Technology Succession Planning

Who at your organization knows how to operate your donor database?  Who transfers information from your online donation software into your constituent management software?  Where are the templates located for your broadcast email software?  What if the person with that knowledge left the organization, would anyone know how manage these essential tasks and tools?

Many nonprofits employ succession plans for their Board Chair and maybe even for their Executive Director, but what about for their technology usage?  A technology succession plan is something that every nonprofit should consider- something that will save tons of man hours during a transition and could potentially help to streamline your technology usage right now.

Consider taking the following steps to create your technology succession plan:

1. Figure out who does what!  First, what software are you actually using at your organization?  Who is actively using different pieces of essential software?  Who at least knows how to use the programs?  Answering these questions will help you figure out who needs to take part in the succession planning, who holds the information you need, and who should have the know-how, but doesn’t.
2. Record your processes.  It might be intuitive to you that when you enter a prospect into your database they are labeled in a certain way, but that is likely not the case for all users of the software.  To help streamline your data now and support consistency after you leave, it is helpful to create a guide to data entry and processes.  Record how you enter new contacts, donations and campaigns, and how you complete important processes that involve software (like how you get donor data from your online donation tool to your database, or where the branded templates for broadcast emails are located). 
3. Collect essential information.  Create a document that contains essential log-ins and passwords, warranty information, support and sales contacts, and where manuals and other hard copy documentation are located.  Trust me, this is essential.  Way too often, people leave organizations and the passwords to software go with them.
4. Train current and new staff.  Don’t be the only person who knows how to use the database, update the website, or send out broadcast emails.  What if you go on vacation, let alone leave the organization!  Just like we have a Vice Chair of the Board and maybe even a Deputy Director of the organization, we need to have “Back-up Software Specialists”.  Make sure you train someone else in your organization on key software (really, your Executive Director should have at least cursory knowledge of your database).  This prevents the institutional knowledge from disappearing after you leave.  Also, if you leave your organization on good terms, it is a real stand-up move to offer to come in and train your replacement on software programs (or at least offer to help if they have questions). 

So what have I missed?  What are you implementing at your organization?  What have you found to be successful?  And, what do you wish you had done but didn’t?

Good luck...here’s to a fluid transition!