Establishing Effective Technology Planning in Legal Services: A Strategic Approach (2009)

1. ED120: LSC Baselines & Technology Planning Overview February 25, 2009 Glenn Rawdon, Legal Services Corporation Bristow Hardin, Legal Services Corporation John Greiner, Legal Services NYC Rachel R. Medina, LSNTAP

2. Presenters • Glenn RawdonLegal Services Corporation • Bristow HardinLegal Services Corporation • John GreinerLegal Services NYC • Rachel R. MedinaLSNTAP

3. Today’s Presentation • Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 • Tech Planning: Where to Start? • Practical Approach to Planning Challenges

4. Today’s Presentation • Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 • Tech Planning: Where to Start? • Practical Approach to Planning Challenges

5. Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? “We are either progressing or retrograding all the while. There is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life....” – James Freeman Clarke (1810-1888) “Acting on a good idea is better than just having a good idea. “–Robert Half (1918-2001)

6. Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • TechSoup refers to a technology plan as a “magic ingredient,” a tool to help you accomplish your organization’s technology vision, save money, and avoid crises (oh...and funders may require it) - http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/techplan/archives/page9834.cfm • A plan also helps you to: • build costs into annual budget • allocate responsibilities • establish measurable goals

7. POLLING BREAK

8. Today’s Presentation • Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 • Tech Planning: Where to Start? • Overcoming Typical Planning Challenges

9. Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 Bristow Hardin, LSC Glenn Rawdon, LSC

10. What are the LSC Baselines?www.lsc.gov/pdfs/technologybaselinereport.pdf

11. What do They Cover? • Overall Program Capacity • Management of Client and Case Data • Production and Supervision of Legal Work • Records Management • Knowledge Management • Intake and Telephonic Advice • Direct Assistance to Low Income Persons • Support for Use of Private Attorney • Security • Training • Communication • Administration

12. What Do They Say About Planning? • Overall Program Capacity • Planning - tech planning should be fully integrated into overall program planning • Budgeting - adequate funds should be budgeted for: • ongoing maintenance and upgrades of hardware & software • necessary personnel to support and maintain system • training in using it • Personnel - sufficient capacity to: • maintain equipment, networks, databases and software

13. Required Technology Plan for 2010 • Required for all 2010 applications and renewals • At a minimum the plan should include: • Description of program's technology planning process • Identification of specific baseline technology capacities the program lacks • Description of strategies program will employ to acquire each missing baseline capacity

14. Information about the Technology Planning Process should include: • Description of the basic elements of the planning process • Discussion of how technology planning is integrated into the program's overall service delivery planning

15. Identify all Baseline Capacities the Program Lacks • For each such capacity • If applicable, state why it is not needed • Not program’s role in state justice community • Provided by another entity of state justice community • For all others, describe the program’s strategy for acquiring each capacity • (LSC is aware that factors such as sharply diminished funding may limit an Applicant's ability to acquire all missing capacities during the grant period)

16. Submit Program’s Technology Budget • This budget should contain • Software and hardware acquisition costs • Software and hardware maintenance costs • IT staffing (internal and/or out-sourced) • Staff training costs (for IT staff and to insure all program staff can effectively use the program's technologies)

17. QUESTIONS?

18. Today’s Presentation • Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 • Tech Planning: Where to Start? • Overcoming Typical Planning Challenges

19. Technology Planning: Where to Start? Rachel Medina, LSNTAP

21. Tech Planning: Where do I start? • Assembly your technology planning team • Team should include: • Executive Director • IT Director • A member of your board • Representatives from other facets of the organization, perhaps a paralegal, an admin support staff person, etc. “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

22. Components – Mission Statement Mission Impossible • Mission & Vision • Why a mission is important: • It’s the guiding principle by which you will make all technology decisions • It is very easy in technology planning to get lost down rabbit trails exploring interesting technology applications which may not actually help you accomplish your mission • In order for your technology to be effective it has to be right for your organization • You can’t have a focused technology vision unless you have a mission

23. Components – Vision Statement • Why a Vision is important: • It helps you focus your technology efforts in a way that will be most effective and powerful for your organization • How to come up with a Vision: • It’s more than simply stating “We need X” • It should be a free analytical process by which you hold back all judgment about what you think is possible and dream about what you’d want technology to do for you if it could • TechAtlas recommends beginning with words like “We believe” technology should do X Vision Mission

24. Assessment of Existing Technology • “Stable & Secure” Technologies • http://www.npower.org/services/assessment-and-planning • Hardware/Software Assessments • Tech Soup’s Uptime Resource spreadsheet • Microsoft Software Inventory Reports • See links on LSNTAP Tech Planning Portal • http://sites.google.com/a/lsntap.org/techplanning/resources-1 • LSC Baseline Technologies Checklist • www.lsc.gov/pdfs/technologybaselinereport.pdf • Assess Staff • Use technology skills survey by TechAtlas • http://sites.google.com/a/lsntap.org/techplanning/resources-1

