ICT Collaborations
Sharing support staff locally |
Summary
Smaller organisations that cannot afford an individual or team to support their ICT might consider using shared support staff. Often known as circuit riders, these support workers are not based in one organisation but travel between the organisations that make up their caseload, helping on a long term basis with ICT planning, support and training.
Discussion
The concept of mobile ICT support workers, who support a caseload of organisations, emerged from the non-profit sector in the USA in the 1990s. Known as Circuit Riding or eRiding this model enables smaller or less well resourced organisations to draw on shared ICT expertise. Whilst large organisations may have an individual or team to support their ICT, smaller organisations often struggle to resource this need, and it may fall to a staff member or volunteer to support an ICT system. Most small organisations don't need full-time support, but outsourcing their ICT to a commercial company may not be cost effective or desirable. Here the idea of sharing ICT support between several organisations is particularly appealing. One of the longest running and most successful ICT support projects based on the principles of circuit riding is the Superhighways Partnership based in south west London (see case study).
Circuit riders may be individual workers or work as part of a team. They travel between the organisations that make up their caseload, helping on a long-term basis with ICT planning, support and training. They have an ongoing relationship with the organisations that they support, not just visiting when a problem arises. Crucially, they are not alone and are supported by a network of other circuit riders.
Because the circuit riders are often based in infrastructure organisations, which are providing support to VCOs in other ways, they have a good understanding of the needs of the VCS. Support can be tailored to individual organisations, and links to other related opportunities - like funding or strategy - can be highlighted. Knowledge, best practice and specific resources such as project fact sheets, past newsletter articles; templates such as health checks, website briefs and network tenders are shared between organisations, either by the circuit riders themselves, or by VCOs directly at joint training events. This fosters continuous learning within the network of circuit riders, for the benefit of the organisations they serve.
At present, most examples in this country are grant-funded in a specific area, and the service is free. Replicable and sustainable examples in the future may include models such as:
- A managing organisation levying an annual membership fee
- A shared employee services a group of organisations
Pros |
Cons |
Cheaper than having your own ICT expert or technician |
Not everywhere is covered by a circuit rider |
Promotes shared understanding across organisations |
May require grant-funding to keep circuit riders in post |
A centrally managed team of support workers can share expertise and work together on larger projects. |
Without a central managing partner, employment issues can become complicated |
Circuit Riders based in infrastructure organisations will have the advantage of knowledge about local opportunities, events and priorities |
More difficult/costly to operate a scheme in remote or rural areas than urban areas |
A team can work together on bigger projects – complicated jobs can be finished more quickly |
Circuit riders may be rigid about what they will and will not do |
Shared resources are built up |
Some organisations may prefer a ‘quick fix’ rather than the enabling approach often adopted by Circuit Riders |
Organisations who join can benefit from learning and resources already developed |
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Aims to build capacity within the organisations |
Case studies: FOSS, BME Complementary Learning Network and Superhighways.
Wider examples:
- Circuit Riders North East
- LASA’s Circuit Rider project
- Derbyshire Circuit Riders
- Devon Voluntary Information and Communication Expertise
- Online map of UK Circuit Riders