Most Massachusetts CAAs believe that many of their staff members have inadequate computer knowledge and skills. In all but a handful of agencies, those interviewed pointed to this issue as a significant problem, and they ranked staff training and education as one their top three IT-related needs. Only a half-dozen or so CAAs said that staff IT skill levels was not a major issue for them, but even they felt that more intermediate and advanced training for their staffs would be helpful. And many acknowledged that with staff turnover, training is a constant need.
During our site visits to most of the CAAs, MIS/IT staff or other staff members who were present described their first-hand, day-to-day experience dealing with problems encountered by computer users in their agencies. In nearly all cases, these staff pointed out that knowledge and skill levels vary widely within their organizations. However, at most of these CAAs, they pointed out that many staff who regularly use computers lack basic computer knowledge and skills.
At the time of our site visits, we encountered only one CAA that recently had conducted an agency-wide survey of its staff to assess computer skill levels. Franklin Community Action Commission’s (FCAC) survey (included as an appendix to this report) included a quiz about basic computer knowledge. The results were similar to what staff at many other CAAs reported during our site visits: many FCAC staff know certain tasks and functions, but the scope of their knowledge is very narrow.
Lack of Basic Skills. Many of those we interviewed at different agencies offered observations that were remarkably similar. They noted that many staff within their agencies can perform a few very basic, repetitive tasks within one software program. But if they stray from those tasks, they become lost, or encounter problems that they would be able to solve if they possessed basic knowledge of the software or the computer’s operating system. And several of these MIS/IT staff reported that, unfortunately, they have to respond to staff who repeatedly run into the same difficulties. Here are a few examples of some common problems that they encounter among users who have yet to learn many of "the basics:"
Many staff lack basic knowledge of the Windows operating system, especially when it comes to file management. As a result, they sometimes cannot find files they have saved, or do not back-up files.
For agencies with either external or internal e-mail systems, many staff experience difficulties using the e-mail software. For example, some have problems finding their messages or sending them.
Some staff fail to try relatively simple, non-technical solutions when things don’t work. The example cited most frequently is one of staff calling for help because their printer won’t work, but without first checking to see whether the printer has become unplugged from the electrical outlet (which often has been the case).
During many of the site visits where staff cited such gaps in basic skills as those noted in the bullet points above, they also speculated about the reasons behind them. In most instances, they cited users’ fear and lack of confidence when it comes to new technology. Many also felt that adequate training and support for these users had been lacking.
Many of those interviewed believed that, at their agencies, most staff lacking basic knowledge wanted to learn more and attain a higher level of proficiency. But MIS/IT staff and even a few senior staff at several agencies questioned whether some of their staff felt any motivation to do so. In fact, those interviewed at some agencies said that many of their staff members have resisted improving their computer knowledge and skills. In a few of these cases, the agencies have offered reimbursement to staff who obtain training through an outside vendor or at local high school or community college courses, but according to staff we interviewed, few had taken advantage of the offer.
Yet many who cited a lack of motivation or outright resistance on the part of some staff also admitted that within their agencies, staff were not strongly encouraged to make the effort or take the time to upgrade their skills. As a result, some of these staff fail to see the benefits of gaining more IT knowledge and perceive that their lack of skills does not result in any negative on-the-job consequences for them. Thus, they have little incentive to change.
Gaps in basic skills and knowledge among some users present at least a couple of significant issues for their agencies. One is the amount of time spent on troubleshooting the problems that result. At many agencies where MIS/IT staff exist, these staff spend a significant portion of their time on them—in a few cases, up to half of their time. For other agencies where another staff person, such as the finance director or planner, also acts as the MIS/IT resource person, the impact is greater since frequent computer troubleshooting pulls her/him away from other important duties. In a few instances, agency administrative staff who are responsible for IT estimated that they often spend 10 to 25 percent of their time each week handling computer problems that could be solved by users with better basic skills.
Another problem is that significant gaps in basic computer knowledge among some staff suggest that the work they do on computers may contain mistakes. Also, while users with basic skills with the Windows operating system can more easily and quickly learn other Windows-based software applications that they may need to use, those who have gaps in the most basic Windows skills are at serious disadvantage when they try to learn another program.
The Need for CAA Staff with Skills to Learn More. MIS/IT staff at many CAAs also were careful to point out that many of their staff members have acquired basic computer knowledge and skills. However, these staff noted that those who had acquired the basics still could stand to learn more if their agencies are to get the most out of the technology they have. Some of them suggested that their agencies have staff who could benefit by learning such functions as mail merge, how to broadcast e-mail, how to search Web sites, etc. Also, those interviewed at nearly all of the state’s CAAs reported that at least a few staff in their organizations were knowledgeable about computer technology, but even they would gain from advanced training.
