Tech Surveyor was built by NPower. TechAtlas was built collaboratively by NPower and TechRocks, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Verizon Foundation, The Innovation Fund, and The James Irvine Foundation. Case studies

Tech Surveyor is an online technology inventory tool, 

• launched May 2001.
• Roughly 600 orgs signed up to use it in its first year.
• An incremental new release is scheduled for September 2002.

TechAtlas is an online technology assessment and planning tool. 

• Launched April 2002
• 646 orgs have signed up since then, now reaching 5000 user sessions/month.
• Composed of a process that includes 
  1. Envisioning a plan
  2. Assessing needs and existing tech resources (in which Tech Surveyor is nested and accessible through TechAtlas).
  3. Prioritizing recommendations and steps 
  4. Acting on your plan.

Tech Surveyor and TechAtlas are sister tools that share organization profiles and a common database. You can use them independently or together, and org accounts created for one will work on the other. 

Tech Surveyor and TechAtlas can also be used by orgs alone, or by orgs and riders who are working together in to do tech planning and then implement those plans.

TechAtlas & Tech Surveyor Partner Program

'Orgs often do tech planning with a rider or consultant, yet often cannot or do not.'

• With the release of TechAtlas, we added a Partner role to the tools for tech consultants to customize and use TechAtlas in your own ways and with you own branding, approaches to tech consulting and tech planning.
• Partners have full read access to TechAtlas and Tech Surveyor organization data for partnered orgs, and the ability to aggregate data across organizations.
• Partners also have the ability to create share resources, the assessment instruments you  build, and the recommendation logic you use can also be shared with other TechAtlas Riders.
• about 50% (316/646) of orgs have signed up with a Partner Affiliation 
• Partners & org Count

http://techatlas.org/partner 

How not used by partners to work with orgs?

1) Not used when the tech consultant's work is highly unique; when no 2 projects are alike, and every case is very specific in a variety of ways.

2) Not used when org is not comfortable with using the web or a web based system.

How is TechAtlas used by riders to work with orgs?

1) as an optional tool for orgs doing their own tech planning. Techrocks ,  NYFA.org-->

2) as a way to kick off the tech planning process, and then further refine through in person consultation. NPower Seattle Statewide outreach program.

3) as a way to work with remote orgs, where being in person isn't possible or easy .

4) as a way to go through the entire planning process through implementation with orgs.

5) start plans for orgs, then make them available to orgs after you've crafted their plans.

6) as a way to collect data, and analyze it across a number of orgs partnered with you.  -->

7) as a way to direct orgs to resources when you can't work with them directly. 

8) market your services to new orgs, by giving them a free tool to assess their needs, then work with you to fulfill those.

These notes and Case Study notes will be available at http://penpixel.com/sf-riders 

TechAtlas http://techatlas.org 

Partner Program http://techatlas.org/partner

Tech Surveyor http://techsurveyor.npower.org  

Tomorrow's session on tools, we can discuss TS beta, TA planned and future features.

• Tompkins Spann/NARAL
• New York Foundation for the Arts
• Statewide Outreach Program, NPower Seattle
• Consulting Services Program, NPower Seattle

NARAL
How NARAL is using TA -
Recently we invited selected affiliates to submit applications for grant money under our POP project. In the request for proposal, we included a requirement that all technology related spending proposals must be approved by the Technology Field Manager (Me). With this carrot, I decided to take advantage of the situation and require these 9 affiliates to complete a comprehensive technology plan for their own use. With a complete plan, I can more effectively help them determine what tech aspects require immediate attention and funding and what aspects require additional funds or other attention (e.g. creating backup plans and equipment inventory).

To accomplish this tech planning process, we first used TA to create an assessment/recommendation tool and then provided the affiliates with a "how to" guide (see attached) for completing the assessments and the planning process (a combination of low and high touch assistance).

