Step 7
Reviewing Progress and Looking Ahead
Determine how successful your
Internet activities have been and identify your next steps for using the Internet.
By now you are connected to and using the Internet on a
regular basis. The action plan developed in Step 5 is coming to
life as you use the Internet for communication, research, and the other purposes that you
identified as relevant to your needs.
Now it is time to step back and look at the big picture of
what you have accomplished. Has everything gone smoothly? Is there anything that you would
do differently the next time, or that you would recommend to someone seeking advice? Now
that you have some experience behind you, what ideas do you have about new ways to use the
Internet to accomplish your objectives? We suggest evaluating what is working for you and
what is not. By "evaluation," we do not mean a data-intensive, lengthy
procedure, but rather taking time to reflect—individually and as a group—and to
think ahead to what you might want to do with the Internet in the future.
Overview: Reviewing Progress and Looking Ahead to
Future Uses of the Internet
Think about each way that your organization is currently
using the Internet: e-mail for correspondence, news groups to exchange information, etc.
For each, do the following:
1. Determine how successful the Internet application has been
within your organization.
2. Document ideas for improving future information or
communication projects based on this experience.
3. Seek ideas for future information or communication
projects from colleagues and from sources on the Internet itself.
Successful users of the Internet are always looking
at "the next step." For example, the Centre for
African Family Studies has its catalog of courses and training sessions online. In the
future, the organization hopes to launch a system so that people can register for these
sessions online. |
When Is It Time to Evaluate?
You and your colleagues will actually be conducting an
evaluation of your use of the Internet every day. When a colleague has a difficult time
e-mailing an attachment, when another colleague comes across information on the Web that
she can immediately put to use, when people are telling you that files seem to be
downloading too slowly—this feedback should be part of your ongoing evaluation to
determine whether you are getting the maximum benefits from the Internet.
This is what evaluation is all about: looking at where you
are, how you got there, and what you have learned in view of what you really want to
accomplish. It will give you a clearer picture of where to go in the future and how to get
there.
When Things Are Going Well
For the most part, your organization's use of the Internet
should progress smoothly. With people generally satisfied, this might be a good time to
revisit your action plan and look at the goals you set. Perhaps the most useful and
proactive evaluation is to consider each goal and answer these questions:
- Did you accomplish the goal?
- Did accomplishing the goal achieve what you had hoped?
- Did accomplishing the goal have the desired effect on your
progress toward your organization's purpose or mission? (It is entirely possible to do a
great job of implementing a well-designed action plan, only to find that your
accomplishments really did not serve the larger purpose that you hoped they would.)
Finding solutions to problems is a natural part of
the Internet process and one in which you can involve others. For example, the Southern Africa Environment Project at Rhodes University
introduced a function on its Web site so that visitors can search the entire contents of
the site. They stated up front that it was a work in progress and invited feedback from
visitors on how to improve it. |
When Things Are Not Going as Planned
Problems do arise. By diagnosing the problem and thinking
through the steps described in this manual, you will probably find that you can identify a
solution. For example:
- If the connection itself is poor, review the logistics
(computer, telephone line, ISP, etc.). Think about whether any of these components need to
be changed or upgraded and determine who you can speak to about these technical problems.
- If a staff member is getting frustrated, review the training.
Do you need to arrange additional training or just sit down for an hour or so with the
person to address his or her specific difficulty?
- If you or others feel that the Internet is an interesting
technology but not really helping much, review the information assessment and action plan
worksheets that you developed. Did you accurately identify how and with whom you share
information? If so, are you implementing your plan in the most effective way? Talk with
people in other organizations or check out the Leland Initiative Web site for additional
ideas and resources.
Below you can read how Tina and the rest of the HEALTHLINK
2000 staff reviewed their experience with the Internet and began making plans for what
they would change and do in the future.
HEALTHLINK 2000
CONDUCTS AN EVALUATION
In developing its action plan (see Step 5),
Joan, HEALTHLINK 2000's president, requested that conducting an evaluation be one of the
five goals. In that way the staff's various experiences and perspectives would be combined
and used. As noted in the plan, a small team would review the other goals to determine the
following:
- Were the individual goals (projects) successful?
- What went well and what did not?
- How could the projects have been improved?
- Should the projects be continued?
- What, if any, additional communication goals should be
planned?
- What other ideas for using Internet technology should
HEALTHLINK 2000 consider?
The evaluation team consisted of Tina; Robert, HEALTHLINK's
business manager; and John, one of the office's two assistants. Tina met with a staff
person at a local environmental organization who had helped her along the way, showing her
how his group conducted an evaluation of their Internet use. Then the HEALTHLINK
evaluation team interviewed the staff people responsible for the implementation of each
action plan goal and asked the full staff to identify any problem areas. Since one of the
goals dealt with reducing the costs of international phone and fax communications, the
team reviewed the bills that had come in since HEALTHLINK 2000 connected to the Internet.
Some of the problems were easy to solve. For example, the
team learned that many staff members felt that they were spending too much time searching
for information online. As a result, Tina developed a training session on search
techniques and also compiled a list of the most common Internet sites that HEALTHLINK 2000
staff used.
Other issues will take more time. For example, the staff
wants to have more than one computer with Internet access. The team took up this issue
with Joan. After some discussion, it was decided to work toward the purchase of a second
computer and related Internet equipment over the next six to twelve months. Joan asked
Tina to research (on the Internet!) various ways to fund the purchase.
The team spent two days determining an evaluation plan,
interviewing staff, and writing up their findings. However, the evaluation did not end
there. As they move ahead to new uses of the Internet, they will repeat the seven-step
process, build on what they already have, and plan for and implement new ways to use the
Internet in achieving their objectives. |
Are You Ready for the Next Step?
What next step? As you might remember from the chart first
presented in the Overview section, the process to introduce the Internet to your
organization is a cyclical one. Just as you are evaluating one Internet application, you
are building awareness of new ones. And so you can easily go from Step
7 back to Step 1....
The seven-step process outlined in this manual can be
repeated as a guide for planning future use of the Internet. As your organization's
operating environment and Internet technology change, you will find new ways to use the
Internet. This manual can help chart a course that makes sense for your organization.
Whether you are the head of your organization, or one of many
on the team, your communication needs are constantly changing, as is the technology and
content on the Internet itself. How you use the Internet next year at this time will
probably be different from how you use it today. Enjoy stretching the limits! Your
colleagues will catch on to your enthusiasm and curiosity, your office operations will
benefit—and best of all, the mission of your organization, and the people who you are
helping, will be strengthened.
Step 6 | Table of Contents | Appendix
1: The Internet--A Tool for Empowering People in the Information Age |