Lack of Time, Money, and Expertise Prevents Adoption of New Tools
“We lack the money to purchase and customize software, to purchase hardware, to purchase consultants, to train technical support staff and end users, and to hire technical staff to support new technology.”
While the amount of money spent did not affect respondents’ level of technology satisfaction, money, along with other factors, is a major obstacle to the adoption of new technology. Regardless of the size of the organization, organizers across the board reported that money (57%), time (45%), and lack of staff expertise (34%) prevent their organizations from fully taking advantage of databases and online tools (see Table 4 below).
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The Dearth of Training
“The tools are one thing, getting the training to understand how to use them in the best, most efficient and effective way is another. I need help organizing our capabilities and getting the most out of the tools we have available.”
In the survey’s open comments section, respondents repeatedly stressed the issue of training. Even those organizations satisfied with tool features and functionality cited lack of adequate training as a huge impediment to their successful use of technology. While few express major resistance from upper management to adopting new technology tools, many felt that their executive directors and CEOs do not necessarily prioritize what it takes to effectively implement new technologies in organizational budgets and staff schedules. As one respondent put it, “For better or worse, I think most of our problems [with] this tool stem from training and staffing issues rather than actual technical or software design flaws.”
It is important to note, however, that while training is cited as one of the major impediments to technology adoption, organizations tend to ask for more training than they are willing to commit to. Technology providers indicate that users will often request trainings, then fail to attend them.
High turnover rates typical of nonprofit organizations only exacerbate training and expertise issues. A combination of poor knowledge management structures, inadequate documentation of organizational systems, and scarce time for training results in an organizational inability to develop and maintain technology proficiency.
This report compiles insights from more than 400 social change groups, technology providers, and nonprofit technology capacity builders, examining the needs of organizers working to utilize new technologies, and offering recommendations for how to meet those needs more effectively.
October 11th, 2006 at 1:29 pm PST
a) major resistance from upper management - if technology is not integrated into the strategic thinking and mission of the organiztion, the resources for technology and the use of technology will always be less than needed
b) hi turnover rates in non profits exacerbate training and expertise issues, not just in using technology, but in building capacity to achieve mission
c) lack of consistent funding and the challenges of achieving consistent funding is a contributor to high turnover rates
We need to be innovating ways we can work together to build much larger public understanding of these issues, if we’re to put the constantly improving tools to better use in more organizations.