ED120: LSC Baselines & ED120: LSC Baselines & Technology Planning Technology Planning OverviewOverviewFebruary 25, 2009

•Glenn Rawdon, Legal Services Corporation•Bristow Hardin, Legal Services Corporation•John Greiner, Legal Services NYC•Rachel R. Medina, LSNTAP

PresentersPresentersGlenn Rawdon

Legal Services CorporationBristow Hardin

Legal Services CorporationJohn Greiner

Legal Services NYCRachel R. Medina

LSNTAP

Today’s PresentationToday’s PresentationWhy Formalize Your Technology Plan?Overview of LSC Technology Plans for

FY2010Tech Planning: Where to Start?Practical Approach to Planning

Challenges

Today’s PresentationToday’s PresentationWhy Formalize Your Technology Plan?Overview of LSC Technology Plans for

FY2010Tech Planning: Where to Start?Practical Approach to Planning

Challenges

Why Formalize Your Why Formalize Your Technology Plan?Technology Plan?

“We are either progressing or retrograding all the while. There is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life....” – James Freeman Clarke (1810-1888)

“Acting on a good idea is better than just having a good idea. “– Robert Half (1918-2001)

Why Formalize Your Why Formalize Your Technology Plan?Technology Plan?TechSoup refers to a technology

plan as a “magic ingredient,” a tool to help you accomplish your organization’s technology vision, save money, and avoid crises (oh...and funders may require it) - http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/techplan/archives/page9834.cfm

A plan also helps you to:◦build costs into annual budget◦allocate responsibilities◦establish measurable goals

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Today’s PresentationToday’s PresentationWhy Formalize Your Technology Plan?Overview of LSC Technology Plans for

FY2010Tech Planning: Where to Start?Overcoming Typical Planning

Challenges

Overview of LSC Technology Plans Overview of LSC Technology Plans for FY2010for FY2010

Bristow Hardin, LSCGlenn Rawdon, LSC

What are the LSC What are the LSC Baselines?Baselines?www.lsc.gov/pdfs/technologybaselinereport.pdf www.lsc.gov/pdfs/technologybaselinereport.pdf

What do They Cover?What do They Cover?• Overall Program Capacity• Management of Client and Case Data• Production and Supervision of Legal Work• Records Management• Knowledge Management• Intake and Telephonic Advice• Direct Assistance to Low Income Persons• Support for Use of Private Attorney• Security• Training• Communication• Administration

What Do They Say About What Do They Say About Planning?Planning?•Overall Program Capacity–Planning - tech planning should be fully integrated into overall program planning–Budgeting - adequate funds should be budgeted for:•ongoing maintenance and upgrades of hardware & software•necessary personnel to support and maintain system•training in using it

–Personnel - sufficient capacity to:•maintain equipment, networks, databases and software

Required Technology Plan for Required Technology Plan for 20102010Required for all 2010 applications

and renewalsAt a minimum the plan should

include: ◦Description of program's technology

planning process◦Identification of specific baseline

technology capacities the program lacks◦Description of strategies program will

employ to acquire each missing baseline capacity

Information about the Information about the Technology Planning Process Technology Planning Process should include:should include:Description of the basic elements

of the planning processDiscussion of how technology

planning is integrated into the program's overall service delivery planning

Identify all Baseline Identify all Baseline Capacities the Program Capacities the Program LacksLacksFor each such capacity

◦If applicable, state why it is not needed Not program’s role in state justice

community Provided by another entity of state justice

community

◦For all others, describe the program’s strategy for acquiring each capacity (LSC is aware that factors such as sharply

diminished funding may limit an Applicant's ability to acquire all missing capacities during the grant period)

Submit Program’s Submit Program’s Technology BudgetTechnology BudgetThis budget should contain

◦Software and hardware acquisition costs

◦Software and hardware maintenance costs

◦IT staffing (internal and/or out-sourced)

◦Staff training costs (for IT staff and to insure all program staff can effectively use the program's technologies)

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

Today’s PresentationToday’s PresentationWhy Formalize Your Technology Plan?Overview of LSC Technology Plans for

FY2010Tech Planning: Where to Start?Overcoming Typical Planning

Challenges

Technology Planning: Where to Technology Planning: Where to Start?Start?

