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COLL105: Using Wikis and Online Project Management Tools in Poverty Law

COLL105: Using Wikis and Online Project Management Tools in Poverty Law. September 12, 2008. Today’s Presenter. Jeff Narabrook, NTAP Training Coordinator. Agenda. Wikis Introduction Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law Options and Costs Project Management Software Introduction

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COLL105: Using Wikis and Online Project Management Tools in Poverty Law

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  1. COLL105: Using Wikis and Online Project Management Tools in Poverty Law September 12, 2008

  2. Today’s Presenter • Jeff Narabrook, NTAP Training Coordinator

  3. Agenda • Wikis • Introduction • Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Project Management Software • Introduction • Project Management in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Successful Implementation Strategies

  4. Introduction: what is a wiki? • A website • Is easily edited by multiple users • Provides a logical and highly navigable platform for storing and retrieving information • A cost-effective, paper-free tool

  5. Pre-Training Wiki

  6. Traditional Website

  7. Wiki Innovation

  8. Wikipedia (MediaWiki)

  9. Wikis within the Electronic Pantheon • Wikis and Word Processers • Wikis provide more flexibility to change and work with earlier version • Wikis and Traditional Websites • Wikis edit more easily and were built to prioritize information organization

  10. Wikis within the Electronic Pantheon • Wikis and Blogs • Wiki content creation is shared, rather than a single author, reader response dynamic • Wikis and Email and Listserve • Wiki captures knowledge and archives it in an environment optimized for easy retrieval by multiple users

  11. Wiki Disadvantages • Depends on widespread user adoption • Can be intimidating for new users • Can be difficult to integrate with other common office software • Can require steep initial time input • Advanced functionality sometimes requires advanced technical support

  12. Agenda • Wikis • Introduction • Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Project Management Software • Introduction • Project Management in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Successful Implementation Strategies

  13. Why Use Wikis in Legal Aid? • Cost-effective • Need for Collaboration • Data Organization and Efficiency

  14. Wiki Uses In Poverty Law Community

  15. Wiki as Intranet • NTAP • Georgia Legal Services Program • Legal Aid of Southeastern PA • Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

  16. Intranet

  17. Wiki as Intake Tool • Neighborhood Legal Services (MA)

  18. Wiki as Training Document Repository • Shriver New Legal Aid Attorney Wiki http://povertylaw.pbwiki.com/ • Dozens of intranet wikis focus on the distribution of manuals

  19. Example of Manual

  20. Wiki as Community Knowledge Share • Massachusetts Post Foreclosure Wiki • Georgia Legal Services Program Food Stamp Fraud Advocacy Wiki • Michigan Reentry Law Wiki http://reentry.mplp.org/reentry/index.php/Main_Page • FEMA Answers Wiki http://femaanswers.org/index.php/Main_Page • Elder Law https://mwiki.mplp.org/erc/index.php/Main_Page

  21. Wiki as Event Planner • Make lists • Assign tasks • Brainstorm • Set deadlines

  22. Wikis and Statewide Websites • Consider wiki use in conjunction (not duplication) of a statewide website. • Wikis may be appropriate for large (manual) content not easily placed on a statewide website • Wikis may be used to develop content for a statewide website • May be used for taskforces or working groups

  23. Wiki Access Models Writer1 Writer1 Writer2 Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader

  24. Wiki Models: Permission-Based Closed Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader Reader

  25. Agenda • Wikis • Introduction • Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Project Management Software • Introduction • Project Management in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Successful Implementation Strategies

  26. Options for Wikis • Visit http://www.wikimatrix.org/ • You can pay for hosting or host it on your own server depending on the software • Which way should you go? Depends on: • Technical expertise and available technical support • Privacy controls your program needs

  27. Popular Wiki Options Proprietary • Wikispaces • $5/mo for unlimited users/pages and 2 GB file storage • PB Wiki • Price negotiable;, depends on number of users typically 20% nonprofit discount Free For Nonprofits • Google Sites (will go over in next segment) Free and Open Source • MediaWiki

  28. Wiki Security • Open-source, self-hosted wikis can be made private, but may require more advanced technical knowledge • Proprietary wikis typically provide sufficient security and privacy for your data; many will allow you to perform your own backups

  29. Agenda • Wikis • Introduction • Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Project Management Software • Introduction • Project Management in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Successful Implementation Strategies

  30. The Many Faces of Project Management Tools… • Broad umbrella of functionality • Depends on types of features your program requires for its projects

  31. Common PM Tool Functions • Schedule • Record milestones • Construct to-do lists • Assign tasks to staff • Track time spent on tasks within a project • Share working drafts of documents • Message project members

  32. Project Management Advantages • Organizes all aspects of a project -- people, deadlines, drafts, documents, chats in one place • Can integrate with other software and programs, including email • Sophisticated functionality easy to access

  33. Agenda • Wikis • Introduction • Wikis and Their Uses in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Project Management Software • Introduction • Project Management in Poverty Law • Options and Costs • Successful Implementation Strategies

  34. Project Management Tools • Free for Nonprofits • Google Sites (Google Apps component) • Proprietary • Microsoft SharePoint • Central Desktop • Basecamp

  35. Google Sites • Wiki-intranet • Project management • Traditional web content • Demos: http://www.google.com/sites/overview.html

  36. Microsoft SharePoint Server • Intranet generator • Document sharing • Can create wikis and other intranet sites • Integrates with Microsoft Project and rest of Office Suite; MS Project handles time tracking and project supervision functions • Software and licenses available on TechSoup

  37. Central Desktop • Montana Legal Services Association

  38. How Does MLSA Use Central Desktop? • Currently, MLSA tracks work and projects like: • Administrative Tasks – Track due dates for all administrative tasks, including grant deadlines, invoicing, etc., develop joint agenda for administrative team meetings • Management Team Agenda meeting and task lists, post confidential documents • Board of Trustees Meetings – Track all tasks associated with organizing and setting up meetings

  39. MLSA also uses to track…… • MLSA Community Outreach Project – Coordinated outreach including mailings and materials regularly sent out to multiple lists – can keep the address lists, tasks, etc. all here • Helpline Wiki – Wiki with information for Intake Workers, Advice Paralegals and Casehandlers handling Helpline calls.

  40. And…….. • Self-Help Law Unit – MLSA staff in multiple offices share spreadsheets and plan clinics (MLSA does not have a central WAN.) • AmeriCorps*Vista Project – Set list of tasks and resources for AmeriCorps*Vista Project – do same thing every 6 months, making it perfect for Central Desktop

  41. And …. • Pro Se Forms Development Project – multiple employees creating, reviewing and automating multiple forms • Indian Wills Project – track work of reservation based student externs, and provide for knowledge transfer between AmeriCorps Attorneys

  42. The Dashboard • First page a user sees when logging in to Central Desktop • Lists all of the user’s workspaces, overdue tasks, tasks due in next 10 days and recent activity in all of user’s workspaces –either as a list of most recent activity or grouped by workspace

  43. MLSA Administrative Workspace • Used to track all administrative tasks, including: • Grant Report Due Dates • MLSA Annual Meeting Preparation • Financial Tasks • Technology Tasks • Also used to post and edit documents, such as Agenda for Weekly Admin meeting

  44. Central Desktop Digest and E-mails • User receives daily digest showing tasks and workspace activity • User will also be e-mailed discussions and comments on tasks and documents. Can reply to e-mail and will be posted in central desktop, or can go in and enter reply.

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