Use this checklist to ensure all the elements of a well-developed technology plan.
Pre-planning
Decisions have been made regarding the people, resources, and input that will be involved from your organization:
- Team - organized team of key players, stakeholders, naysayers
- Buy-in - established and cultivated from decision-makers, stakeholders
- Timeline - set a reasonable timeline
- Outside
Help - determination has been made regarding obtaining help from
technical assistance (TA) providers, consultants, others.
Executive Summary
Include a short, specific summary of the highlights of your plan:
- Background - brief description to set up the context
- Goals - statement of goals
- Priority Needs - summary of your most pressing needs
- Solutions - how technology will solve the needs and achieve your goals
Organization Profile
Include a short description of your organization:
- Name, location, programs
- Mission statement
- People served
- Kinds of services provided
Goals and Technology Vision
Include a section on what you hope to achieve with technology:
- Goals - aspirations of your agency
- Technology vision - how technology will achieve your goals
- Description of problems - what needs to be solved
- Technology vision - how solving these problems through technology will achieve your goals
Current Technology and Resources
Include a description of your current technology and staff resources:
- Assessment of current technology
- Description of what technology works well
- Description of what needs maintenance or upgrade
- Current training needs
- Current training taking place
Priority Needs
Include a section detailing how your plan will better serve people's needs through improved equipment, tools, and training:
- Description of what you want to accomplish with technology
- Explanation of why a new computer, software, or a network is needed
- List of priorities - what technology needs are most critical
Solutions
This section is the crux of your plan. Describe what technology is right for each problem and need including:
- Comparison of what you have with what you need
- Description of the technology that will meet the needs mentioned in previous section
- Outcome-based solutions
- Solutions tracked against goals and objectives
- Details about training needs
- Outline
of any necessary organizational changes--such as hiring new staff,
changing organizational policy, revising job descriptions, etc.
Timeline
Include a chart or description of all phases of your technology plan and projected completion dates for milestones and phases.
Budget
Include a realistic budget with proposed solutions:
- Outline of staff costs and training
- Details on hardware and software costs
- Details on technology maintenance
- Outline for proposed consultants and outsourcing
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