Assign Roles and Responsibilities

This is example set of recommendations for a nonprofit on staffing issues.

[ORGANIZATION] has many different technology related tasks, and larger roles overseeing the management of the technology, all of which should be formally recognized.  This means assigning specific tasks and responsibilities to individuals within the organization, as well as assigning roles relating to overall technology management.

Benefits

·        Delegation of tasks reduces the support burden on a single individual thus allowing them to serve the organization faster and with less stress.

·        Allows the present IT support staff to take on new responsibilities as they relate to the growth of the organization and the implementation of some of the recommendations in this plan.

·        Delegation of roles and cross-training provides the added security of having backup personnel available to help troubleshoot technical difficulties in the absence of primary support personnel.

·        The process of role and task delegation encourages the documentation of policies and procedures which can be helpful to those in a support role.

·        Identifying roles and responsibilities within job descriptions enables the organization to know what in-house knowledge needs to be accounted for when there is staff turnover

Recommendation

·        CompuMentor recommends [ORGANIZATION] assign roles and responsibilities based on [ORGANIZATION]’s tasks and structure, and the job descriptions described below.

·        CompuMentor also recommends that some of the more common tasks be delegated to other capable staff members (with training) to ensure that [ORGANIZATION] isn’t relying solely on a single or very few individual to provide support.

·        Roles and responsibilities should be written into the job descriptions of these staff members.

Considerations

Below are some job descriptions for key on-staff roles.  None of these need to be full-time jobs, and can be incorporated into the current positions depending on current workload and management needs.

Technology Strategist (Chief Information Officer)

Estimated Hours per week: 5 – 10 hours

Rationale:  If the two weights used for judging IS projects are sustainability and need, it is the CIO who provides the balance and makes the ultimate decision. [ORGANIZATION] needs one person with strategic knowledge of the organization’s mission and culture to think about the role of IS in achieving that specific mission within that specific culture. This is the critical role. Whatever other IS/IT roles or positions [ORGANIZATION] decides to take on within the organization, the CIO role must be accounted for.

The CIO is responsible, at the highest level, for budgeting, approving, funding, and working with the IT staff to create technology plans, policies, and strategies. He or she is not responsible for the down and dirty work of hardware upgrades, software installation, documenting networks, or troubleshooting users’ computers, but instead needs to be able to make final decisions about software and hardware choices and purchasing, and about all IS projects such as database design and development. The CIO is also responsible for designing IS policy, again, with the assistance with IT manager(s).

Critically important to this role is the CIO’s ability and willingness to act as an appropriate technology advocate. In order to do this successfully; the CIO must be at the same organizational level as any member of the Management Group. The CIO must have impact on the budget and be able to make management-level decisions about expenditures, fundraising, and staffing. In addition, the CIO oversees IS staff and consultants, and is responsible for managing technology resources.

The CIO does not need to be a programmer or network administrator. However, she should have a general interest in and understanding of technology issues, and be able to do the necessary research and ask the necessary questions regarding IS projects. The research and questions must concern available options, product support, cost in direct dollars, cost in maintenance, cost in staff resources, and training requirements.

The CIO should have a broad understanding of technology, be able to develop strategies, oversee implementation and manage staff. She should also have a thorough understanding of the organization’s culture and the ways in which technology is used to further the mission of the organization.

Without the structured support of this role, it is impossible to implement any long-term IS planning or projects successfully. Even short-term projects may be less successful because of conflicting, contradictory or unclear goals. Operating without a management-level staff person responsible for the CIO’s tasks is not management by design - it is management by luck.

Responsibilities:

• Budgeting, approving, funding and creating technology plans, policies, and strategies
• Designs, maintains, and reviews IS policy
• Member of technology team
• Makes final decisions for hardware and software standards
• Approves all IS projects
• IS advocate to other executives and board
• Ensures IS operates instep with strategic plan
• Ensures IS operates instep with organization’s mission

Requirements:

• Strong interest in technology
• Able to make decisions regarding technology
• Understanding of strategic plan of organization
• Understanding of organization’s mission
• Understanding of budget process
• Meeting facilitation skills
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral

Network and User Support Staff

Estimated Hours per week: 20 hours

Rationale:  This person is accountable to the CIO and is responsible for maintaining system and network documentation, identifying IT problems, managing upgrades, and managing IS projects such as database design and development.

While the CIO is responsible for making decisions about the above tasks, the Network Administrator is responsible for implementing the organization's technology plans and policies, and keeping systems operational. This may done with the assistance of other IS team members or non-IS staff.

The Network and User Support Staff must have specific knowledge of computer systems and networks and is expected to consult with the CIO regarding IS plans and policies. S/he is expected to be able to solve user problems, system problems and network errors independently. He will also need to be knowledgeable in both PC and the Apple operating system.

The Network Administrator may supervise other IS staff, works closely with the CIO and responds to user problems as required. Additionally, in a networked environment, s/he will serve as the system administrator, though many of the specific tasks of system maintenance may fall to others within the organization.

Responsibilities:

• System maintenance
• System documentation
• Identify potential IT problems and needs
• Manage system upgrades, Including software and hardware
• Manage IS projects such as database design and development
• Work with CIO to prepare budget or other reports as required
• Manage relationship with vendors, contractors, and service providers
• Conduct and lead trainings as required

Requirements:

• Knowledgeable in required network systems
• Familiar with operating system and server applications
• Able to manage multiple projects
• Able to perform system tasks such as back-up, upgrades, network troubleshooting as required
• Able to prioritize diverse tasks
• Able to troubleshoot user systems or network devices as required
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral

Implementation Tasks – The following steps are required for implementing this recommendation.

Resources

[Provide a list of resources that may be relevant to this recommendation]

• Resource 1