eStrategy Guide for NFP's
16 May 2005 at 1:05 pm
What’s your organisation’s experience of emerging information and communications technologies? Are you struggling with making your on-line presence more efficient and have you found a service provider that’s ‘gold-platted’? A new Government-funded Guide needs your input!
A Sydney-based ICT consultancy, Social Change Online has won a Commonwealth Government tender to design and develop an eStrategy Guide for Not for Profits.
The Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) says the information and communication technology (ICT) guide is aimed as small to medium NGO’s and a key aspect of its development involves extensive consultation with community organisations.
That job is in the hands of Social Change Online founder and CEO, Sean Kidney.
Social Change Online is already operating to help organisations make the most of new technologies from Internet services, ranging from website development and back end technology integration, to strategic planning services and content development.
Kidney says he’s not working from scratch to come up with a list of services for Not for Profits.
Rather he’s gathering information from existing DCITA publications on business and IT strategies and compiling the information that is most relevant to the Not for Profit sector. And strong case studies will be a key element.
Kidney says the eStrategy guide will be more like a travel guide.
And that’s where NFPs can assist in the consultation process. Sean Kidney is looking to the small to medium NGO’s to provide their own stories about their experiences with ICT.
Kidney says he wants real stories that reflect what is happening with regards to finding, using and managing these technologies. He’s looking for experiences both good and bad.
For any Not for Profits willing to provide their stories, Kidney says he will be able to offer incentives such as early access to the guide on-line and where possible direct them to appropriate ICT solutions.
He is also looking to Not for Profits to recommend some of the great (paying) service providers, both for-profit and Not for Profit, that they have dealt with so that they can be passed on to other organisations.
The Guide will be both an online publication and available in CD-ROM format and it expected to be completed by September 2005.
DCITA’s tender document calls for a simple instructive business tool based on its current e-business guide. The aim is to improve the take-up of ICTs by the Not for Profit sector in getting online and maximising their existing or planned computer related investments that will improve their efficiency.
Sean Kidney has two decades experience working on public communications projects for Governments at all levels, for unions, and for Not for Profits. He has worked closely with Government Ministers; with peak non-Government organisations (NGOs), and with local educators. In 1988 he co-founded social marketing company, Social Change Media. In 1996 he co-founded Social Change Online, dedicated to delivering web services to public interest organisations in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is a board member of many NFP organisations.
If you would like to share your organisation’s experiences of ICT with Social Change Online, or discuss the project further just send an email to Sean Kidney at sean@socialchange.net.au.