Other Barriers to Upgrading Staff Skills. While fear of technology, lack of confidence, resistance to change, or absence of motivation do not appear to be barriers for staff at many CAAs who possess basic, intermediate, or advanced skills, resources and time are. Most of those interviewed cited a lack of resources to provide the training and education that they would like to have. Many of them said that their agencies had insufficient staffing and/or overworked staff—and that time to learn new things is scarce. And some pointed to a third factor, one related to both time and resources: "Many staff and some program directors have a hard time seeing the value in getting more training," a staff at one agency remarked, "when they have other priorities. They don’t see how this fits in." These remarks were echoed in one way or another by others who were interviewed at several other agencies. And a fourth factor was brought up at a few agencies: senior staff expressed a concern that if staff were acquired more computer skills, they might find more lucrative opportunities elsewhere in the labor market.
While intermediate and advanced training does cost time and money and is more difficult to justify than training for staff who have gaps in basic knowledge, a couple of CAA staff interviewed pointed out that there also is a cost that results from foregoing such training. They noted that most CAAs already have made a relatively large investment in their computer systems. By not upgrading the knowledge and skills of staff who use the technology, an agency is not tapping its full potential and is not receiving a full return on its investment. Moreover, it takes knowledge of computer technology to see new ways in which it might be utilized to benefit the work of the organization.
One executive director interviewed made another point: "I think many of us at CAAs tend to schedule our time to the maximum," he noted. "Because we take on a lot of things, in the end, we sometimes are forced to accept a lower-quality product. I think this applies to computer technology as well. Unless we find the time to invest in learning how we can better use the technology, we won’t reap its benefits."
Training Needs Associated with Major System Upgrades. Another type of major training need exists at some agencies that are undergoing major upgrades in their systems. For example, both South Shore Community Action (SSCAC) and Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC) currently are experiencing such changes. In the case of the former, the agency is installing a Wide Area Network (WAN) and upgrading their operating system to Windows 98. All staff using the technology will need to undergo training.
The Need to Improve Ability of Staff to Understand, Analyze, and Evaluate Data. A few of those interviewed—including a couple of MIS/IT staff—saw another education need among staff using computer systems, although they were hard-pressed to attach a name to it.
"Look, even if we were successful in getting staff who lack computer skills proficient in using their program-specific software and in basic Windows 95/98 skills," one pointed out, "we would still have a problem since some of them lack the basic skills necessary to sort through and analyze data. Some staff lack an overall understanding of what they are doing, and that would be an issue even if we were just using paper and pencils. We need to find a way to improve skills in that area, too—it’s not just computer training and support."
Educational psychologists might see this as a need to develop "higher learning skills." These skills include: comprehension (ability to understand the meaning of information); application (using information to solve problems); analysis (gaining understanding by examining component parts); synthesis (looking at overall structure); and evaluation (making value judgements).*
Along somewhat different lines, one CAA executive director noted that many staff doing data entry fail to attach much importance to what they are doing. "We need to do a better job of educating staff that this is an important aspect of their jobs, and that collecting these data is an important part of what we do as CAAs, if we are to effectively show positive outcomes from the services we provide to clients. We need to instill an understanding of this throughout our agencies."
CAAs That Did Not Cite Staff Skills as a Major Issue. The few agencies that said upgrading staff IT skill levels was not a major need cited different reasons. In one case, even though agency representatives acknowledged that upgrading computer skills will remain a need, they felt that their long-term effort to integrate computer technology into the work and culture of the agency was yielding results. It includes an ongoing program of IT education and training.
The other agencies cited a different reason: most of their staff who are the primary computer users have been with the agency over a long period, and turnover has been rare. The steepest learning curve for these staff took place several years ago and many of them have become adequate or even sophisticated users. These agencies—as did those of a few others—also observed that many staff who had joined their agencies in the last few years came with basic or intermediate skills in computer technology that they had acquired elsewhere.
The computer training and education provided by CAAs to their staffs—either internally or through using external resources—varies markedly from agency to agency. Only a few agencies offer an ongoing program of initial training and continuing education to staff. A few others, such as Community Action Programs of the Inner City (CAPIC) and Valley Opportunity Council (VOC)—have institutionalized orientation/training for new agency staff in which computer training, often on program-specific software, is included.
