IT Planning and Managment

1. IT Planning and Managment Lecture 5: Information System for a Volunteer Center: System Design for Not-For-Profit Organizations with Limited Resources Part 1: Gathering of information and planning Collage of Information Technology University of Palestine, Gaza Prepared by: Mahmoud Rafeek Alfarra

2. قالوا الناس من جهة الأنسـاب أكفاء أبوهم آدم والأم حــواء فإن يكن لهم في أصلهم شـرف يفاخرون به فالطـين والماء ما الفخر إلا لأهل العلم إنـهم على الهدى لمن استهدى أدلاء وقدر كل امرئ ما كان يحسنـه والجاهلون لأهل العلم أعداء ففز بعلم تعش حيـًا بـه أبداً الناس موتى وأهل العلم أحياء

3. Outlines • The Systems Development Lifecycle • Your opinion !! • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND • Strategic Plan

4. The Systems Development Lifecycle

5. Your opinion !! • We need an IS for a Volunteer center, what is your opinion ?

6. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • This case focuses on the development of information systems for not-for-profit volunteer based organizations. • Specifically, we discuss an information system project for the Volunteer Center of Racine (VCR).

7. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • This case targets: • The analysis • The design phase of the project using • The Unified Modeling Language (UML) methodology. • And aspects of project management including • Scope and • Risk management.

8. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Students must decide how to • Proceed, • Include recommending an IT solution, • Managing risk, • Managing scope, • Projecting a schedule, and • Managing personnel.

9. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • The rewards and special issues involved with systems for not-for-profit organizations will be revealed. • This case can be used in a variety of courses, including • systems analysis design, • database management systems, and • project management.

10. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND • The focus of the project was the development of an application that helped the VCR place and track volunteers at various volunteer opportunities. • The development team used the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to document the requirements of the system. • The project status report contained fields to record the time, budget, people, process, and technology status of the project

11. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND • Many of the engagements involved students so that the students could obtain experience with live IT projects.

12. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND Could the team deliver the system within the target timeline? • Jeff was concerned that the next status report would not be as positive. • At the most recent team meeting, several issues emerged. • First, the project team disagreed about the quality and adequacy of the UML documentation. • Second, volunteer placement and tracking was not the only need of the VCR. • Third, other options emerged besides a custom-developed solution, including purchasing an off-the-shelf package. • Finally, a recent problem emerged regarding the computer network.

13. Client Mission and Organization • The Volunteer Center of Racine (VCR) is a not-for-profit organization located in Racine. • A city with a population of 85,000. • Volunteer organizations have existed in Racine County for a long time, but were not formally managed. That is: • It existed as a volunteer organization managed by volunteers. • With no full-time employees on its staff. • Difficult to coordinate activities of the volunteers and obtain the much-needed funds for volunteer activities.

14. Client Mission and Organization • VCR emerged as a formal organization only three years ago. • It currently has 7,000 active volunteers. • An active volunteer is one who has volunteered with VCR in the past 12 months. • The community events range from blood donation drives at hospitals to fundraising ceremonies for causes such as leukemia.

15. Client Mission and Organization • The mission of the VCR is stated on their Web site. Mission: The Volunteer Center is a: • Leaderin our community that mobilizes people of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer by investing their resources of time & talent to make a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of those served. • Catalystfor responding to community needs by creating, developing, implementing & supporting volunteer opportunities. • Connectorof people & resources with the needs & services in our community. • Advocatefor promoting the value of volunteerism.

16. Client Mission and Organization responsible for developing the strategic plan • There are other coordinators and support staff as listed below.

17. Strategic Plan • The strategic plan identifies activities that will support VCR’s mission of finding, encouraging, and placing volunteers. • Practically, the plan must also identify grant and other funding opportunities. • Successful grant writing is critical to VCR’s survival. • Over the last year, VCR has focused on operational efficiency. • VCR believed that these tasks could be improved through the use of information technology.

18. Next Lecture isa SETTING THE STAGE

19. Thank You… Question ?!