So far this is working well. I sent the initial email and directed any questions related to the assessments to our Technology Support Associate who is acting as triage. She has been compiling the responses from each affiliate for us to review. The process I described to the affiliates includes an initial consultation after completing the assessments to discuss any concerns not addressed in the TA assessment. After the initial consult, I then compile the recommendations from TA and other info I've received and send them a draft plan. Together we review and refine the plan and begin implementing.

I expect to use TA to assist in the implementation by adding items to the list and recommending the affiliates return to their plan on TA and update as necessary. We'll see if this works.

I'm also looking forward to using the TechSurveyor tools to assess some NARAL specific training and skill needs with our affiliates. I look forward to the integration of the tools and hope that I will be able to modify the skills summaries like I can with the tech assessments. For instance, NARAL use the Choice Action Network (CAN) as our E-advocacy center. I'd like to use both the assessment and surveyor tools to query affiliates on their use and training needs related to CAN.

 

For NPower Seattle'sstatewide outreach program

OVERALL

That it makes for a great resource to complement/support any technology planning work you are doing with nonprofits, *especially* if you don't have the resources to walk them all the way through the process. TechAtlas can help remind them about the steps in the process and gives them resources to organize and facilitate the planning process.

-what TA/TS features do you use most, and why?

The Basic assessment, because the small NP groups that I work with are new to technology, and they love to "get advice" from TA. Reading through the rationales and suggested steps is the most direction some of them have ever gotten around technology for their orgs. I also refer them to the TCO calculator on TA a lot, because many of them are new to that concept as well, and are curious to learn more about budgeting for computers.

-where do you see yourself going in the future using TA/TS?

Not sure yet... At least stay at the resource/referral level that I'm at, but perhaps integrating it more into my work with orgs and into our teaching of the Technology Strategies Curriculum.

WORKING WITH ORGS THAT USE TA/TS

-do you refer orgs you don't/can't serve to use TA/TS on their own?

absolutely.

-do you use TA, TS, or both with orgs?

I've demoed both tools for them, and worked with some groups to show them how to manage their inventory w/ TS and take the assessment on TA. That's it so far.

INTERVIEW NOTES

-first, used TA as initial step, after phone call, to gauge where they were, prior to working with them. Though they had project ideas, it was good to get more information than they might quickly volunteer. It was a way to filter orgs without motivation~since it takes work. Because orgs were dispersed, remote work was particularly useful. We were looking for orgs at particular places; followed up after viewing their assessment recommmendations; (would have looked at responses) then would start tech planning process individually orgs, based.) ~6-7 groups.

-now doing (3 trainings, ~30-40 orgs) weeklong trainings, tech strats for npo leaders. Since only in town briefly, we get them started with TA, then they can use TA to follow through after we've left. TA as an out of class resource. ~~Some have followed through, haven't checked on this yet though.

-need resources available for after they've left

-really comforable saying TA has all the tech planning info

-will continue using it during next 5 trainings.

-planning a day of service around TA/TS

-use assessments, and TCO calculator, and staff skills sections, and budget pages most often. sr prog mgrs, or exec dirs for the most part.

--lindsay

Max, NPower Seattle Consulting Services Team

Great Valley Center

-presented TA in trainings, were excited and saw value, set up local MSO as a partner, but don't have followup results.

NCDI assmt building

-beginning testing

NPower Seattle Consulting Services

-consulting team has reviewed using it, discussing when & why.

-had discussions about it

-concerns:

-as consultants, using a tool requires:

-saves us time or the org money~~don't see yet how these tools can do one or both of these.

-projects brought up, and implemented tactically on a project basis.

-surgical tech projects that don't raise global org tech planning issues which are small %, mostly new db projects.

-our consulting is with local orgs, very complex, sophisticated, and unique to each project, and requiring of high level skills. When/if we find things that can be recommended more systematically than uniquely, we'd look at using TA for that. If TA/TS was more sophisticated, we'd be more able to use it then.

-for orgs that can't afford our services, we refer them to use TA/TS.

NYFA.org

Here's how we describe it: (excerpted from their planning docs)

Beth Kanter