On the other end of the continuum, during our site visits at perhaps a half dozen agencies, staff told us that they had no training program, that they couldn’t recall an external computer training program that staff had attended in the past two years, and/or that such training somehow happens for their agencies on an "informal" or "as needed" basis. (It should be noted, however, that some federally and state-funded programs that exist at CAAs do provide training for staff in those programs, on software related to those programs.)
Lying between the two ends of the continuum are the majority of CAAs, who have provided some computer training for staff, if not full-fledged ongoing programs. Several of these agencies within the past few years—South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) and North Shore Community Action Program (NSCAP)—sent many of their staff through training provided by outside consultants. Often these large one-time trainings take place shortly after agencies significantly expand the number of computers they have, or undergo a major system upgrade. Other agencies have sent staff to outside vendors for training occasionally or on an as-needed basis. Most all of the above training has focused on basic skills relating to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office applications. E-mail software also has been a topic.
In several of the 11 agencies that have MIS/IT staff or regular consultants, these individuals have conducted one-on-one training with other staff on an as-needed basis. Some of these agencies, including Quincy Community Action Programs (QCAP) and Community Action! of the Franklin, Hampshire, and North Quabbin Regions also have begun to conduct occasional small group in-house trainings for staff on specific topics. Interest has been high among many on their staffs, and this response has created an impetus to do more. And a few agencies, such as FCAC, recently have offered in-house training in basic skills.
A few CAAs have developed arrangements for staff training with educational institutions in their areas. ABCD utilizes courses offered at its Boston Urban College as a means to train some of its staff. Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) sends staff to the Lowell Technology Center for basic skills training. Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC) sends staff to Lawrence Adult Vocational School for Windows and Microsoft Office training. Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) uses a local high school program for some staff.
(To view a sidebar showing the types of staff training offered by Massachusetts CAAs to date, click here.)
Obviously, few CAAs address computer skills training as a constant, ongoing issue. In fact, several CAA staff interviewed during site visits—including a couple of executive directors—said that while they believed the staff whom they had sent to external trainings had learned a great deal, they were worried that these gains in knowledge and skills had faded or had become, in the words of one executive director, "stuck on a plateau" due to lack of follow-up. And since computer training for staff at many CAAs has taken place on an irregular, infrequent basis, it is not surprising that staff lose some of the skills they learn or fail to advance by acquiring new knowledge on their own. Thus, while many CAAs have invested in training their staff through large-scale, one-time programs, conducted internally or by professionals outside the agency, few consistently have engaged in follow-up efforts.
Reliance on MIS/IT Staff for Continuing Education and Support. At agencies with staff exclusively dedicated to MIS/IT, these staff typically serve as internal resources for follow-up and support. They often are looked upon by others throughout the agency as the people to call not only when trouble occurs, but to answer questions—from the simple to the complex. Also, many MIS/IT staff make themselves available when they can take time from other duties to provide some informal education and training, sometimes one-on-one, and to assist computer users who have problems or to give advice.
Of course, these MIS/IT staff have jobs comprised of many duties. They have to ensure that critical information systems within the agency are running, maintain these systems, fix day-to-day technical problems, keep up with the latest information regarding a broad array of hardware and software that the agency uses for different purposes and programs, give informed advice on purchasing, and sometimes deal with outside service contractors or vendors. At the same time, they must address ongoing user needs and problems. To top it all off, they must be able to respond to, and to resolve, crises regarding IT. And often these staff play a role as de facto IT planners for the agency—especially when the agency has no formal IT planning process—by looking ahead to anticipate new developments in technology and possible problems that might affect agency systems.
It should also be noted that at CAAs that lack such an MIS/IT position, some other staff person has assumed at least some of these responsibilities, in addition to other important functions they perform.
Many MIS/IT staff interviewed—as well as staff at other agencies who play such a role de facto—displayed a deep commitment to upgrading staff computer skills and to providing ongoing support. However, given all the other important—and even mission-critical—areas that consume their time, it is apparent that the area of support and continuing education for agency computer users is just one of many important tasks that these staff members must handle—and one for which they do not always have time.
