Circuit Rider Guide
Circuit riders 2.0: the evolution of ICT development and support for the voluntary sector
● What is circuit riding?
● What do circuit riders do?
● How do circuit rider projects work?
● How do circuit riders benefit the voluntary sector?
A guide for voluntary sector managers, development workers, policy makers and funders
Introduction
A lot has changed in the voluntary sector technology landscape since the previous version of this guide was published two years ago. A huge investment was made through the ChangeUp agenda, the biggest ever in ICT infrastructure development, which significantly raised the importance of the issue. Circuit riding has become a familiar term in parts of the sector particularly since ChangeUp was originally launched in the Regions, by getting a specific mention as an appropriate solution. The ICT Hub has also highlighted circuit riding through the work we have been doing to build the network, support practitioners and promote the idea to frontline organisations around the country. Following this investment many ICT development workers, capacity builders with an ICT remit and individuals working primarily with the sector, have identified themselves as circuit riders. Now with the Suppliers Directory coming on stream it is easier to find this appropriate ICT support at a local level. Lasa has been working to support the circuit rider network for a number of years. Why do we do it? Simply, we want to help organisations access support that is flexible, affordable, and supplied in plain English by people who have the groups’ efficiency at heart. To continue this theme we will be looking into standards of work and establishing a training program for circuit riders in the next year. However, as we know there is still a lot of work to do. There are many organisations that are not in a transparent, trusting relationship with a supplier. In fact, it's usually the opposite. The essential investment in ICT as an infrastructure issue has started the ball rolling, but the sea change will only happen when frontline groups acknowledge that ICT needs facing realistically. Appropriate budget allocations must be made, and funders must accept the ongoing cost of ICT as necessary grant expenditure. We are getting there. Full Cost Recovery has helped by drawing attention to ICT as a true organisational cost in managers’ minds and there should be real improvements in the medium to long term. And circuit riders can keep up their end by continuing to raise awareness of ICT issues; brokering good relationships with technical support companies, keeping funders on board with the idea, building websites, fixing the printer....
Assumptions
Technology has enormous potential for small voluntary organisations. It can help them work more efficiently, communicate with clients, partners and stakeholders, demonstrate the value of the work they do, and provide innovative services to new groups of users.
It is hard to think of a voluntary sector organisation which does not make use of technology in the way it operates or delivers its services.
However, this guide is set in an environment where use of technology by most organisations is identified by:
● the lack an ICT budget
● difficulty in obtaining funding for technology
● the lack of strategy about how technology can be used to improve services
● lack of a staff member with ICT in their job description
● dependence on ad-hoc technical support from whatever source it can be obtained
We believe that in these conditions circuit riders have an important role to play in the development of the voluntary sector.
So what do circuit riders actually do?
Depending upon their own specialisms and the needs of the organisation that they are working with at the time, a circuit rider might:
● repair and fix hardware
● install and configure software
● train and support staff
● manage existing ICT resources more effectively
● advise project managers on ICT development and implementation
● draw up a technology strategy
Although an individual circuit rider may not be involved in all of the following activities, at different times the work they undertake might be:
● resolving technical issues
● auditing their current ICT equipment and systems
● helping to keeping PCs healthy, backing up files, updating anti-virus, etc.
● training groups on using applications
● identifying ICT needs
● determining strategies for improving ICT practice
● assisting with the tendering process for system installations
● defining and sourcing support contracts
● researching and drawing up a database requirements specification
● drawing up server and network requirements documents
● advising on website design and strategy
● helping draw up ICT budgets
● assisting with grant applications
● general strategic advice and action plan discussion
● raising awareness of relevant technological developments
Organisational needs
So what kind of ICT help do organisations need? Most fall into one of four key areas
which circuit riders can assist with:
Technical support
Often the only time organisations pay any attention to their ICT systems is when they go wrong – files get lost, email stops working, systems get infected with viruses or equipment fails to operate.
Circuit riders can usually get the system working again, or else can locate somebody who else who can. But they can also help the organisation to avoid the situation from occurring again.
Signposting
There are many ICT resources which could greatly help small voluntary organisations if they were aware of them. However, these are not always easily identifiable from the mass of technical information available.
Circuit riders can help by signposting organisations to useful resources based on experience of working with similar organisations, or by getting recommendations from other circuit riders.
Advice
Often voluntary sector organisations rely on suppliers to provide them with technical advice, or from visiting technical websites. Staff sometimes find it hard to judge how reliable, appropriate and unbiased this advice might be. Often this is not explained in everyday language understandable by non-technical staff.
Circuit riders can provide relevant advice which is explained in everyday language without relying on jargon in an attempt to amaze or confuse.
Managing technology
Staff with responsibility for ICT often feel they do not have sufficient skills to manage their organisation’s technology effectively.
But just as managers understand something about finance or employment law without having to become accountants or solicitors, so they can also manage technology without having to become technical experts. These issues are as much about organisational development as they are about technology, and more about people than they are about computers.
Whilst there is plenty of training available on how to use specific software, such as word processing or creating a spreadsheet, very little is available in how to manage technology itself.
