We at Community IT Innovators (CITI) are committed to helping organizations plan technology just as you would plan a fundraising campaign or a new program. We have a number of different technology assessments, each one designed to help document the existing characteristics and capabilities of your organization.

During the holistic technology assessment, we develop observations that confirm, validate, or challenge existing assumptions. This results in a comprehensive, prioritized list of recommendations for how your organization can use technology to improve service delivery, build capacity, or achieve greater operational efficiencies. 

Philosophy

Our experience has shown that in any technology project, 80 percent of the project's success will depend on how effectively staff and stakeholders move from former ways of doing things to changed processes and technology.  Perhaps your organization has undergone recent changes, and your business processes and technology need to catch up? Or perhaps you're humming along fine, but feel as though some changes in how you use technology or what technology you're using could make your work even more successful?

If these situations sound familiar, a technology assessment or other consulting engagement could be the first step toward your "just right" solution.

Methodology

We have seen that a strategic, dialogue-driven approach to technology evaluation and planning can yield a higher return on investment. We normally recommend that as many staff as possible - management and non-management - participate in the assessment process. This helps create opportunities for staff and others to provide input and to better understand technology and systems changes in the recommendations that emerge.  During the holistic assessment process we will:

• Listen to your organizational challenges and goals, along with your technology-related priorities and experiences
• Explore how you would like things to work in terms of processes - how things are today and how you want them to be based on your organizational objectives and goals
• Review your current technology infrastructure via a Tech Audit of hardware and core software
• Identify how you manage, track and report information through your existing databases, spreadsheets, etc.
• Provide a written, prioritized technology plan
• Deliver an estimated budget and timeline for corresponding projects

Specific Services

An assessment is not a one-size-fits-all checklist, but a customized evaluation.  Deliverables, depending on your needs, may include:

• An on-site meeting with key staff to listen to and understand your organizational objectives and challenges
• A Tech Audit of your network infrastructure and related software, including workstations, servers, network hardware, Internet connectivity, backup, anti-virus and firewall, and network security
• An exploration of your database(s) in terms of structure, information flow, security, processes, accessibility and integration
• An assessment of your website and how current and future programmatic and strategic goals affect your website
• A comprehensive written report of our findings, recommendations and suggestions, including an estimated budget, time frames, and suggested resources
• Follow-up on-site meetings to discuss recommendations, estimates, and next steps based on your priorities