Other Internal Agency Structures that Address Follow-up and Support. Some CAAs have realized that their continuing education, follow-up, support, and even troubleshooting needs are organizational issues that their MIS/IT staff member can help address, but cannot do alone. A few of these agencies have developed internal committees, comprised of some representative body of staff who have some knowledge about information technology. Probably the most well-developed such model at present exists at Montachusett Opportunity Council (MOC), but internal committees that address IT issues also exist at Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO) and VOC. And ABCD has also utilized such groups in the past. Following the site visits and MASSCAP’s recent information technology conference, at least three other CAAs—Community Action (CAI) in Haverhill, Tri-CAP in Malden, and HCAC—have launched in-house IT committees of their own. The site visits also revealed that a few other agencies, including PACE in New Bedford, which do not have internal committees, nonetheless are making efforts to identify staff in their agencies with advanced IT knowledge and who can serve as resource people for others.
The MOC committee, which was formed in 1997, attempts to comprehensively address issues of continuing education, follow-up, and support for computer users at the program and department level. "We realized that we already had one or two people in most of our programs and departments who had more advanced computer knowledge than other staff," one of those interviewed at MOC reflected. "And they occasionally communicate with one another. So, we thought it would make sense to formalize that informal agency-wide network."
Purposes of MOC’s Committee. The MOC committee serves several purposes. MOC’s central administration and program directors have sanctioned the role of committee members as IT resource people in their respective departments. These staff devote a portion of time apart from their nominal job responsibilities addressing IT issues in their departments, providing IT support and some education to other staff, and troubleshooting some of the problems that occur. According to those interviewed, having these IT resource people in the different areas of the agency has begun to take some of the burden off the agency’s sole MIS/IT staff person in terms of the time she spends handling some of the less complex problems of computer users.
The committee meets as an agency-wide group regularly to provide feedback centrally on IT-related needs and issues at the department/program level. Committee members also offer suggestions that are useful in the agency’s decision-making about information technology systems: their knowledge and experience in how things function at "grassroots levels" within the organization serves as an important "reality check" on ideas that come from the agency’s central administration. And the regular meetings also provide continuing education for committee members so they can increase their expertise, which in turn, benefits their respective departments and programs.
Importance of Support from Top and Middle Management. A key to making an internal committee such as the one at MOC possible is that all levels of agency leadership recognize that information technology is an increasingly integral part of the agency’s work, and that ongoing staff training and support needs exist. This recognition seems to have been pivotal in convincing departmental and program managers to sanction staff time within their departments and programs to address IT issues and upgrade staff skills. Staff interviewed at many agencies said that they believed that attitudes on the part of middle-management toward spending time on information technology issues, training, and support had begun to shift in just the last few years. They felt that middle-management—perhaps because electronic information systems are becoming more common and/or complex in their programs—increasingly realize that they need to devote time to these issues. Yet for CAA programs, finding time is often difficult.
In some agencies, however, the staff interviewed did acknowledge that they still encounter attitudes among some program directors and even a few senior administrators that present obstacles toward developing more effective training, continuing education, and support efforts for staff involved with computer systems. One person interviewed observed that many staff think "it is acceptable not to know" about information technology since many program directors do not emphasize its importance. At another agency, one person told us that he had heard some management staff go so far as to say that they "didn’t want learning about computer technology to get in the way of the work."
At many CAAs, small-scale efforts at enhancing staff computer knowledge and skills exist within departments or programs. "In our program, we take time to teach each other new skills, and the program takes time out to support staff, encourage them, and give them new tips on a regular basis," a program director at one CAA said. "But we know that this does not occur in some other agency programs."
It would take a much more comprehensive investigation of IT at Massachusetts CAAs than this project could undertake to draw a complete picture of such informal, program/departmental-specific follow-up, education, and support efforts. Undoubtedly, some programs/departments in some agencies recognize the need for training their staff members and offer some level of continuing education and support.
Ongoing, Program-Specific Technical Assistance, Education, and Support from Public Funding Sources. Ongoing program-specific technical assistance education and support is provided by the governmental funding sources of some programs that exist at CAAs. The extent of this varies. This project focused on what CAAs are doing, not all the numerous publicly funded programs found at CAAs. Resources did not allow us to conduct a program-by-program study.
Some CAAs have revised some of their job descriptions to include new requirements regarding proficiency in one aspect of computer skills or another. It appears that this has occurred for the most part for fiscal department and other administrative jobs, but at least a few agencies have attached such qualifications to other positions.
However, some agencies consciously have resisted expanding this practice beyond fiscal department and MIS positions. One executive director gave a rationale: "Many CAAs—including our agency—have always made it a policy to hire people from among those we serve in our community," he explained. "Many of these staff members have not had the advantages others have had in obtaining a formal education and in learning computer skills. If we were to begin requiring such skills for open positions, we would be abandoning that policy, and turning our backs on part of our mission." At least a few others we interviewed echoed that position. (Of course, for CAAs who adhere to such a policy, the need to develop effective IT training, continuing education, and support for their staff is especially critical.)
