Worksheet3 Using the diagnostic toolkit
Using the diagnostic toolkit | 3.1
The aim of the Finding the focus stage is to enable clusters to answer three questions:
- What needs do we have in common?
- What resources have we got, and how do we make the best use of them? and
- What opportunities and resources exist elsewhere which we might we tap into?
The worksheet explains how to use the answers to these questions to help identify a short list of areas for possible collaborative working.
the diagnostic toolkit
This microsite contains a number of diagnostic tools that can be used in this process. They are based on the diagnostic tools used by the HACT consultancy team in the initial stages of the Collaborate pilot project, but have been adapted to make them as easy as possible for groups to use without the need for external facilitation.
There are four items in the toolkit which are useful at this stage. They can all be downloaded from this microsite and can then stored and accessed on the cluster’s shared Dropbox folder. Dropbox is a free and easy-to-use piece of software which enables organisations to share files over the internet; Worksheet 7 explains how to set up and use a Dropbox account.
the four tools
Key Facts & Figures About Your Organisation: this is a simple one page Word document which ensures that all members of the cluster have the same basic information about each other; it might also spark conversations about shared contacts and activities which might otherwise not have been focussed on. Each member of the cluster should fill in a copy and save it on the shared Dropbox site.
The About Your Organisation survey: this is an Excel file which collates information on the total number of staff and volunteers which each of the member organisations has, and how many of them work in specialist infrastructure functions. It is designed to supplement the details in the previous document. It produces a one-page summary of the information from all of the cluster’s members; Worksheet 7 explains how to print this out.
The Collaborate Purchasing Survey produces summary information on how much each member spends on purchases in a number of key areas (such as professional services, phones and utilities and supplies), who their suppliers are, how much they spend each year, and how satisfied they are with their current arrangements. The experience of the pilot programme was that some groups were able to make substantial savings simply by sharing this information.
The Infrastructure Strengths & Weaknesses survey enables members of the cluster to score a number of areas of their internal infrastructure according to how strong (or weak) they are, and how much of a priority each issue is for them. It produces a summary report which enables groups to see which issues are most important for each organisation, and which areas they might have in common.
You can access and use these tools here.