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1.1 Baseline for Overall Program Capacity – Planning

Needed capacities or functions 

  1. Technology planning should be ongoing and integrated into the overall planning of the program for effective service delivery. 
  2. Organizations should rely on their IT staff, IT vendors, and/or technology committee and prioritize funding to regularly update technology software and hardware. 
  3. As part of technology planning, programs should assess their current needs and capacities to effectively position the program to incorporate new technological advances as they evolve.  
  4. Technology plans should be reviewed and updated as needed every year. 
  5. To improve the use of technology within the organization, technology plans should encourage greater staff involvement and engagement. This may be accomplished by forming a technology committee and/or conducting staff technology surveys at least once a year. 

Important Considerations and Best Practices 

Technology should serve the mission and vision of the legal aid program (ABA Civil Standards, Standards 2.1 and 2.2.). As part of strategic planning, the program should consider how it can use technology to respond to the most significant issues faced by the communities it serves. As part of technology planning, programs should consider periodically (e.g., every 3-5 years) engaging an independent technology consultant with nonprofit and/or legal services expertise to audit their technology systems and recommend improvements that promote efficiency, effectiveness, and optimize performance. Each program can determine its policy and timeframe for technology assessments and/or security audits based on its size, staffing, and funding considerations. An independent consultant can help an organization understand the value and importance of technology upgrades and the return on investment through greater efficiency and performance. 

Programs should consider forming a technology committee with representatives from various staff levels and departments (e.g., management, case handlers, intake staff, etc.) to periodically review and assess program-wide technology use and help plan future enhancements. However, in some programs, small staff size, limited capacity, or other challenges could mean a technology committee would not be feasible, or it could simply not be a prudent use of staff time.  

Programs should consider surveying staff to gather feedback on technology, training needs, and pain points and increase staff input and engagement in improving technology use. 

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