RE: Staff IT Use Policy

Thanks. It was a bit more of a 'ICT Procedures' doc that I was after. I know procedures will depend on each organisation, but I wonder if there are suggestions of for example how to keep a hard drive clean, keeping an inventory of equipment, someone taking responsibility for recording faults in a network etc. (I suppose this gets into the IT Plan world). I'll have a look around the area you pointed me to.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Also, I'm writing from the UK, and work for a membership org for community centres. *Many* of these centres need access to affordable IT Support and technical advice. Slowly there's more help arriving, but do you know of any model projects that have been particularly successful at meeting this need?<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Thanks.<:LINEBREAK:>Steph

Steph - I'm afraid I have no magic solution to offer but more mundane suggestions:<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>1. Identify the specific tasks that need to be handled<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>2. Separate the tasks into 'mission-essential' tasks and those that are less important but would still be worth handling if you had the time. For example, a mission critical task might be to backup your client tracking database every day. A less important task may be to inventory your hardware.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>3. For all mission-essential tasks develop clear steps for handling the task. Step by step instructions/procedures for proper completion of the task are essential to avoid mistakes and ensure proper follow through.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>4. Have three different people walk through the procedure to identify areas where you need to improve the instructions.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>5. Identify an individual to handle the task. Assign another staff person as a 'Backup Buddy' to support the primary person if they are unable to complete the task for some reason.<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>6. Provide the necessary training<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>7. If it is a task that you are not out-sourcing then develop a rotation schedule to spread knowledge and responsibility within the organization. I recommend a 3 month cycle. This gives staff the chance to learn more and take on new tasks occasionally. Keeps things fresh!<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Marc Osten<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Summit Consulting Collaborative<:LINEBREAK:><:LINEBREAK:>Summit's Resources for Nonprofits