This article is written for a staff member that has been drafted into writing a technology plan.  You need a plan.  You need it quickly.  You don't want to look like an idiot.  You would like to be successful.   It sounds so simple.

A Technology Plan In A Box

04.24.2008 –

By Doug Yeager

 This article is written for a staff member that has been drafted into writing a technology plan.  You need a plan.  You need it quickly.  You don't want to look like an idiot.  You would like to be successful.   It sounds so simple. …Surely, thousands have been in this position.  You look for templates and you find hints, some practical (TechSoup, NTEN, CFTech, the Summit collaborative, TAG), some totally overwhelming, (FFIEC, COBIT, State technology centers, Sarbanes-Oxley) and you are left with a headache. 
The more you dig, the bigger the maelstrom. What is wrong?   

If you were to be given the mandate of creating a plan for your garden, what would you do?  You would begin by asking some simple questions:

• How big is the garden?
• What kind of shape is it in?
• What is the budget?
• How ambitious are you?
• What tools are in the shed?

Short-cuts to a Plan

 The astute observer will note that a typical homeowner does not set out to completely redesign their yard every year, or even plan for major projects.  If your technology needs fall in this category, chances are you are looking to either just maintain what you have, or perhaps look to replant a single flower bed.

• Maintenance mode: sometimes a token effort at a planning document is exactly what a staff person has been asked to prepare. 
  • The objective here needs to be understood not as bringing about change but in satisfying a request for a plan. 
  • A template such as that provided on CFTech provides a good outline, (http://www.cftech.org/page14865.cfm).
  • A maintenance plan will likely include items that have the flavor of a workplan and task oriented.  It is recommended that such tasks be explicitly recognized so that they can be extracted into a document suited to tracking their completion.
  • The formalization of procedures is a major goal of IT management. Every plan should identify procedures that need to be drafted or updated over the period.
• Tactical Mode: success can be achieved when a razor focus is applied to situation.  This is a highly effective strategy if basic IT functions are running smoothly, i.e. not in crisis mode, and a quick “win” is needed:
  • The objective here is avoid being distracted by the breadth and scope of a more comprehensive approach.
  • The format of this type of plan will look more like a project plan than an IT plan.  A single paragraph can reference operations, but will put them in context and focus the reader on “what is important”.  A basic outline would include:
    • Project Statement 
    • Business Drivers/Background 
    • Goal Statement 
    • Project Schedule 
    • Cost Estimation 
  • The exception to the razor-focus nature of the tactical plan needs to be the inclusion of goals for IT governance in any plan.  At its simplest this means formalization of procedures.

 If one of these scenarios fits your needs, then stop and just go do it.  That will cover about 75% of organizations.  There is no need to jump into the maelstrom.    

Comprehensive Planning:

Returning to the analogy of planning for the garden, perhaps the garden is big, or in bad shape, or a person of great influence has decided that it needs a make-over. You need to do it, regardless of condition of life. A typical plan will include the following components:

• Goals: do not skimp on time spent on setting goals – if you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you got there.
  • These goals should be expressed in business terms.
  • Conversely, if a goal refers to a specific technology, chances are it is not a goal (but a solution).  The exception is if you have already done an assessment and charted the solutions.
  • The usual S.M.A.R.T. guidelines should be applied (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_(project_management).
• Assessment: a review of operations in light of stated goals yields the critical gaps in capacity that will prevent an organization from achieving these goals.
  • The gap analysis depends on a methodical assessment of business operations. 
    • Identification of bottlenecks, patterns of errors and expected growth.
    • Identification of changing service standards
  • A special section will identify IT management capacity:
    • Planning and Organization (project mgmt, risk mgmt, architecture, HR and budgeting)
    • Applications Management (software acquisition, configuration, data base mgmt, maintenance)
    • Delivery Management (operations, network mgmt, facilities mgmt, asset mgmt, business continuity, security)
    • Service Management (service desk, desktop mgmt, problem mgmt, change mgmt)
    • Oversight/ Governance (monitor and measure, performance mgmt, contract mgmt, procedures, independent audit)
  • For those that really want to dive into the maelstrom, an excellent resource is a 2004 article in ComputerWorld,  http://tinyurl.com/5vmvxn.  This is not for the light hearted, but it is readable.