Beyond this legitimate question that goes to the heart of the missions of CAAs, other practical ones exist. Would eventual turnover of CAA staff to include more employees that come to their jobs with existing computer skills significantly reduce the current needs staff training and education needs at CAAs? The answer probably is both yes and no. Over time, it might reduce the need for basic education and training. However, it seems doubtful that the overall need would be greatly reduced, or would disappear.
We have entered a period of rapid technological change. Even staff who enter jobs with basic or intermediate IT skills likely will be challenged by new IT developments during the course of their employment at CAAs—the information systems now in place for programs at CAAs will, in all probability, expand and increase in complexity. Technological learning will remain an ongoing aspect of many jobs at CAAs and elsewhere. Therefore, IT training and continuing education for all staff, regardless of their educational backgrounds and IT knowledge, will continue to be a need within CAAs.
Another factor is at work. Can CAAs—given their current salary structure and their resources—attract enough skilled staff to meet the IT requirements they might build into job descriptions? The answer is uncertain. From the mid-1960s into the mid-1980s, CAA staffs included not only people from low-income backgrounds, but also younger, well-educated members of the "Baby Boom" generation who had been influenced by the great social movements of that period—civil rights, anti-poverty, and environmental protection. However, these movements have since withered. Thus, many of today’s better educated younger people, who do not share the experiences of the previous generation, are not as likely to be attracted to work at CAAs—often for lower compensation than that they could obtain elsewhere. Of course, at the moment, the economy is robust and unemployment is low. Yet the economy has a history of being cyclical: job opportunities could shrink and CAAs could see an increase in technologically savvy job candidates. However, even in the event of an economic downturn, CAAs may not necessarily be beneficiaries of legions of talented, committed individuals knocking at their doors in search of work.
The fact that staff skills, training, education and support was cited by the vast majority of Massachusetts CAAs during this project’s assessment phase as a major need, and that most agencies placed it at or near the top of their lists of needs, represents a step in the right direction: high recognition that a problem exists is the first step toward finding ways to solve it. However, if CAAs are to find solutions, then they will need to come to grips with three key aspects of this issue:
Upgrading staff IT skills is an organizational problem—not necessarily just a technological one.
The issue is an ongoing and probably permanent one for their agencies—it never will be "fixed" once and for all.
No single magical solution exists—but progress can be made by creatively employing a combination of approaches geared to each agency’s needs and resources. Thus, this is an issue that can be addressed only though a multi-faceted approach.
Improving Staff IT Skills Is an Organizational Issue. Although CAAs demonstrated an awareness of the staff skills/training issue, just a minority of these agencies until now have dealt with it as a significant issue affecting their organizations. In most other cases, even if awareness of the problem has existed, the mere fact that IT training for staff has been sporadic and inconsistent suggests that the issue has not been high on these agencies’ priority lists. At some agencies, however, the issue seems to be moving up the list. A significant number of executive directors suggested that they increasingly have come to see it as a priority. The fact that several agencies have begun to hold their own in-house computer training sessions on at least a semi-regular basis, the fact that at least one agency has circulated a survey to all staff to gage their computer know-how, and the fact that three agencies on the heels of the site visits and MASSCAP’s IT conference have organized their own internal committees to address staff skills along with other IT issues, are all positive signs of change.
However, during visits at many agencies, we did hear statements such as: "Many staff and some program directors have a hard time seeing the value in getting more training;" or, "it is acceptable not to know [about information technology];" or "[some management staff] didn’t want learning about computer technology to get in the way of the work." Such statements suggest that at least in some programs at CAAs, and even within some agencies, information technology somehow is still viewed as something outside the work of the organization, despite its increasing presence. We are forced to conclude that within such organizations, either the leadership has failed to recognize the growing role of IT and/or has not been able to effectively articulate its importance to staff and convince them that it is, indeed, no longer "acceptable not to know." These are necessary steps to effecting change.
Yet possessing the recognition, articulating the message, and convincing those staff who are reluctant to improve their skills—due to fear, complacency, or other factors—while critical, are insufficient without creating organizational mechanisms to upgrade staff knowledge and skills. And staff from various parts of the agency should have a hand in planning and developing these mechanisms. If so, their investment in the process and the outcomes will increase.
