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Getting the right answers involves asking the right questions. For years, many practitioners of nonprofit technology planning have been asking the wrong questions. They’ve been asking questions defined by the technology, rather than by the mission of the organization. The results have been resistance to change, long sales cycles, inappropriate technology, unexpected costs, and unused tools. This seminar is a radical re-examination of ‘technology planning’ as it is currently conducted with practical recommendations to planners, technology consultants and staff, nonprofits leaders, and funders.
Slowly, our field is maturing to the point where we have started to develop a collective narrative about truly effective technology. The time is ripe to take that narrative and use it to put technology planning fully into the service of mission. To help us do that, this seminar will cover these topics:
- Three examples of healthy planning processes
- Why asset assessments are more effective than needs assessments
- Three ways to sniff out and remove technocentrism from your planning methods
- The power of story telling in reframing technology successes and failures
- Five questions that will advance the field of nonprofit technology planning
- Introductions to three mission-centric planning methods
This seminar is right for you if you are tired of how technocentrism can undermine your projects and if you want tools that will bring people into alignment with a mission oriented technology vision.
This seminar is taught by Michael C. Gilbert, the author of Communication Centered Technology Planning, 2nd Edition, and a long time coach and consultant on matters related to information and effectiveness in work and civil society. Michael has helped over 1000 organizations build their communication resources, has conducted over two dozen studies of nonprofit communication practices, and is the Editor of the Journal of Networks and Civil Society. He is also the Editor of Nonprofit News, the sponsor and organizer of the Gilbert Authors Network, and the Founding President of the Nonprofit Technology Network. For more information about Mr. Gilbert, please see his bio.
Our pre-packaged online seminar here consists of a 90 minute session.
Live Online Seminars: These are presented at a scheduled date & time, broadcast live, and include live Q&A time with the instructor. Live online seminars presented by The Gilbert Center are open registration seminars, which means that anyone can attend. You can read the technical requirements and other basic facts for live online seminars.
On-Demand Online Seminars: On-demand means you can attend at a time that is most convenient for your schedule. Each one consists of the recording of the most recent live presentation for you to watch, and comes packaged with a phone consultation with the instructor so you can ask questions about the seminar materials and how they can best be put to use in your particular situation. You can also read technical requirements and other basic facts for on-demand seminars. The list of seminars available on-demand is listed down the right-hand side of that same page.
Private Sessions: If you have a group of people to whom you would like to offer training, please consider our private packages. You can hire us to present any of the seminars listed on this site, or custom sessions, for your group privately; online or in person at your location. Read example package outlines here. Please contact us with any questions you have, or to discuss scheduling a seminar for your group.
Training Program Area: Online Seminars | Packages
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