Circuit riders can often help organisations realise that technology is something they can take control of in order to make it more useful and reliable.
Concept
The term ‘circuit rider’ is a relatively recent one. Self-employed consultants and staff in small private companies or voluntary organisations have been working on voluntary sector technology for many years, some approaching their work in a similar way.
Circuit riders do not seek to be the only solution to voluntary organisations ICT needs. Rather it is a particular way of describing this area of work in order to make it easier to refer to, for funders and policy makers to better understand organisations’ technology needs, and for voluntary sector technology workers to identify themselves and their peers.
A voluntary sector solution
Circuit riders have a particular relationship with the voluntary sector which is not generally shared by those working with technology in other sectors. Their involvement with the sector goes beyond simply promoting the use of more computers.
Their aim is to contribute to the development of the sector and they regard the expansion of the use of technology as one way of doing this.
However, although circuit riders are committed to working mainly with voluntary sector organisations, due to the lack of ICT budget of many organisations it is sometimes necessary
for them to work for public or commercial sector clients.
Benefits
The benefits that circuit riders bring to the voluntary sector include:
● they understand and share the ethos of the sector and are committed to seeing it thrive and grow
● they are independent of ICT suppliers and companies and so can offer advice that is specific to the organisation they are working with
● they belong to a network of individuals from different organisations with which they can
collaborate or refer organisations to
● they have links with other voluntary sector development workers; if the organisations they are working with has other issues that need attention they can refer them to other specialised voluntary sector staff, and vice versa
● they share the voluntary sector’s commitment to equal opportunities and diversity; in particular they are aware of accessibility issues and the need to make sure that any technology work they implement is as accessible as possible to all staff and clients.
Mentoring
Matching circuit riders with development workers can harness some of their skills and embed them into infrastructure organisations, enabling them to:
● explore the commonalities in the posts
● share the variety of skills
● shadow a day’s work
● look at improving sign-posting and referrals to one another
In an attempt to promote this further we will be establishing a Mentoring Programme in spring 2007. The benefits to front-line groups will be huge as we aim to create a ‘seamless’ development plan that is able to meet all organisational needs and will work at a very local level.
Volunteering
Many organisations make use of volunteers to help them with their ICT needs and especially for short-term projects they can be a useful additional technical resource.
The benefits of volunteers can be limited if they provide technical support and are not available when there is a problem, they only implement short-term fixes without considering long-term plans and sustainability, or they are asked to undertake large or critical projects.
Circuit riders differ from staff from commercial ICT support companies in that they are usually more used to working with volunteers. Many have previously undertaken various voluntary sector roles as volunteers themselves, or are doing so concurrently.
Independence
As circuit riders are part of the voluntary sector they are independent of technology companies. This means that they can provide independent advice and are not tied to promoting the technology of any one particular company.
Peer support
Providing ICT support to voluntary organisations can be very isolating.
Other voluntary sector workers often do not appreciate the benefits of using technology or alternatively take them for granted. Other technology workers do not appreciate some of the restrictions, difficulties or opportunities that working within the voluntary sector brings.
The circuit rider network provides peer support and networking opportunities for circuit riders, including:
● an email list
● regional meetings
● a national conference
● a circuit rider website
Due to the shared ethos of circuit riders, this network can provide access to technical advice from others doing similar work, as well as news, ideas, opinions and developments concerning the use of technology within the voluntary sector.
Circuit rider projects
Circuit riders work in various types of organisations including:
● in independent voluntary sector technology organisations
● as part of infrastructure organisations which operate ICT projects
● in social enterprises
● as self-employed consultants
Client types
Circuit rider projects are usually setup to meet the needs of a particular type of organisation. This can be based on:
Locality
Circuit riders are often funded to work with organisations in a particular geographical area, or even a particular building shared by many voluntary sector organisations.
One advantage of selecting client organisations geographically is that travel time is reduced if organisations are close together.
Mission
Organisations may work in a particular field, such as environmental or refugee organisations for example.
The circuit rider might well combine technical knowledge with a detailed understanding of the organisation’s work and share a commitment to it.
Clients
It may be useful for circuit riders to have an in-depth knowledge of certain clients. For instance, specialised knowledge about accessibility technologies used by people with disabilities, or the ability to speak the same community language as the groups they are
working with.
Networks
A circuit rider project might work to support all the members of a particular network or membership organisation. They might help with the development of technical services for use by all members, such as installing and supporting a database used by all organisations.
Funders
Funders have set up circuit rider projects to support the use of technology by the organisations to which they grant funds. This can ensure they use ICT effectively in meeting their reporting requirements as well as their project aims.
Funding models
The sources from which circuit rider projects receive their income are very varied. Often it is from several sources, including:
● being funded to provide a free service to local organisations
● being funded to work with a specific network or group of organisations
● charging organisations an hourly rate for work undertaken
● charging a fixed fee for work on a particular project
● charging organisations for an annual package that includes a specified amount or number of services
Generally these fall into one of three categories:
● a circuit rider receives funding to provide support to a client
● an organisation receives funding to pay a circuit rider for support
● an organisation charges for services and earns income to pay a circuit rider for support
Valuing work
Even in models where circuit riders provide services for free or at a subsidised rate, they often provide a dummy invoice to organisations. This gives the cost of the work done on their behalf but shows a discount, sometimes up to 100%.
