ETEC 579 Technology plan project…
REQUIRED ELEMENTS of the Technology Plan…
The requirements listed in the Technology Plan Project guidelines identify the minimum information necessary for inclusion. Other information may be necessary depending on the focus and scope of your plan. You should investigate resources available via the internet and library to identify other information that may be typically included in a plan with a focus similar to yours.
I would like to take this opportunity to provide a more detailed explanation of the required elements.
Typically, the first section of a technology plan contains the introduction and/or the Executive Summary. This section provides some basic information regarding the entity for which the plan is created. For example, if this plan is for a school, it may contain some geographic and demographic information such as the location of the school, service area, size of the school, etc. The scope of the technology plan is also identified in this section.
An executive summary may be written by the highest ranking administrator with the organization covered by the scope of the technology plan. Executive summaries, although sometimes included in a tech plan, are most often found in a grant proposal. It is often left up to the administrator to decide whether or not they wish to contribute a summary statement to the document.
The second section should identify or quote the mission and/or vision statements of the organization or organizational segment on which your plan focuses. A statement should be included to identify how the plan relates to and supports the organization’s mission and vision.
The next section addresses the history of technology utilization within the organization. How was technology first infused into the activities of the organization? Were these efforts successful? What was learned through experience? These are some questions that can be address in this section.
The current utilization of technology should be discussed in the next section. What is being done NOW? What is there about the current implementation of technology that is successful? What needs to be improved? A technology plan lays the framework for advancement and improvement. It is helpful to identify current deficiencies in technology; but, do so in a positive and professional tone.
Now that the background of technology has been established, you are ready to set forth the goals of your technology plan. The goals section should include items such as the implementation plan including the timeframe or timeline, hardware and software to be acquired and upgraded, facilities needs, and staffing to support the technology proposed in the plan.
The next element to consider is funding to support the plan. Sources and adequacy of guaranteed, available funds should be identified. If existing funding is inadequate to support the plan, other potential sources of funding should be identified for consideration. Additional funding, or other forms of financial support can come from grants, endowments, gifts, and in-kind contributions. In our second major project, we will be exploring funding available through grants; so, you may with to identify that fact in this section.
Plan administration and management is covered in the next section. In order to implement a technology plan, someone must be responsible for overseeing its implementation. This individual, or committee of individuals, needs to be identified in this section, at least by title. More often than not, the author of the tech plan is seen as the "expert" and is granted the title of plan administrator. This could be you!
Provision for staff development and training is identified in the next section. When ever new technology is introduced, a means of training the users must be considered. Here, you need to identify how this will be done. Depending on the type and complexity of the technology, you may bring in trainers from the equipment manufacturer or and outside training service or you may need to send individuals to attend training at an outside facility. There are many possible scenarios for the provision of training. Generally, once an individual or select group of individuals is trained, they are expected to conduct any subsequent training in-house.
The next section addresses the support structure. This refers to the technical support provided to the users of the technology. Who will be responsible for the daily maintenance and support of the technology? Is current staffing sufficient or will additional support personnel be necessary? This must be addressed.
The final required element addresses performance measures. How will plan effectiveness be determined? A means of evaluation must be identified.
This may be done with data comparisons, pre- and post-tests, or other methods of outcomes assessment. Methods may vary depending on the technology implemented and the desired goals.
Remember, a technology plan should be centered on outcomes. Technology is not adopted simply for the sake of having it. There must be a desired outcome driving the need.
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