Rachel Medina, LSNTAP

Assess Existing TechnologyHardware, Software, Training

Assess Technologies AgainstLSC Technology BaselinesDevelop Solutions/

Goals for Improvement

Technology Planning Process

Bring together yourtechnology planning team

Construct Technology Vision as Part ofOverall Organizational Planning(and Pursuant to Your Mission)

Determe TCO & ROI for proposed Solutions/Project

Request Funding,if applicable

Decide what to implement

Complete Tech Plan with Tasks,Implementation Schedule

Put Your Plan Into Motion

Tech Planning: Where do I Tech Planning: Where do I start?start?

Assembly your technology planning team◦Team should include:

Executive Director IT Director A member of your board Representatives from other facets of the

organization, perhaps a paralegal, an admin support staff person, etc.

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

Components – Components – Mission Mission StatementStatementMission & Vision

◦Why a mission is important: It’s the guiding principle by which you will

make all technology decisions It is very easy in technology planning to get

lost down rabbit trails exploring interesting technology applications which may not actually help you accomplish your mission

In order for your technology to be effective it has to be right for your organization

You can’t have a focused technology vision unless you have a mission

Components – Vision Components – Vision StatementStatement

Why a Vision is important: ◦ It helps you focus your technology efforts in

a way that will be most effective and powerful for your organization

How to come up with a Vision:◦ It’s more than simply stating “We need X”◦ It should be a free analytical process by

which you hold back all judgment about what you think is possible and dream about what you’d want technology to do for you if it could TechAtlas recommends beginning with words like

“We believe” technology should do X

Assessment of Existing Assessment of Existing TechnologyTechnology

“Stable & Secure” Technologies◦ http://www.npower.org/services/assessment-and-planning

Hardware/Software Assessments◦ Tech Soup’s Uptime Resource spreadsheet◦ Microsoft Software Inventory Reports◦ See links on LSNTAP Tech Planning Portal

http://sites.google.com/a/lsntap.org/techplanning/resources-1

LSC Baseline Technologies Checklist◦ www.lsc.gov/pdfs/technologybaselinereport.pdf

Assess Staff ◦ Use technology skills survey by TechAtlas

http://sites.google.com/a/lsntap.org/techplanning/resources-1

ComponentsComponentsDevelop Goals

Technology ComponentsTechnology ComponentsDescription of Technology Projects

◦ Management of Client and Case Data◦ Developing adequate tech personnel plans ◦ Document production◦ Knowledge management◦ Intake and telephone systems◦ Statewide website development◦ Systems for PAI support◦ Security◦ Tech Training◦ Communication Tools◦ Administrative Tools – accounting, HR management

and Grant Maintenance

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ResourcesResourcesExecutive Roundtable – March 12th

LSNTAP Tech Planning Portal◦Numerous resources are listed on the site◦Request access to the site as a

collaborator so that you can add comments to other technology plans and receive feedback on your own technology plan

◦To sign up for a webpage for your program that will link to your draft technology plan, send an e-mail to Rachel Medinarachel@lsntap.org

Today’s PresentationToday’s PresentationWhy Formalize Your Technology Plan?Overview of LSC Technology Plans for

FY2010Tech Planning: Where to Start?Overcoming Typical Planning

Challenges

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Overcoming Typical Planning Overcoming Typical Planning ChallengesChallenges

Developing an Appropriate and Rational Technology Plan

John Greiner, Legal Services NYC

Assessing Program and Staff Assessing Program and Staff NeedsNeeds

• Start from Legal Services Delivery Perspective

• Ideally: Part Of Overall Program Planning

• If Not, Need To Do the second best: - Bring Advocates and Managers into the Process (include program and technical Innovators/Leaders)

• Good to inject New Approaches Made Possible With Technology

• Opportunity to think about new ways to work

• Build Committee & Use In Person/Web Meetings to save staff some time while keeping members connected