The Role of Adequate Resources in Skill-Building. We are fully aware that all the organizational will alone, absent resources that are dedicated to upgrading staff skills, will not solve the problem. And we recognize that CAAs do not have vast resources for computer technology and education.
Yet when we asked CAAs if they had undertaken any special efforts to find new resources from their existing funding sources or elsewhere to support their IT systems, plug gaps in them, or pay for more staff training, just a few agencies told us that they had done so. Most CAAs seem to accept the small amounts earmarked for training in their contracts with government sources and let it go at that. It seems possible that many CAAs could find more resources from their existing funding sources or within their own communities to address training needs. It is also possible that a statewide effort by MASSCAP or regional approaches involving combinations of CAAs, would be effective in securing more resources for training. However, it is difficult to conclude that lack of resources within many CAAs has been the only barrier to providing more ongoing training for staff, given that efforts to find more resources for this purpose appear to be rare.
Moreover, while resources may never be plentiful for staff training, even modest increases could significantly benefit many organizations. One thing that impressed us during our site visits was the creativity and resourcefulness that CAAs demonstrated in a variety of areas—many seemed expert in stretching a little a long way.
IT Training and Support for Staff: An Ongoing and Multifaceted Issue for CAAs. The issue of upgrading staff IT skills at CAAs is now and will remain an ongoing issues in two important but distinct respects. First, we live in an era of constant technological change. That fact, coupled with continuing staff turnover at CAAs and the increasing spread of electronic information systems within these agencies, strongly suggests that staff training and continuing education in information technology systems are not just temporary needs, in fact they are ongoing issues that CAAs must find ways to address.
Secondly, successful programs to upgrade IT skills of current staff at CAAs require more than sending staff to formal trainings—provided either internally or externally—no matter how effective they are. Some staff whom we interviewed thought that if only they could find the right training program, or offer more formal training programs, then most of their staff skills problems would be solved. However, staff at other agencies pointed out that is only part of the solution.
Good formal training programs for staff are certainly an essential ingredient. But even the best one or two-day training programs are as only as effective as the follow-up is. Most people tend to lose skills they learn if they do not regularly use them. Many need someone knowledgeable and accessible in the workplace to whom they can direct questions about problems they encounter when they put new knowledge into practice. Some need "refresher" sessions. Those who quickly master what they have learned sometimes are eager to have opportunities to learn more. And since different individuals learn in different ways, it is important to develop training and follow-up that reflects this reality.
Integrating IT Education into the Workplace. The other key to success is ongoing encouragement to learn more and the allowance of some time to do so. Ideally, in workplaces within CAAs, approaches to IT such as "we should all learn to do this together because it is important" and "we teach each other things" should be the standards to emulate, not attitudes such as "we don’t want staff to spend time learning computer technology because it may take away from their work." (Of course, for nearly half of Massachusetts CAA staff during at least half of every working day, computers are a key part of their work.)
Continuous encouragement and a commitment of time for such learning will only take place if an organizational commitment to the process is present—and if management staff shares such a commitment and works to implement it. A few CAAs have taken this approach, and it appears to be working. ABCD is an example.
Identifying people in different parts of the agency who have some computer knowledge and interest and who can serve as resource people to other staff by providing help and education is a key part of follow-up and support. Some agencies are identifying and developing such resource people. MOC seems to be a good example of how an agency not only has been able to identify existing talent, but has incorporated it into a formal agency-wide committee that can enhance the skills of resource people, support them, and at the same time can use the knowledge and experience of these staff to help address other agency IT needs.
It is a model that can be replicated at other CAAs—and one that does not entail a massive financial investment. That is why we have given it special attention in this report. It is an ongoing structure within the agency that, by its very existence and agency-wide representation, keeps IT and associated training, education, and support issues in the scope of agency priorities. This committee and others like it at other CAAs cannot solve all IT problems, but absent such internal groups, some IT issues might never be identified and articulated within agency decision-making circles. In fact, such committees can fill a communications gap that exists within many agencies, especially larger ones: staff in one program are often unaware of IT developments and issues in other agency programs due to the fact that no central forum exists.
Undoubtedly, having an MIS/IT staff person (or department) also is very helpful in providing ongoing support to agency staff who use computers. However, for those agencies that can afford one, simply having such a staff person should not be considered a substitute for developing other staff as IT resource people, creating other internal structures such as committees, or crafting an ongoing program of IT training, follow-up, and support.
