LIT Foundation Grant Application

Confidential Nominet Trust Grant Application First Draft: Second Stage Proposal

By Michelle Lee 11th November 2010

Notes: This document is the property of Michelle Lee. It is based on the Grant Application from the Nominet Trust. As at 11th November 2010, the application has reached 2nd stage, with deadline for the completed application of 24th December. Should funding be approved, it will be available from February 2011. It is not yet decided how Save the Children are going to be involved as detailed in this application, and the purpose of this release is to allow Save the Children to decide what level, if any, they wish to be involved. The mentors and advisers, and therefore preferred referees at present to the project are Professor S.J. Swithenby, Director of eSTEeM (Science) at The Open University, and Neil Harrington, Financial Director of Mothercare.

This is a First Draft of the final application, and answers directly the questions as written in the application. Accompanying this application will be a Project Plan, Financial Business Model and the LIT Foundation Vision Paper. The final application will be submitted through an online application created by the Nominet Trust.

Although the project is currently called the LIT Foundation, this is flexible, but reflects that the original application was submitted independently of Save the Children under that name.

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Table of Contents

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Project summary

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Methods:-

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Project Objective 1

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Project Objective 2

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Project Objective 3

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How will you deliver these objectives?

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Who will benefit from the project?

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How will the outcomes of the project be evaluated?

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10 How will the success of this project be sustained?

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13 How do you plan on sharing the results of your project?

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14 Provide Details of which part the funding will cover:

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15 What proportion of funding is coming from the applicants own resources?

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Project summary LIT – Use it to teach IT! Introduction Sharing Resources, Sharing Knowledge and Protecting Funds: Common Sense This project aims to turn the question: “Why don’t our charities join together and maximize their returns on investment in IT Training?” into the answer of: “The Charities have joined together in an IT Training co-operative”.

The major tool of the charities, namely business software, is notoriously underutilized, undervalued and misunderstood. The vast amount of the work undertaken by charities involves the use of information technology (IT) and in particular, some key software that is ubiquitous across the business world. Historically, Charities have worked independently, using funds to source IT expertise and training solutions externally. External training organisations do not necessarily have an understanding of the Charity Sector’s business needs. This can lead to an imbalance between the skills being taught and the requirements of the organizations.

Consequently, these resultant inefficiencies can have a detrimental effect on Public perception and professional image. Additionally, funding from donors and grants is becoming harder to source, forcing the Charities to make financial decisions that affect the backbone of the Charities: administration and communication.

The LIT Foundation is a Charity Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The CIO’s trustee, Michelle Lee is the lead applicant. The Foundation provides innovative and effective IT Learning solutions that are grounded in best practice and can be seen as a “Service Orientated Business Cloud”. It offers an efficient model for providing generic and advanced IT skills to a co-operative of major charities and the communities they support. In addition, smaller charities (with personnel <1000) will have the opportunity to engage with this innovative model.

There are two elements to the LIT Foundation’s model of IT training. The primary aspect of provision is Instructor Led Training, already established within a central London facility (Save the Children), catering for regular groups (8-10 delegates) in a rolling programme of training and online assessment. This programme covers a comprehensive suite of core business applications.

Secondly, the foundation provides a library of eLearning modules that enhance and/or substitute for instructor led sessions. In combination, these mixed methods of delivery provide an accessible, convenient, economical and effective (ACE) solution to the IT skills deficit.

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Methods:Stage 1:

Target Market Identified by location and through CCitDG Networking within Save the Children through associated Charities Advertising through online media, Charity and IT Journals

Stage 2:

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Interview with Heads of Departments (HODs) and IT Support Functions within Charities Online Delphi Consensus Questionnaire Methodology Stage 3:

Implementation of Tailored Solution

Stage 4:

Financial Structure Establish and advertise charging and invoicing structure Profits from eLearning will be put into co-operative charity funds to provide outreach and further IT training opportunities in the form of 20% return through Training Vouchers which can be used against Instructor Led sessions or eLearning modules Develop online booking facility for Instructor Led an eLearning Subscription

Stage 5

Project Evaluation and Analysis Interview and online evaluation through Survey Monkey and course evaluation Analysing uptake through course attendance and rebooking Statistical Analysis of Participation, feedback and demand; Interviewing delegates and HOD 6 months post participation for measurement of success

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Dissemination and Publicity of Findings Reporting to the CCitDG findings on quarterly basis Reporting through directly contacting participants through targeted mailing Publishing results through internet media and public journals

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Future Development Opening up the eLearning framework to the private sector and general public, advertising the involvement with the co-operative charities and that the profit on their investment will feed directly back to the charities involved.

