Extension 437

Things that go wrong

What difference am I making with my clients? I consider this question often. Sometimes it's difficult to discern what impact I'm having when the purpose of the engagement is maintenance. I'm there not to move some big project forward, just to keep things from backsliding.

So how can we measure the impact I'm having? The answer: by what's not happening to the organization. What hasn't broken? What problems have not arisen as a result of my participation?

What goes wrong with IT in small organizations?

• Somebody orders the wrong software or hardware.
• A virus breaks out and productivity drops while it is eradicated.
• Data is lost and reduces productivity.
• Confidential information is exposed to unauthorized parties after a hacker intrusion.
• Software or hardware breaks.

These things tend not to happen to my clients. For example, since I started providing scheduled support services, I have not had to deal with a single virus outbreak. Whether I am making a difference can only be determined by comparing the incidence of these events with organizations that do not have access to regular visits by a system administrator.

Now how could we get information from such a control group?

Writing a column

Last week I discussed with TechSoup the possibility of writing a regular column about my experiences as a consultant to nonprofit organizations. Nothing is set in stone but it could appear before long.

More on local user groups

In a comment on my earlier post on user groups, Marnie writes:

"Pushing a little harder on your list of benefits: how would those benefits manifest?"

As an example, she suggested: "story ideas for TechSoup could be measured by the number of stories that TS published which germinated in those user groups. Or, better yet, the number of other user group participants that published stories."

In response, I suggest the benefits I mentioned can be measured thus:

Benefit: Access to communities with technical ability.

Evidence:

• Compumentor subcontracts or refers work to a firm represented in a user group.
• A client comes to CompuMentor through a user group contact.
• User group participants respond to requests for volunteers.
• When a CompuMentor consultant asks for help from a user group participant outside the setting of the user group, help is granted.

Benefit: Raise CompuMentor's profile as a partner in the local technology scene.

Evidence:

• CompuMentor is asked to participate in an event or project as a result of a user group contact.
• When asked "where did you learn about CompuMentor" clients, partners, or Web site visitors mention user group participation.
• CompuMentor is approached by a potential partner through a user group contact.

Benefit: Opportunities to interface with marketing representatives from software vendors.

Evidence:

• Discussion with a software vendor about product philanthropy begins as a result of a user group contact.
• A new software vendor offers a product on TechSoup Stock as a result of a user group contact.
• Product demos or NFR software for evaluation are obtained from user group contacts.
• A TechSoup article is written about a software product after seeing it demonstrated at a user group meeting.

Benefit: Learning about the latest technology (vendors visit and demo products).

Evidence:

• A consultant is able to answer a question or solve a problem as a result of learning at a user group.
• CompuMentor chooses to use or recommend a software product after encountering it at a user group.

This is just what I came up with off the top of my head. More/different benefits and corresponding evidence of benefit may result from additional thinking.

Marnie also wrote:

"On another note, I also think that it would be interesting to understand what user groups don't already exist and that we could facilitate -- groups for npo specific applications."

This is an excellent point. Nonprofit-specific software is often produced by smaller software vendors. A smaller vendor for whatever reason is less likely to have a user group. Product-oriented user groups might help provide mutual support on one or more of the following products:

• QuickBooks NP Edition
• The Raiser's Edge
• Blackbaud Fund Accounting
• MIP Accounting for Nonprofits
• FileMaker Donations
• eBase
• Donorperfect
• Microedge GIFTS
• eTapestry
• Kintera Fundware
• Volunteer management software

I can imagine a user group that is focused on software specific to nonprofits. Maybe not a single title, but any software that is exclusively for nonprofit use. A sample agenda might look like:

Agenda

Soup buffet
Introduction of tonight's topic
Demonstration of QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit Edition 2005
QuickBooks Q & A
General Q & A

Now that I think of it, this looks very similar to our brown bags. Except I imagine it taking place in the evening instead of lunchtime. And our brown bags as they stand are not necessarily designed for peer exchange. I also imagine our brown bags to be one-off events. The participants at one meeting may not come to the next meeting. But with a user group I imagine a core community that comes back time and again for the meetings.

Client community

Periodically my clients email me for tech support. I'd like to change this one-to-many relationship to a many-to-many relationship. I could set up a Google Group or TechSoup forum where my clients can post their problems. The way things are set up now, they're guaranteed to get an answer from me. But if other clients and consultants are subscribed, they could get an answer faster. My clients can learn from each other's questions and answers.

By doing this CompuMentor moves from a purely "doctor" role towards a facilitator role. Clients get responses faster. They learn from each other. Together we create a community of practice. And the ongoing conversation is archived and searchable.

This is just a raw idea and deserves additional thought.

Free training from Microsoft

These Web seminars are free to Microsoft Partners. Hands-on labs are also available.

Proactive Security Patch Management
January 06, 2005

Deploying Windows XP SP2
January 11, 2005

TS2: Windows 2003 Server Troubleshooting & Disaster Recovery
January 20, 2005

Real Life Lessons: Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network
January 24th, 2005