For MIS/IT staff that do exist at CAAs, their jobs are wide-ranging and include a number of critical responsibilities. As a result, they typically possess a broad array of IT knowledge and skills. But the depth of their respective knowledge and skills varies from one aspect of their far-flung job descriptions to another. Thus, while some of the most knowledgeable MIS/IT staff at CAAs may be excellent in providing education and support to staff, others—despite their interest—may not be very effective teachers. Just as auto mechanics may not necessarily be effective car repair instructors and just as CAA finance directors may not necessarily be top-notch accounting teachers, some of the best MIS/IT staff may not necessarily be great computer trainers.
The following is a list of recommendations and suggestions regarding how Massachusetts CAAs can improve the IT skills of their staff members. Many of these ideas come from staff at CAAs across the state who were interviewed during this project’s assessment phase; others are our own. Some involve ideas about how MASSCAP can assist CAAs; others are suggestions for steps that individual CAAs (or groups of collaborating CAAs) can take on their own. To accomplish some of these will take time, effort, and some resources. However, others are relatively simple and would cost little.
As MASSCAP addresses issues related to data systems with the Commonwealth and its agencies, it should place the need for more resources to upgrade CAA staff IT skills as one of the top items on the agenda. The spread of computer technology at CAAs and the resulting needs for training and support have been driven by the data demands of public sector funding sources of CAA programs more than any other factor. Yet every CAA that listed IT staff skills and the need for more training as a top issue also noted that they lacked resources for this purpose. If the data collection and reporting systems in which state agencies already have heavily invested and put in place for programs at CAAs are to perform at an optimal level, then CAA staff who use them must be adequately trained. State and federal agencies need to increase their financial contribution in this area. MASSCAP probably represents the most effective vehicle CAAs have to address this statewide.
MASSCAP should actively seek funding from special public sector grants, foundations, and private firms, especially, in Massachusetts’ burgeoning hi-tech sector for special projects to enhance the IT skills of CAA staff across the state. As a statewide entity, MASSCAP may be in a stronger position than individual agencies to obtain some of this funding.
MASSCAP should help to facilitate joint training programs involving staff from all the state’s CAAs, or from regional clusters of CAAs. As noted elsewhere, costs to train staff represent a burden for many CAAs. However, by pooling resources for some types of training, CAAs could probably stretch their resources further. Many of the training needs described by agencies across the state are similar: the need for very basic computer training, including Windows training, training in Microsoft Office applications, training on Internet browser software, etc. Some have suggested that there are many common functions and applications involving this software that staff at most CAAs need to perform. Others have made the case that many staff need to gain an improved understanding of filling out forms, managing and interpreting data, thinking through and solving problems. All of these topics would lend themselves to statewide or regional training workshops. Those interviewed at some agencies expressed a need for more advanced training for a few of their staff in more specialized areas, such as desktop publishing/graphic design, database software, Web site creation and management. Conducting statewide training in such areas involving staff from many CAAs would be feasible and would probably reduce costs. It could also lead to informal statewide networks of staff at different CAAs, performing similar work, who could assist one another in solving problems. MASSCAP should survey CAA staff across the state to determine their own IT knowledge, skill levels, and needs before selecting topics for such trainings.
MASSCAP should explore—on a statewide level—how the state’s public higher education system might be tapped as a free or inexpensive training resource for CAA staff. A few CAAs have been able to tap public education institutions in their areas as a low-cost resource to train their staff members, or to assist in other IT development. Most of the state’s CAAs have either a University of Massachusetts campus or a state or community college in their area. Many of these institutions have a commitment to assist community groups. These institutions are a resource that might prove very useful to CAAs seeking IT training and education for their staffs. While each CAA should investigate such possibilities in their communities, MASSCAP should take a statewide approach.
MASSCAP should look at successful staff IT education and training models at CAAs outside Massachusetts—as well as within other sectors and share this information with its members.
MASSCAP should hold a special statewide workshop on the issue of CAA staff IT education, training, and ongoing support. MASSCAP’s recent IT conference devoted a workshop to staff training and education. However, one workshop is not enough.
MASSCAP should explore a variety of educational modalities for teaching IT skills—as well as higher learning skills such as analysis, estimating, and synthesis—to CAA staff.
MASSCAP should expand its role as an important communications vehicle among the state’s CAAs on IT training, education, and support issues. Through its IT Committee, conferences, and the MASSCAP Web site, CAAs can exchange ideas, discuss and evaluate what works and what does not, and identify specific needs and possible solutions. The Web site could include a special section for training/education/support information provided by member CAAs that may be useful to others—as well as links to other resources that exist at other Web sites.