This helps the organisation put a value on the work done and gives them a guide on how much they should be budgeting for technology in the future.
Setting up a circuit rider project
So if we wanted to start our own circuit rider project how would we go about it?
The case studies on this website include an explanation of how some circuit rider projects got started, but every project is slightly different so it’s not possible to write a checklist or timetable that will apply to every one.
However, these are some of the issues that will need considering:
Project aims
Circuit rider projects can have a variety of ways of working depending upon what they are trying to achieve.
For example, some might aim to provide ongoing technical support to client organisations throughout the life of the project, whilst others might aim to train managers so they can develop a technology strategy for their organisations.
Some might aim to be support organisations by getting their technology working again whenever they have a problem, but others might hope to work with clients to help them become self-sufficient.
Some might try to get all the organisations they work with to a certain minimum level of usage of ICT or stage of development. Others might want to allocate a set amount of time
aside to work with each one.
Client numbers
The number of organisations the project aims to work with will obviously depend on what you aim to achieve. Some funders will expect the project to support any organisations within a
specific locality, so the amount of work that can be done with each will obviously be limited.
If the project aims to provide on-going support and advice over a long time period in order to assist them in taking a strategic approach to technology then between 20 and 30 organisations might be realistic.
In particular, allow plenty of time for delays and to document work. Having good records of the work done with each organisation is invaluable.
Client selection
If the project will be funded then there will probably be criteria for selecting the
client organisations. If the aim is to be self-sustaining through income generation then the criteria will be the organisation’s ability to pay.
However, the demand for ICT support from small voluntary sector organisations is high, so it is wise to consider the criteria for selecting which organisations you will work with, or
devise an application procedure.
Organisations should understand that the project will demand a substantial commitment from them, particularly of staff time. Those that have done development work before may have a better understanding of what they are taking on.
Criteria for accepting an organisation into the project might include:
● network membership
● the ability to identify a need for IT support and development
● the size and capacity to be involved
● the commitment of senior management and board members
● attendance at the project launch meeting
● identification of a Key Worker who would be the main contact and conduit for communication on issues related to the project
● willingness to agree to and implement an action plan as a result of the healthcheck
Consider asking organisations to sign a contract which lays out what both sides can expect.
Communication
The circuit rider might need to work with several different people within a client organisation.
An office manager or admin worker might have day-to-day responsibility for ICT, but for decisions about strategy and spending the circuit rider might need to talk with managers and board members who might have less knowledge and interest in technology.
It’s useful to identify a key worker within each organisation that the circuit rider can use to contact in case of any difficulties and to have a single person to report to on progress.
Websites and email are quick, easy and efficient ways of communicating but organisations may not necessarily be used to working in this way. Travel is time-consuming but visiting organisations is crucial, especially when initially building a relationship with a new organisation.
Part of a project’s aims might be to build a co-operation between the groups involved. In this case, include ways for the organisations to meet, share information and support each other from early on in the life of the project.
Staff support
Where will the circuit riders be based, who will employ them and how will they be supported?
Staff based with an organisation that specialises in ICT will have access to technical support, but they will also need to be able to liaise with other organisational development workers. Those based in an infrastructure organisation will need access to peer support from other technology workers.
If the staff member is new to working as a circuit rider they may not initially have the combination of skills required for the work, and if they are working individually it is essential that they have access to technical, professional and personal support.
Part of the solution can be provided by the circuit rider network, through email lists, meetings and conferences.
Management
How will the project be managed?
When many organisations are stakeholders in a project there will also be inevitable disagreements and misunderstandings.
One approach is to set up a Project Board with representatives of all stakeholders. Being clear about who is a member and why is essential, especially if it includes client organisations and a conflict of interests is possible.
The Project Board’s first task should be to agree a detailed plan for the work of the project. Although this can be bureaucratic, it is crucial to ensure effective communication and common understanding of what the project will and won’t do.
Evaluation
Consider how the project will be evaluated before it starts, rather than waiting until it is about to finish. The results should help improve your work in the future, and will hopefully add credibility to further funding bids.
It’s also very useful for other circuit rider projects to find out what works and what doesn’t.
Funding
The funding of technology is a problematic area for the voluntary sector as a whole.
Sometimes organisations are not able to implement the changes that are proposed because they have a lack of funds available for technology.
Many circuit rider projects have found it useful to have a small budget they can use with each client in order to avoid delays and prevent energy being diverted into obtaining funds for small items of hardware or a piece of specialised software.
No one person can be proficient in every area of technology, so there might sometimes be a need to bring in a specialist.
It is also often easier and cheaper to pay for a technology service rather than buying hardware or software. If possible, ensure the project is not restricted from using this option by the type of funding that was requested.
The ICT Hub keeps a list of funders who might support technology projects aimed at developing the capacity of the sector. It is also aims to work with funders on how they handle applications which include the use of technology.
In the longer-term this will hopefully ensure that local organisations have realistic ICT budgets and can purchase services directly from circuit rider projects.