Tip for chapter technology
Was at the “Parent/Affiliate Relations: Sharing Technology With Component Organizations” session led by Linda Chreno of the American College of Phrebology and Suzan Yungner of the Urban Land Institute, at the Technology Conference and here was a tip I clarified with them afterwards:
If you as a national organization provides a fair amount or more of technology to your affiliates, then consider hiring someone whose job is to be on call to the affiliates for a fee. You’re essentially providing a technology consulting service. The chances are, they have someone they’re using anyway, or wish they had someone they could use, so why not have that person be familiar with the organization and its members?
The idea springs from ULI’s Orange County district council. They hire their own person, a paid intern essentially, to do their technology for them. ULI trains the person, just as they would for any affiliate, and then gives them access to all necessary systems for the district.
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Comments
I think that this is a very interesting point to make. We have a wide variety of ways in which our district councils manage their websites, but I do think the ones that have a dedicated person who understands the organization managing their website offer deeper and richer content. Having said that, though, there is also a wide discrepancy in the resources our district councils have, so not all of them CAN do this. I think it comes down to strategy -- what do you want to be/do/communicate and how do you want to do it.
Posted by: Amadie Hart | January 27, 2009 5:04 PM
Thanks Amadie. A component that does not have resources is perfect for the idea. I think the national office could offer a basic level of service to components, and then as they have the resources to pay for more, then national could be in position to offer it.
I liked the ULI approach, it was interesting to see.
Posted by: Scott Briscoe | January 28, 2009 8:37 AM
It is not without its challenges and I think in many ways it is still a work in progress, but since the district councils are the face of ULI at the local level, it is important to all of us that we present a unified experience.
Thanks for the kind words, Scott. Wish I could have been at the conference. Have had to experience it virtually, though, through Acronym, Twitter, and the wiki.
Posted by: Amadie Hart | January 28, 2009 4:39 PM