EReadiness:External Support

From NGOPedia

It is important to have an external ICT support system or resource access. When using ICTs, there are many things that can and will go wrong. Generally problems are addressed in a tiered-level approach. Most problems or issues are likely to be quite basic and should ideally be resolved in-house (e.g. how one achieves a particular function in an application or the diagnosing and fixing a simple hardware problem). You will quickly run out of goodwill if you need to draw on a favour from an (external) IT-savvy friend each time you need to replace a printer’s ink cartridge, your internet link is down, you install a new program, you need to know how to format a table or you have forgotten where you saved a document.

However, a number of problems are likely to be more technical and/or require specific expertise. Developing the skills required to build a fancy website, to configure a mail server or to replace a computer hard-drive/power supply are not really necessary inside a small NGO and these are initially best sourced from an outside consultant or vendor on an adhoc basis. In the longer run, you should slowly transfer certain ICT skills from outside support sources to in-house skills. When you set up your first cabled network for example, you are likely to require your local IT vendor to help you out, but you should quickly learn how to add your own computer ‘nodes’ (network connection points). Similarly, installing memory into a computer or configuring new software applications are easily learned skills once the initial, and mostly mythical, computer-phobia barrier has been broken.

For a typical deep-rural organisation, it may never be possible to have physical access to reliable, knowledgeable IT support people nearby. Consequently, it will need to build up stronger in-house skills – although geographically isolated NGOs typically have already (by necessity!) built up a strong ‘can-fix-anything’ attitude. However, it should not discount the possibilities of telephonic support, internet support forums (especially useful and often free – but obviously you need to get the internet to work) or even remote diagnosis using remote desktop control software.

Level 1: Non-Existent or Basic

Creative suggestions/innovative ideas:

Be prepared to dig a little deeper into other possibilities:

• If there is a high school nearby, it may be possible that one of the teachers (or a smart pupil) has more computer knowledge than would commonly be assumed. Given some financial incentive, you may well secure a long-term support source.
• For once-off tasks such as setting up a network or designing a website, you may be able to use an international volunteer wishing to do some ‘in-Africa’ volunteer work in exchange for board and lodging. More typically, a volunteer would be mainly involved in your day-to-day activities but may have sufficient technology skills to address your ICT needs.
• Be sure to transfer some of the skills to your own staff so that the ICT solution is sustainable.

Level 2: Early Stages

If there are limited support structures in your area:

• Your first option is to check if there are any IT vendors in your neighbourhood – this is usually a computer retailer or an internet café. These people are not always equally skilled or reliable in all ICT areas.
• However, you should realise that the ICT field is so vast and complex that no one person can hope to solve every, or even most problems.
• Ideally, you want to build a trusting longer-term relationship with your IT vendor/supplier.
• Although you should never write blank cheques, being too stingy and bargaining your supplier down to the last cent every time you acquire something or, worse, sourcing your computer from a far-away supplier to save a money and then relying on your local vendor to deal with your ICT problems is most definitely NOT a way to build up a mutually beneficial relationship.
• In small communities, politics are likely to play a role and business people have long memories. Do not assume that support and maintenance are unlimited and forever free when you buy a computer – the last thing you want to have is to annoy or alienate your vendor by calling him/her repeatedly for ID-ten-T errors (ID-ten-T errors is technical jargon for the type of problems users encounter where they call a ‘computer expert’, who then proceeds to solve the problem by pressing three keys or clicking twice. In case you are wondering, just spell ID 10 T in full... !).
• In addition, most smaller towns will have a number of IT knowledgeable people – often people who have migrated from larger metropolitan areas, work for larger organisations (e.g. banks or national retailers) or people who have recently acquired tertiary education qualifications. Assuming your NGO is doing valuable work , you may well be able to draw on them as a second-line problem solving solution.
• If you have a quality-education high school in the neighbourhood, you may find its pupils or teachers available for selected jobs. But be mindful about the potential problems or complications: teenagers or self-proclaimed IT experts often have an inflated view of their capabilities (or may just be scared to damage their public image, or too bashful to admit they don’t know something) and when you have sensitive information on your systems it may not be wise to expose it to non-professional outsiders.

If you can train your staff locally:

• Make as much use of this as possible. However, internet access will be available and thus you should work very hard on drawing from internet support sources: learn how to surf the internet to find solutions to technical problems, become part of public discussion forums that can assist organisations like yours with technical support or download/subscribe to internet ICT courses.
• Ideally, you may even be able to build a special relationship with one or a few willing and knowledgeable individuals who believe strongly in your NGO’s mission and are ‘always just an e-mail away’.

Level 3: Intermediate

In more developed countries and larger towns, there tend to be a number of alternative IT vendors and stronger, more formal ICT consultant or support options.

• If there is a tertiary educational institution, there is likely to be a continuing infusion of ICT skills into the community, some of which will be advertised in various news media or by means of flyers. You will generally have a choice of support options.

Advice:

Again, when procuring ICT assets (hardware, software, or services such as training or design) it is more important to build a longer term relationship than to take the cheapest option. However, the two may not be mutually exclusive: a more expensive option may just indicate someone who is out to rip you off. The tendency for cash-strapped NGOs is to take the cheapest ICT supplier and ignore the longer term support issues. If a local and honest vendor can see the benefit of building a long term relationship (ensuring him/her of a longer-term income stream as well) then it would be unwise to ignore the possibilities.

Creative idea:

Check carefully to see if local educational or other institutions have internship requirements or options: often you can get some ICT students to do a specific project in your NGO for the students’ credit (or CV) purposes.

Level 4:Advanced

If your NGO is large and financially strong enough, when its operations become critically dependent on its ICT infrastructure it is likely to require a more formal arrangement for ICT support. Typically, multi-tier external support will be formally contracted which will guarantee that certain types of problems will be resolved within specific time frames. Sometimes, different support contracts will be provided for different needs or applications.