how free is free? best practice for working with it volunteers
Post on 19-Oct-2014
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Anne Stafford, iT4Communities @ 2009 Lasa Circuit Rider Conference -- How can we best prepare an organisation to work with an IT volunteer? When can/should IT support be free? What preparation is vital and how can risks be minimised? What are the pros and cons of pro bono work from both points of view? A workshop of answers as well as questions! Tools and experiences shared.TRANSCRIPT
Copyright iT4C 2008
[Presenter Name][Job Title]
Who are we and what do we do?
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How free is free support? – the cost of volunteers
• Volunteer support isn’t sustainable – they come, they go – availability/flexibility is an issue
• Volunteers need to be managed and need a named contact
• Volunteers can’t solve problems without internal support
• You need to work with them to define what needs to be done
• Costs
– Time
– Management
– Change
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Best practice for working with IT volunteers
• Management buy in
• Project responsibility lies with charity not volunteer
• No brief = scope creep and project hiatus
• Communicate effectively and timely
• Treat volunteers professionally and be aware that they might not understand VCS culture
• Deliver what you agree when you’ve agreed it
• All volunteers need to be managed (=staff time)
• Sometimes it’s quicker to pay someone to come in and do it than find a volunteer and brief them
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Working with a volunteer:
– know what you want first
– think about risks and risk minimisation - ensure that the project is suitable/ ensure that a volunteer is a suitable solution
• A broker or ICT development worker may be able to help with the above
– be prepared – have questions to ask/ resources ready
– be prepared to interview and select set aside plenty of time to monitor project and support volunteer
• iT4C has online resources to assist with checklists and can mediate
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How can we best prepare an organisation to work with an IT volunteer?
– Help them define their need
– think about risks and risk minimisation - ensure that the project is suitable/ ensure that a volunteer is a suitable solution
– Get them prepared – a confident named contact and resources ready
– Mediation? – it has worked but largely I say try not to
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When can/should IT support be free?
• The $100 question!
• When it has to be?
• Who do you trust to ask?
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•What IT support should not be free?
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Is there a right answer?
• There is a lot of choices of approach/software/hardware
• The environment moves quickly
• How does a VCS manage this?
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The best projects for volunteers:
– Not mission critical
– Flexible but clearly defined
– Valuable with strong charity buy-in
– Stimulating but not stressful
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The best volunteer projects for organisations:
– Not mission critical
– Not urgent
– clearly defined
– Valuable and strategic
– Sustainable
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Minimising risks – for organisations:
• Seek advice
• Seek independent advice
• Trust
• Communication
• Own the project
• Understand the risks & monitor them
• Project management – from the initial brief, sign off
• Sustainability
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Minimising risks – for volunteers:
• Be clear what your aims are and communicate these
• Set clear boundaries, know your own availability
• Consider using a broker who may be able to help provide support/netowrks & mediate/find replacement etc later
• Ask any important questions first – eg about expenses
• Be understanding about the circumstances under which many VCS work – part time staff, volunteer run, IT not their primary concern etc etc
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What are the pros and cons of pro bono work from both points of view?
• VCS
– Cheaper
– Trusted advice
– Match funding
• Volunteer
– New environment
– Whole project view
– New skills
– Giving real value – a big donation to a cause they support
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Why it Works So Well
Benefits to Charities
• Better end-IT resource thanks to help from an IT Professional
• More time & money to dedicate to front line support
• iT4C removes the scary ‘techie’ barrier
• No worries as iT4C team are always on hand for support & guidance
Benefits to Volunteers
• Feel good factor from making a difference
• Increased business & communications skills for CV
• Enhanced future job prospects
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Making it Work for You
• Don’t forget there are costs involved with using IT Volunteers:
– Staff time
– Project Management
– Training
– Sustainability
– Costs of IT equipment, web hosting etc
• The BEST projects are:
– Well planned and managed
– Have the support of the Board/staff
– Well communicated from the start
– Not mission critical
– Not urgent
– Sustainable
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Learning Through Action
• Learning Through Action is a charity addressing personal issues with children & young people
• They came to iT4C as they needed a new, engaging and fully accessible website
• Volunteer Ian Cooper enjoyed working with LTA so much that he became their long-term webmaster
• Website launched in just 5 months
• Ian now volunteers as a Director-Trustee and continues to add new features to the website
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Depression Alliance London
• DA is the UK’s lead depression information & support charity
• They were in a funding predicament and came to iT4C to help get them back on their feet through training in Fundraising software
• Volunteer Ian Rumford completed a full IT audit and trained staff in the new software
• Both the charity and its server are back from the brink of collapse
• Ian continues to act as the DA’s IT Support when needed