25. Components • Develop Goals

26. Technology Components • Description of Technology Projects • Management of Client and Case Data • Developing adequate tech personnel plans • Document production • Knowledge management • Intake and telephone systems • Statewide website development • Systems for PAI support • Security • Tech Training • Communication Tools • Administrative Tools – accounting, HR management and Grant Maintenance

27. POLLING BREAK

28. Resources • Executive Roundtable – March 12th • LSNTAP Tech Planning Portal • Numerous resources are listed on the site • Request access to the site as a collaborator so that you can add comments to other technology plans and receive feedback on your own technology plan • To sign up for a webpage for your program that will link to your draft technology plan, send an e-mail to Rachel Medinarachel@lsntap.org

29. Today’s Presentation • Why Formalize Your Technology Plan? • Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010 • Tech Planning: Where to Start? • Overcoming Typical Planning Challenges

30. POLLING BREAK

31. Overcoming Typical Planning Challenges Developing an Appropriate and Rational Technology Plan John Greiner, Legal Services NYC

32. Assessing Program and Staff Needs • Start from Legal Services Delivery Perspective • Ideally:Part Of Overall Program Planning • If Not, Need To Do the second best:- Bring Advocates and Managers into the Process (include program and technical Innovators/Leaders) • Good to inject New Approaches Made Possible With Technology • Opportunity to think about new ways to work • Build Committee & Use In Person/Web Meetings to save staff some time while keeping members connected

33. Program and Staff Needs Continued • Get Broad Input in Determining Needs, Skills and Possible Solutions • Members Meet with Their Local Office/Unit Staff • Individually Interview Key Users and Leaders • Consider Web Surveys as an additional Tool • Look to Sister Organizations & National Groups like LSNTAP • Translate Needs into Related Projects and, Where Possible, Likely Solutions • i.e. Family Defense Unit needs to increase ITs pleading & letter writing to reduce unnecessary hearings & improve results --> Document Automation-->National Hotdocs Project

34. Program and Staff Needs Continued • Identify and Quantify Expected Benefits of Each Project • The benefits likely relate to core program goals such as improving quality, impact, efficiency, client access, or internal program community. • Solicit Additional Feedback on Your Findings, Priorities, Rough Project Timelines/Budgets to Improve Quality of the plan and its Acceptance • Is the plan easy to understand? • Does it make sense to staff?

35. It’s More Than Hardware & Software • Change management is critical to successful projects • What is the capacity for Change within the organization? • How are you communicating and gauging acceptance/resistance/fear? • What are you doing to build Acceptance or even anticipation without overselling? • How thorough are your training, floor walking, ongoing support plans?

36. It’s More Than Hardware & Software • A Project Always Costs More than What you pay a Vendor to Set It Up. • Vendors Like to Down-Play Costs That are Not Directly Related to Their Initial Bill. • With Your List of Needs and Associated Projects You Need to Roughly Determine The Associated Costs and Benefits of the Related Projects

37. Total Cost of Ownership • Start By Calculating the Total Cost of OwnersHip (TCO) for Each Project (we’ll assume a document assembly project): • Time to select solution & plan implementation ($10,000) • Initial & ongoing training, user support & documentation ($20,000) • System procurement/Programming/Setup ($50,000) • Management/Warranty/Maintenance/Upgrade/Expansion/DE-Commissioning Costs ($25,000) • Financing/Insurance/Indirect Infrastructure Costs ($15,000) • Useful life of the system (5 years) • Total Cost of Ownership is $120,000 incurred over 5 years or $24,000 per year

38. Return on Investment • Why is the Project Worth Doing? What are the expected benefits? • May be reduction in ongoing operating costs, an increase in productivity, an increase in client access or some other benefit • Assess and Monetize the Value of Those Benefits • Assumptions:-A project will save advocates an average of 15 mins/day-Total cost/hour is $50-70 Advocates on staff-230 Work days per year • ($50/4) * 70 * 230 = $201,250 in associated saved labor • Calculate Return on Investment (Savings/Investment): • $1,06,250 in Saved Labor / $120,000 Invested over 5 Yrs. = 838% ROI

39. Another reason for conducting the “Return on Investment” analysis • While the valuation of the costs and benefits are not always so easy or dramatic…. • the calculation brings a good deal of transparency to your projects and • allows others to readily examine your analysis.

40. Management Challenges • Acceptance of the Technology Plan • Really a question of how the plan was built • Managing Change - Not Overwhelming Staff • Managing Expectations • Not the greatest thing since sliced Bread • Will Require Broad Participation to Succeed

41. Management Challenges • Managing Projects • Adequate and Skilled Project Management Resources • Authority and Accountability • Adapting/Adjusting Your Plan (i.e. New Technology, > Costs, < Benefits) • Internal Communications - Integral to All Other Challenges

42. QUESTIONS?

43. Don’t forget to complete our survey  Thank you Glenn Rawdongrawdon@lsc.gov Legal Services Corporation Bristow Hardin hardinb@lsc.govLegal Services CorporationJohn Greiner jgreiner@ls-nyc.org Legal Services NYC Rachel R. Medina rachel@lsntap.org LSNTAP