Program and Staff Needs Program and Staff Needs ContinuedContinued

• Get Broad Input in Determining Needs, Skills and Possible Solutions

• Members Meet with Their Local Office/Unit Staff

• Individually Interview Key Users and Leaders

• Consider Web Surveys as an additional Tool

• Look to Sister Organizations & National Groups like LSNTAP

• Translate Needs into Related Projects and, Where Possible, Likely Solutions

• i.e. Family Defense Unit needs to increase ITs pleading & letter writing to reduce unnecessary hearings & improve results --> Document Automation-->National Hotdocs Project

Program and Staff Needs Program and Staff Needs ContinuedContinued

• Identify and Quantify Expected Benefits of Each Project • The benefits likely relate to core program goals

such as improving quality, impact, efficiency, client access, or internal program community.

• Solicit Additional Feedback on Your Findings, Priorities, Rough Project Timelines/Budgets to Improve Quality of the plan and its Acceptance• Is the plan easy to understand? • Does it make sense to staff?

It’s More Than Hardware & It’s More Than Hardware & SoftwareSoftware

• Change management is critical to successful projects

• What is the capacity for Change within the organization?

• How are you communicating and gauging acceptance/resistance/fear?

• What are you doing to build Acceptance or even anticipation without overselling?

• How thorough are your training, floor walking, ongoing support plans?

It’s More Than Hardware & It’s More Than Hardware & SoftwareSoftware

• A Project Always Costs More than What you pay a Vendor to Set It Up.

• Vendors Like to Down-Play Costs That are Not Directly Related to Their Initial Bill.

• With Your List of Needs and Associated Projects You Need to Roughly Determine The Associated Costs and Benefits of the Related Projects

Total Cost of OwnershipTotal Cost of Ownership• Start By Calculating the Total Cost of OwnersHip (TCO) for

Each Project (we’ll assume a document assembly project):

• Time to select solution & plan implementation ($10,000)

• Initial & ongoing training, user support & documentation ($20,000)

• System procurement/Programming/Setup ($50,000)

• Management/Warranty/Maintenance/Upgrade/Expansion/DE-Commissioning Costs ($25,000)

• Financing/Insurance/Indirect Infrastructure Costs ($15,000)

• Useful life of the system (5 years)

• Total Cost of Ownership is $120,000 incurred over 5 years or $24,000 per year

Return on InvestmentReturn on Investment• Why is the Project Worth Doing? What are the

expected benefits?• May be reduction in ongoing operating costs, an increase

in productivity, an increase in client access or some other benefit

• Assess and Monetize the Value of Those Benefits • Assumptions:

-A project will save advocates an average of 15 mins/day-Total cost/hour is $50-70 Advocates on staff-230 Work days per year

• ($50/4) * 70 * 230 = $201,250 in associated saved labor

• Calculate Return on Investment (Savings/Investment):• $1,06,250 in Saved Labor / $120,000 Invested over 5

Yrs. = 838% ROI

Another reason for Another reason for conducting the “Return on conducting the “Return on

Investment” analysisInvestment” analysis

• While the valuation of the costs and benefits are not always so easy or dramatic….

• the calculation brings a good deal of transparency to your projects and

• allows others to readily examine your analysis.

Management ChallengesManagement Challenges• Acceptance of the Technology Plan

• Really a question of how the plan was built

• Managing Change - Not Overwhelming Staff

• Managing Expectations

• Not the greatest thing since sliced Bread

• Will Require Broad Participation to Succeed

Management ChallengesManagement Challenges• Managing Projects

• Adequate and Skilled Project Management Resources

• Authority and Accountability

• Adapting/Adjusting Your Plan (i.e. New Technology, > Costs, < Benefits)

• Internal Communications - Integral to All Other Challenges

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

THANK YOUTHANK YOUDon’t forget to complete our survey Glenn Rawdongrawdon@lsc.govLegal Services Corporation

Bristow Hardinhardinb@lsc.govLegal Services Corporation

John Greinerjgreiner@ls-nyc.org Legal Services NYC

Rachel R. Medinarachel@lsntap.org LSNTAP