Perform Action Plan

This page represents the latest stage of the PERform performance review outlined in PerformanceImprovement.

In this section the results from PerformResults page have been analysed and the responses collated under a series of headings, as follows:

• Benchmarking, evaluation and target monitoring;
• Environmental;
• Financial;
• Informal processes;
• Partnerships;
• Policy;
• Product development;
• Roles definitions;
• Volunteer management.

An attempt is made below to group similar responses together for the sake of clarity. Needless to say, there is some repetition, so an apology is tendered in advance!

Benchmarking, evaluation and target monitoring

• Establish baseline for performance review.
• Introduce better/proper measurement of other than technical activities.
• Collate as much information as possible into Sugar CRM.
• Establish minimum levels of feedback across services, including free services.
• Clearer formulation of strategic planning on the following basis: 3 months (short term), 1 year (medium term) and 5 years (long term).
• Use feedback for setting/monitoring of targets.
• Social audit; what social return is there on investment?
• Compare ourselves with other co-operatives, wireless providers.
• Consider comparison with the Cube, StreetNet.
• Comparison with other organisations - are we functioning as a co-operative?
• Monitor benchmarking.
• Record gender/ethnicity/age, etc. of network users, but provide anonymity as an option.
• Set target of employing the equivalent of 2 full-time staff by the end of 2006.
• Implement the various measuring and monitoring previously mentioned.

Environmental

• Buy recycled paper.
• Consider power consumption of equipment.

Financial

• Formalise funding applications process.
• Record valuations of all donations (money, time, in kind, etc.).
• Document hourly rates for various roles.
• Need to implement full costs recovery.
• Persist with full costs recovery.
• Pay people!

Informal processes

• More internal training.
• Need to encourage new volunteers to become involved in committee/membership.
• Encourage new volunteers to get involved with committee. Firstborn and others encouraged to become members.
• Communicating mission to new volunteers.
• More ongoing assessment for training and drop-in sessions.
• Clearer processes for propagating new ideas.

Partnerships

• Develop relationship with the Cube (our most kindred organisation locally, also being dependent on volunteers).
• Peter Ferne to liaise with central and local government on policy.
• Get feedback from other stakeholder groups.
• Networking with other groups needs documenting better.
• Local employment.
• Improve diversity of skills and interests of volunteers (arts, creatives needed).
• Agree common goals & ways of working together; partnership agreements.

Policy

• Liaise better with psand about ISP policy.
• More news content on home page of website.
• More news items and press officer required (the latter is main priority).
• Need more volunteers with skills appropriate to the organisation (e.g. press officer). More targeted recruitment and training policy.
• Appoint a press officer and work on image.
• Appoint a press officer.
• Develop a press pack.
• Develop a privacy policy.
• Introduce cycle mileage allowances (currently 20p/mile according to HM Revenue & Customs guidelines).

Product development

• Written quarterly commentary on the accounts to business management committee meetings.
• Annual report needed.
• Quarterly asset management report.
• Annual volunteer survey.
• More formal monthly updates from project managers/leaders. Use Pete's single sheet A4 form.
• Job descriptions; structured way to assess and improve roles (quarterly review).
• Establish targets for training, refurbished PCs, access points, network coverage, Linux migrations (for the latter, say 3 by next June).
• Set internal targets (say 2-3, e.g. response times, network reliability) other than those explicitly required for funding purposes.
• Improve quality of telephone system.
• Detailed planning and testing of telephone support.
• We should run internal and external training courses.

Roles definitions

• Introduce support structure for people with responsibility.
• Roles and responsibilities need defining for all areas.
• Reinforce project manager role.
• Better recording of time spent.
• Pull together existing process documents on the wiki.
• More documentation.

Volunteer management

• Extend review process to longer-serving volunteers.
• Broaden review process to all volunteers. Use existing wiki page.
• Ensure suitable training is given to established volunteers, not just new volunteers.
• C3 employee/volunteer satisfaction survey to be examined, adapted as necessary and incorporated into existing volunteer review process.
• Get feedback from ex-volunteers regarding reasons for leaving (e.g. employment, boredom).

Steve Woods, 10th July 2006

Update: 15th September 2006

At the final PERform group meeting, the above items were considered in closer detail and condensed down to a manageable shortlist. This shortlist can be seen at PerformActionPlan2.