MASSCAP should explore the formation of statewide user groups of CAA staff that focus on different aspects of IT. These groups could be useful in providing continuing education, support, and problem-solving for staff—especially at agencies where staff working with a particular aspect of computer technology are doing so in relative isolation within their own organizations.
MASSCAP should try to find vendors to make personal computers available to the employees of CAAs for home use at significant discounts. Many who were interviewed at CAAs pointed out that most staff who have computers at home are more knowledgeable and skilled in using computers at work. Several suggested that with a base of 25 member agencies that employ well over 4,000 people MASSCAP might have some bargaining strength. If this is not sufficient to entice a computer seller, then MASSCAP might try to combine forces with CAA associations in other states.
CAAs need to develop their own ongoing programs to address staff IT training, education, and support needs.
CAAs should survey their own staffs to determine specific IT training needs.
CAAs need to do more to encourage their staff to upgrade their IT skills. Many staff need encouragement, support, and sometimes a little push. While some agencies have created some opportunities for staff to increase their knowledge, all agencies should do so. Agencies should look at possible barriers—such as requirements that staff who want such training do it on their own time, or mixed messages from supervisors about the importance of training. They should try to remove such barriers.
CAAs need to make time for their staff using computers to expand their knowledge and skills. Of course, finding time is always difficult. But if an agency believes training and education is a major need, then it must shift its priorities to make time for it to take place. Much computer learning takes place through doing and experimenting, not just attending a class or two.
CAAs should identify existing staff with more advanced IT knowledge—and interest. These staff, if cultivated, could serve as IT resource people within their programs and departments help to spread IT knowledge throughout the organization. Getting supervisors to sanction one or two of their staff to officially play this role and devote perhaps a few hours per week to it is critical.
CAAs should consider organizing representative, internal agency-wide IT committees comprised of these resource people as well as agency MIS/IT staff, any other administrative staff involved with MIS/IT, a human resources director (if one exists), and perhaps other administrative staff. Such a group would give the agency a useful, flexible structure for communications, problem-solving, and planning on IT issues—including staff skills—and would offer program/departmental-resource people a vehicle for continuing education, information-sharing, and support.
CAAs should look internally to see if effective training efforts are taking place within their various programs—efforts that they may have overlooked. Sometimes effective training models in one part of an organization could be replicated elsewhere.
CAAs should consider how they might use their MIS/IT staff (where they exist) or other knowledgeable staff, including any IT resource people that they have identified on their staffs, for in-house training workshops for small groups on particular topics. Or they might experiment with informal educational forums, such as "brown bag" lunches where staff who have IT knowledge can share tips and discuss IT issues with other staff.
CAAs should ask their governmental funding sources about the availability of additional funds to cover staff training and education needs. We are aware that some agencies have done so, but it appears that others have not. Even if it does not immediately produce results, it would help to put articulate the need.
CAAs should investigate low-cost or free computer training/educational opportunities at educational institutions in their areas that staff could easily access. Many high school adult education programs exist as well as courses and other resources at institutions of public higher education.
CAAs that have job training programs—and CAAs nearby other agencies that have them—might investigate these programs and facilities as a means to get basic computer training for staff. Some CAAs—ACTION in Gloucester and SMOC are examples—have such programs. These programs typically offer some basic IT skills training and sometimes have computer training facilities.
CAAs should explore the possibility of utilizing free or low-cost mini-courses or workshops offered by vendors of computers, peripherals, and software in their areas—especially those conducted by vendors from whom they make significant purchases.
CAAs should explore possible collaborations with other human services groups in their areas for improving staff IT skills. Most CAAs are involved in regional and local coalitions and networks that include other human service providers. CAAs and other providers may share some of the same problems regarding staff IT skills. CAAs and these other providers might consider joint efforts.
CAAs should make more effective use of existing technology—including the Internet—as a resource for upgrading staff IT knowledge. Many CAAs now have the capability to develop an in-house Web site that can be accessed by large numbers of staff via a network or Internet connections, which are rapidly expanding at a number of agencies. Such sites could be repositories of "how-to-do-it" materials, tip sheets, and other information shared by users, as well as links to Web sites staff have found that contain useful and relevant information.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of suggestions on how MASSCAP and individual CAAs can more effectively upgrade the IT knowledge and skills of staff. At the same time, we recognize that no agency can do everything on this list. Moreover, not every suggestion will work for every organization. However, hopefully the list offers MASSCAP and its members a starting point and more food for thought.