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The Future of Technology in the Non-Profit Sector

The Future of Technology in the Non-Profit Sector. Dr Simon N Davey Managing Director Omega Alpha Limited www.omega-alpha.com “Because only dead fish go with the flow.”. Smaller, faster, better, cheaper, anytime, anywhere. But what difference is it making?

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The Future of Technology in the Non-Profit Sector

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  1. The Future of Technology in the Non-Profit Sector Dr Simon N Davey Managing Director Omega Alpha Limited www.omega-alpha.com “Because only dead fish go with the flow.”

  2. Smaller, faster, better, cheaper, anytime, anywhere • But what difference is it making? • What are the promises technology is making? • Why doesn’t it deliver? "Wisdom is to recognise what can be made better and make it better, and to recognise what can only be made worse and walk away." - Glen Duncan www.preponderate.net

  3. What we want, what we really, really want • To be able to do our jobs effectively, economically, efficiently • To make a difference to the people we want to help • To do things better or do better things • Personally, to enhance my life experience (communication and information) www.preponderate.net

  4. Only benefits, risks and drawbacks matter • What difference will this make? • What risks will/might arise? • What could go wrong – people problems! • Technology itself is meaningless… • Costs resources but can deliver benefits www.preponderate.net

  5. The future is about people, applications, communication and access • What’s driving this? • Too often it’s technical, individual, financial • Not outcomes focused enough • What the people need (not want) • Killer applications e.g. blogs, VOIP • Access to information and communication easily and cheaply www.preponderate.net

  6. Buzzwords • Ubiquity • Convergence • Plug and play • Always on • Ease of use www.preponderate.net

  7. Great ideas which haven’t quite made it (yet) • E-publishing (websites, blogs) • Data warehousing (databases, information structure) • Broadband (if you can get it) • IT training (too focused on individual programs) • Open source (too hard, too geeky) • Paperless office (drowning in paperwork) • A computer in every home (other priorities?) • Handheld/mobile computing www.preponderate.net

  8. What needs to happen • Knowing what we do and could do • Building a meaningful business case with tangible benefits • Appreciating resource costs and measuring against value added/lost • Seeing technology as an enabler not a separate function • Seeing ICT as fundamental to success (friend not foe, resource not cost) • Developing an infrastructure which supports ICT in community organisations www.preponderate.net

  9. What is already happening • Technology being driven from a strategic perspective • Organisations of similar types coming together to plan and develop applications, share resources and experiences (good and bad) • Applications driven for the NP sector • Access to quality, unbiased, focused, professional advice on technology issues • Technology supports monitoring and evaluation (outcomes management) • Needs driven not wants driven www.preponderate.net

  10. What is making the difference • Technology matures and stabilises, becomes natural • Organisations see applications not technology per se • People understand impact and benefits • Management understands value • Meaningful investment and support causes change and enables impact both www.preponderate.net

  11. Successful applications • Mobile email and webmail • Blogs – self publishing • National resources – thesite.org, web based advice for youth • Sub-sector resources – London Housing Foundation and IMFO • Local resources/information – www.mymanchester.net • Publishing – syndication & sharing information • Aggregated databases – local, regional, national through Guidestar.org.uk www.preponderate.net

  12. Future impacts • Access to communication anytime, anywhere (but with an escape clause if you want it) • Access to information (power of search) • Technology gets more powerful, appropriately portable and does what its supposed to do • ICT actually becomes intuitive (but stops being too clever for its own good) • Naturalisation - people and organisations see the application not the grey boxes • Stop being clever, start being smart • Infrastructure supports ICT (strategy, management, technical support, application planning) www.preponderate.net

  13. My dream is that one day… • Using technology will be as natural as having a conversation • ICT will encourage, enable and enamour everyone, regardless of age, education, culture, relative wealth or social position • The internet becomes truly ageless and classless • It will make life easier not more frustrating • It supports learning, understanding, communication • It becomes as fundamental as finance www.preponderate.net

  14. Thank you Simon Davey Managing Director Omega Alpha Limited www.omega-alpha.com “Because only dead fish go with the flow.” T: +44 (0) 20 8892 7085 E: simon@omega-alpha.com www.preponderate.net

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