Staff Computer Training: Maximizing Return on Investment

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Staff Computer Training: Maximizing Return on Investment

By Michael D. Roberts, Director
Information Technology Initiative
United Neighborhood Houses of New York

A well-planned, agency-wide staff computer training program is vital to maximize an organization's use of, and return on investment in, computer technology. Here are some lessons learned from our own experience at United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) and member settlement houses.

Start with Questions
The daunting task of designing and implementing such a training program requires answers to questions including:

How will the computers be set up and who will do the hardware and software installation?
How long will that process take?
Which staff should be trained for which software, or hardware maintenance, and in what sequence?
What will the training entail?
How long will the training last?
Who will conduct the training?
How will the trainers, users and administrators know that the training has been successful?
How will staff be supported in using the new computers and software after the training is completed?
Which old computer systems and software in the organization will be replaced?
Who will perform this task and how long will it take?
How much will staff computer training cost and who will pay for it? Who should be involved in making all the above decisions?

Key Success Factors
The settlements that were more successful in implementing computer staff training had set in motion the following structures:

Administrative support from the top -- A clear message from the executive directors that staff computer training was a top priority. This tone was supported by their direct participation in training alongside their staff.

Agency technology assessment -- The settlements analyzed current staff computer skills and appraised each department's computer training needs and priorities. UNH supported this by preparing a Staff Computer Training Planning Document outlining a five-stage procedure for planning and implementing staff computer training programs, including:

Joint course planning -- UNH and settlement administrators jointly planned each staff computer class. Classes were short (two-hour maximum) and hands-on (as opposed to lecture). Maximum class size was 12 students with one person per computer.

Establish class prerequisites -- Wherever possible, staff of similar skills levels were grouped in the same classes. Elementary classes were held where needed.

Establish post-training support -- UNH and several settlements developed a Train the Trainer computer staff support program to provide ongoing assistance. Staff from UNH and the settlement houses jointly taught the sessions. One settlement received a grant to offer stipends to staff trainers. Several settlements introduced regular time for staff training.

Pitfalls to Avoid
Where staff training wasn’t as successfully implemented, these obstacles were present:

Overworked or uninterested staff skipped training classes if their presence wasn’t made mandatory by their immediate supervisors.
Trained staff quickly forgot the information covered in their computer classes if they didn’t have access to a computer or time to practice what they’d learned.
Recently trained staff often didn’t have support after their computer training if they had questions, or if problems arose with their new computers or software.
Despite high demand, UNH originally committed only one staff person's time to conduct computer training at the settlement houses.

Commitment and Payoff
Agency-wide staff computer training is a time-consuming, long-term process. Its success demands careful planning, practical analysis of staff and program needs, post-training support, and ongoing staff and administration commitment. Staff must be well trained and supported for nonprofits to realize full benefits from their technology investments.

For more information, call Michael D. Roberts at (212) 967-0322, ext. 322, or e-mail mroberts@unhny.org.

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