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Project Objective 1 The First objective and first stage is to expand the existing training solution to cater for cooperative charities, creating an IT Training model to improve IT literacy for charities employees and volunteers in an attractive financial framework. The outcome sought is increasing user efficiency and encouraging more time effective working practices. In the process, a model will be established that will reduce IT training expense and recycle training budgets back into the charities, maximising access to training and setting assessment objectives to be utilized where required.

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Project Objective 2 Objective 2 is to create a new revenue stream for the charities involved whilst creating an eLearning solution and virtual learning environment with measurable outcomes that can be marketed and service the Private Sector too. The Private Sector will be targetted by encouraging involvement. This will be achieved by companies purchasing subscriptions and offsetting these purchases against tax and holding 20% of the gross profit in a fund that will be held and distributed by the Foundation to worthy charitable causes promoting IT Literacy. The remaining profits will be held in the Foundation’s fund for future development of the Foundation.

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Project Objective 3 To extend the IT training facility to the charities' nominees free of charge, identifying people who will be able to attend classroom based training and be trained to a standard of IT trainer in some instances. This will happen through online assessment, classroom based training and in 3 locations extending to 6 locations by 2020.

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How will you deliver these objectives?

The project leader, Michelle Lee, is already working for Save the Children. She has been able to use the existing infrastructure and courseware manuals that are already developed and available.

The instructor led training will be delivered largely at the Farringdon head office. To use time efficiently and maximise classroom and administrative resources, Michelle will employ another trainer so that 10 courses are on offer a week. The eLearning solution will be developed using Moodle and based on the Microsoft and SAS systems of eLearning through an eLearning Web Specialist company, possibly Webducate. For instructor led training, delegates will be charged £30 per 3 hour session and receive a 10 session login subscription to the course they have attended.

In addition, internal and external users will be able to access the eLearning facility at a cost of £10 for a 10 session subscription. There will be an option in the module to be tested for certification.

An eLearning forum will be set up to allow users to share ideas. The private sector's website will mirror the Charities, but be separate as their needs are likely to be slightly more diverse to the charities involved. The Co-operative charities will be approached through The Charities Consortium IT Directors Group (CCitDG). Andrew Brenson, Head of IT at Save the Children is

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one of the directors of the Consortium, which currently has 97 members (as of 1st November 2010).

To address the second objective, the Charities’ private sector donors will be targeted and incentivised to participate in the comprehensive package not only because of it’s credibility but because the incentive of offsetting credits against tax for the sake of charitable donations. Neil Harrington, Financial Director to Mothercare (Mothercare are now committed to 3 years of international funding for Save the Children), will act as the advisor for Private Sector Involvement.

The model for the eLearning site is not new, and existing internet education providers have been identified as case studies. These include SAS, Learning Tree and Microsoft.net. Webducate have been identified as a potential provider for the creation of this part of the foundation. In addition, Michelle used to work at The Open University’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, who pioneered the Virtual Learning environment and eLearning solutions. Steve Swithenby is acting as an advisor for this area of the project. This will be achieved through marketing and media reports to generate interest. Michelle also has experience in running her own business, sales and marketing.

The final objective will be achieved by the third year of the project. Between the co-operative charities, centres suitable for instructor led training use will be identified by recognising sites that require the minimal amount of technical upgrading and in areas that are geographically practical for maximum utilisation. This facilitation may be handled not only through courses run in working hours but in evening classes for those that are not able to attend during the day, and remotely for those who are not able to attend in person.

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Who will benefit from the project?

