Developing an ICT Strategy: A Managers Toolkit

1. Developing an ICT Strategy:A Managers Toolkit Dr Simon N Davey Managing Associate Preponderate.network www.preponderate.net “Making it easier for you to do what you do.”

2. What does ICT mean? • Information • Communications • Technology • NOT Technology itself… www.preponderate.net

3. The meaning of strategic ICT • Benefits (tangible) • People and organisations • Leadership, attitude and belief • Managing change • Working together www.preponderate.net

4. There are only two reasons to use ICT • Doing things better • Doing better things "Wisdom is to recognise what can be made better and make it better, and to recognise what can only be made worse and walk away." - Glen Duncan www.preponderate.net

5. Fundamentals • An ICT Vision – to do what? • High level ownership • Budget and predicted ROI across organisation • Team = people • Training • Technology • What does success look like… • ICT costs resources www.preponderate.net

6. An ICT strategy is… • Short (max. five pages) • Simple to understand • Able to clearly articulate benefits (people, clients, finance, effectiveness) • What you want to do… and why! • Not the how (that’s the ‘plan’) • Best built in phases • Able to support and accommodate change www.preponderate.net

7. Phase One – Who are we and why are we here • Why are we doing what we do? • Who are we and what do we do? • Size of organisation and number of sites • Growth and sustainability (including plans and change) • The ICT Vision Statement (what do we want ICT to do for us – what difference can it make) www.preponderate.net

8. Checkpoint • Do we understand who we are, where we’re going, who’s coming with us, at what speed and for what reason and what is going to happen next? www.preponderate.net

9. Phase Two - People • Skills, confidence and the training conundrum • How does function or development X impact on person Y or team Z • Roles and responsibilities around ICT • Leadership of ICT including senior management • Who has input – user groups, naysayers • Project management – identity, courage, tenacity • Building a convincing case www.preponderate.net

10. Checkpoint • Are the passengers on board? • Are they travelling in the same direction as the driver? • Training according to need not qualification • Calculate and monitor impacts, benefits and drawbacks • Leadership is all important www.preponderate.net

11. Phase Three – Information and Knowledge Management • IT is not information management • How do we manage information? • Who has access to it? • What format is it stored in? • Data isn’t information. • ICT doesn’t solve information management problems www.preponderate.net

12. Checkpoint • Do we know what information we’re managing, how, why and who should have access to it? www.preponderate.net

13. Phase Four – Applications and Software • Standard office software – MS Office, Open Office • Information management and management reporting – database dilemmas • Financial reporting and effective administration • Platforms – Windows, Open Source, Macs • Devise a solution map by task and role – what do you need to do? • One size doesn’t fit all but you’re not that special www.preponderate.net

14. Phase Five – Communications and Connectivity • Who with, how, why, when, where, what for… • Email – always accessible, for everyone? • Website – how managed, for what purpose? • Internet connectivity (broadband and narrowband impacts) • Out of office remote access • Manchester madness… www.preponderate.net

15. Phase Six – Big Grey Boxes (Technology) • Hardware, equipment and networks • What do we need to do the job, for the people to achieve their aims • Three year replacement strategy • Don’t overspecify equipment • Will include peripherals and small white boxes (iPods?) www.preponderate.net

16. Phase Seven – ICT Support • How vital is your ICT? • The cost of downtime • The cost of inefficiency (staff time or slow computers/applications) • The 50:1 rule of internal staff • Measure against ‘lost resources’ www.preponderate.net

17. Phase Eight – The service mix • Who does what and why around ICT? • Strategy, management (and budgeting), operations, technical support, development, training, project management, … • Internal/DIY, volunteers, consultants – horses for courses • Keeping things running smoothly • Dangers of dependency www.preponderate.net

18. Phase Nine – Governance: Security, Policies, Procedures and Risk • Hard but fair? • Fitting into culture, opening up opportunities? • ‘Technical’ security and people security • Risk management – operation, reputation • Ultimately whose responsibility? www.preponderate.net

19. Phase Ten – Money and return (value?) on investment • How much did you spend last year (on ICT) • How much did your ICT cost you last year • What could good ICT do for you, your people, organisation, clients? • Budget – one year, three years, ROI and against change • Buy in at senior management and board level • Justify to the business – the business case www.preponderate.net

20. Phase Eleven – Coping with Change • Cutting edge, bleeding edge • Do you need the new whizzygig? • Organisational change • What happens next? • Review dates – organic developments www.preponderate.net

21. In summary • Listen to the people (inside and outside the organisation) • Learn from others (especially around systems) including competitors • Don’t reinvent the wheel or overcomplicate • NEVER overpromise benefits • Define the goal… the rationale… and the direction and means to get there… • Follow up with the detailed plan & structure to support it • It’s about attitude, leadership and helping to make a difference www.preponderate.net

22. Thank you • Simon Davey • Preponderate.net • E: simon@preponderate.net • T: +44 (0) 20 8892 7085 www.preponderate.net