The act of approving and acquiring new technologies in K-12 school districts today is a convoluted mess of forms, emails, and broken or ignored processes. Admittedly, a “process” is, unfortunately, non-existent in many. Most of this burden has fallen into the hands of the Technology Director since the technology team role has encompassed the management of hardware, integrations, and data security.
With the rise of digital tools in instruction, the purchase of new educational technologies has expanded beyond technology and procurement teams. From inquiry to implementation, stakeholders often include teachers, media specialists, principals, curriculum coordinators, instructional leaders, IT and integration specialists, review committees, technology leaders, business officers, legal experts and more. It’s no surprise this process can take months, or even years, to complete.
The lack of efficiency – for all parties involved – is often ignored, despite the ongoing deficit of resources. Our schools and leadership teams need a systematic approach enabled by well-designed workflows, streamlined communication methods, and centralized oversight.
Step 1: Design the Framework
- Determine the pertinent data for approval decisions.
- Build a form to collect the data.
- Design a step-by-step process for evaluating and approving.
Don’t know where to start? Download this sample framework.
Once the framework is designed, the challenge lies in executing a workflow that isn’t overwhelming for any one party and encourages accountability and velocity. This challenge can be intensified if a cohesive system or collaborative communication tool doesn’t exist. Processes often begin to break down as soon as the first email lands in an inundated inbox.
Step 2: Streamline the Process
- Provide a single access/starting point for all new requests.
- Empower evaluators and approvers with insight into open requests.
- Close the loop with detailed feedback on approved and denied requests.
Curious about systems that can help? Watch this short demo.
With frameworks and workflows in place, we pivot our focus to staff adoption – keeping in mind the more complex the process/technology, the greater chance of abandonment. Usefulness and ease of use will determine teacher acceptance. Efficiency and results will build support amongst those requesting new technologies and those responsible for the implementation and ongoing success of the investments.
Buy-in from every stakeholder is critical for sustainability, as is minimizing self-serving and “one-off” purchasing mindsets such as “It’s free, so what’s the harm?” or “I can pay for it, so I don’t need others’ approval.”
Step 3: Manage the People Side of Change
- Minimize the learning curve for any new process.
- Build awareness around the technologies already purchased by the district and how to recognize overlap/redundancies.
- Educate staff on the risks associated with the use of any application that has not been properly acquired through the carefully designed process.
Want to continue the conversation? Schedule a 30-minute consultation with Veracity.
Learn more about Veracity’s Technology Management System at www.veracityvs.com/tms.