The charities involved will benefit from cost effective and effective training solution. The employees and company will benefit as work will be produced more time efficiently and encourage an ethos of IT transparency. They will also benefit from the recycling of revenue for training through a voucher return system (20% of eLearning revenue generated by the charities will be returned to them in form of training vouchers which can be redeemed against instructor led or eLearning training for internal or outreach delegates). The private sector will benefit by offsetting tax against subscription and being able to advertise internally of their involvement with the charities in this unique way, creating a feel good factor about training. Additionally, the Foundation will generate a fund from 20% of the profits from eLearning which will benefit nominated charities promoting IT Literacy.

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How will the Progress and Effectiveness of the Project be monitored and measured?

Because there is an existing infrastructure that the project will be utilising, the existing evaluation and software analysis of support will continue to be utilised. In addition, the eLearning solution will identify usage and certification against number of sessions required. Instructor led training will be monitored through delegate evaluation and departmental interviews 6 months post training.

Revenue generated through both revenue streams will be measurable against income and expenditure. Involvement of other charities and private sector will also measure the progress and effectiveness of the project.

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How will the outcomes of the project be evaluated?

In the wider community, there will be charity beneficiaries who will be gaining office competency skills to a high level and gaining industry recognised certification for their efforts at no cost.

Profits generated will be shared out through the co-operative charities. All charities involved will see a profit for a provision that would have otherwise been expenditure and have exposure to further funding through the involvement of the Private sector.

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How will the success of this project be sustained?

Through it’s initial grant and utilisation of an existing IT Training infrastructure, the charities involved will recognise a low risk, high return solution for IT Training. Their continued involvement and commitment will be paramount in maintaining the function. It is through a reward system of referrals to the eLearning infrastructure and participation in that will reward the charities and continue to keep them involved. Any additional profits generated by the Foundation will continue to sustain the project.

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What are the risks associated to the project and how will you overcome these?

The biggest risk is that Save the Children no longer allow the use of their IT Infrastructure and facilities. Therefore, a plan will be in place to identify a sponsor for the IT hardware (computers, network, server, hub),support, and training facilities (IT training room). To incentivise Save the Children’s continuous involvement, calculate the cost of the support infrastructure and facilities and counter this overhead with a larger proportion of the shares. By being present in Farringdon, Save the Children will have the first opportunity to book delegates before the dates are published to a wider audience. Additionally, to offer lower training costs on late availability should paces become available. Finally, to offer drop in sessions to help it’s users on specific Application issues, furthering the understanding of the training requirements whilst forwarding the organisation’s IT Literacy. Two hours a week will be dedicated to Save the Children’s IT Induction.

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What acknowledgement and recognition will be given to Nominet Trust if a grant is made?

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How do you plan on sharing the results of your project?

It is clear that this project will gain wide media attention from the seed through to 2020. Within the charities, there is a Charities IT Consortium (CCitDG) of which Andrew Brenson, Head of IT at Save the Children UK is Treasurer. At the Consortium meetings, the success of the project and an invitation to other charities will be extended and communicated. From the website, there will be a background to the Foundation page, detailing not only how the Foundation was formed and what it’s aims are, but also what it’s successes are as they happen in terms of a news feed. It is also recognised that Facebook and Twitter are fast becoming methods of communicating these successes and results, thus gaining the support from the wider community. The LIT Foundation, although non profit making, is still an organisation that will require an annual report. This will be made available from 12 months after its initiation and published. The Financial Media will be

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contacted as will the news channels and where possible, interview and involvement from the press will help to communicate these results and the impact on society.

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Provide Details of which part the funding will cover: Funding will cover the first year of costs, including the development of the eLearning website, the salary of Michelle Lee and one other and administration/support.

OR The development of a Centre of Excellence teaching facility at Save the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Head office in Farringdon, the eLearning website and the support infrastructure.

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What proportion of funding is coming from the applicants own resources?

Michelle Lee is currently working for Save the Children and it is recognised that funding for the training room, hardware and IT support will come from their existing infrastructure. The value of this in the first year is estimated at ÂŁ37,000.

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