• Strategy: The section on strategy is a bridge between the detail of an assessment, and the laundry list of issues and needs that surface, and an action plan that will re-focus on the items to be addressed.
  • The document will include reference to the process used to sift through the detail. For instance, this process could be some sort of scoring technique, or a facilitated session with senior management.
  • The output of the strategy section is to provide the short list of projects to be undertaken and a rationale for their choice.
  • IT governance needs to be a part of any plan.  At its simplest this means formalization of procedures, but it can also include elements that would be required within a Business Information Systems (BIS) audit program.
• Action Plan: the action plan will cover each project identified within the strategy session. 
  • The narrative for each project will include:
    • Current Actions Required
    • Outcomes Expected
    • Recommendation
    • Budgeting
    • Timing
    • Staffing
    • Critical Issues
  • A summary will be provided that shows each of these areas (e.g. budgeting) across all projects.

Hardware versus Software: 

Within comprehensive planning exercises, there is a distinction between plans that set out to address hardware infrastructure issues and those that are more oriented towards the business applications software used by the organization.  Experienced IT professionals tend to gravitate to one or the other emphasis and typically seek out partners to round out their own expertise.  Unless you have access to a resource that can integrate these two disciplines, having a technology plan that essentially is two separate documents may be advisable.

• Network Operations: since technology changes fast, and security requirements change even faster, a best practice is to locate an independent firm offering such services on a local basis (certified by the likes of Microsoft and Cisco). 
  • The resource used on a day to day basis for desktop support may offer such a service, but if they do not, the engagement for network operations and audit should not affect their role.
  • The assessment provided by such a vendor will eventually evolve to a full BIS audit (and this includes internal controls).
• Applications Management: if your question is: “what should my organization be doing to stay relevant to the philanthropic marketplace”, then your IT plan will have its roots in the development of a roadmap.
  • Materials to build your own roadmap are available through the work of the Technology Steering Committee: http://www.cftech.org/page19520.cfm. This toolkit includes:
    • Preparing your roadmap: 4 steps to building your own roadmap (includes forms and tools).
    • Budgeting: 5 steps to Budget planning (Feasibility Assessment, The Custom Roadmap, The Itemized Budget, IT Budget Forecasting, Budget Forecasting Model)
    • Implementation: tips for project management and execution (approach, resource requirements, best practices and training).
  • The use of external resources to develop this type of business applications plan is advised.  Even dedicated IT staff are not familiar with the process, and by using an outside facilitator this allows the internal staff to focus on their subject matter expertise (rather than cranking out the documents).
    • Professional services offered by Yeager and Associates have provided assistance to over 15 foundations in working through a comprehensive strategy for business technology.
    • The goal of these services is to align the technology used by a foundation with its strategic goals.

 Yeager and Associates Business Technology Planning Services:

Managing transformation is not easy: it only happens when a chain of actions is orchestrated in the pursuit of a common goal. This life cycle is illustrated below.

• Does the operations plan reflect the strategic goals of the organization?
• Do investments in business technology support operational objectives?
•   Do business activities adapt to take advantage of new technologies?

  For foundations, the food chain between strategic planning and business activities is broken.  It is rare that operations plans truly reflect strategic goals, rarer still that business technology is the enabling force to change its day to day activities.  The wrap-around services provided by Yeager and Associates are designed to assist foundations in aligning these activities and managing the full life cycle strategic transformation. 

For more information, please contact Doug Yeager,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

For an introduction to services offered by Yeager and Associates, see http://www.dougyeager.com/joomla/services.html