit Riders

• A board member that’s ICT savvy

• The ICT Hub – 5 partners with different expertise

• ICT Hub telephone helpdesk

• ICT Hub suppliers list

• Regional Champion

More help

• net:gain

• Online forums and email discussion lists

• Local computer clubs and user groups such as Linux User Groups

• Colleagues

• Volunteers

• ICT support in your local area e.g. CVS’s

Useful resources

Web

• www.icthub.org.uk

• www.summitcollaborative.com

• www.techsoup.org/community

• www.net-gain.org.uk

Publications to come

ICT Good Management Guide – soon!

ICT Good Governance Guide – mid 2007

Don’t forget….See the results from the experiment at

www.ITEM3.org.uk

(we hope!)

Licensed images used in these slides

from flickr – Auntie P

from flickr – Nomadic Entrepreneur

from flickr – Okie

Jackie Carey