IT Rapid Deployment Kit White Paper

A few months ago I wrote the attached white paper (8.7 Mb. PDF file) based on my experience in deployments around the world. Usually these deployments are in places where conditions might be difficult and usually are associated with events such as natural disasters, health related emergencies or even political transitions. Hard to reach, unreliable or non-existent utilities, and absence of reliable communication facilities are common in these places and situations.

International donors and non-governmental organizations make efforts to reach these places and assist people on multiple arenas, ranging from basic health assistance and food programs, elections monitoring. It is common to see deployments of experts on particular areas but often they lack the equipment, and in many cases, the basic skills that today are needed for day-to-day communications activities such as creating and establishing an internet connection, setting-up a wireless network, set-up and configuration of email accounts, printers, etc. These are real needs that must be covered in order to streamline the work of these staff as well as for safety reasons. There is no longer the option of calling the IT guy to come up and fix these issues. Many of these skills are today as basic as learning to drive. No matter what position you are in it is needed.

In this white paper, I attempted to provide an explanation and a hands-on checklist of the basic equipment needed for these situations. The emphasis is on the ability to "hit the ground running" meaning that the need to be fully functional from the information technology perspective and be able to communicate starts immediately, often as soon as the plane lands. Because of that, all the examples, images and illustrations explained here are related to equipment that people can carry with them in addition to whatever other luggage they might travel with. It is based on my own experience in activities all over the world

Download the 8.7 Mb. PDF file

Miguel Garcia Gosalvez
www.miguelgarcia.org

CIO vs. IT Manager. Much more than just a title.

These days, very few organizations can operate without the use of information technologies and systems. If these technologies and systems are used as a support tool rather than as a strategic tool, the organization is likely missing a lot of strategic opportunities (to increase demand, reduce costs, gather better information for customers, optimize stocks, etc.)

Often times, employees tend to perceive the staff that works on information technologies and systems as a "computer guy", a "web guy" or a "techie". This perception shows a lack of understanding of current organizational developments and frameworks and, more importantly, is a reflection of how they handle these matters within whatever organization they work (public or private, large or small, for-profit or not). Consequently, this perception is a reflection of how a modern organization is understood (not very well) and how it is run (most likely, poorly).

A Chief Information Officer (CIO) and an IT Manager are not the same. Of course, in medium or small size organizations you might find a single individual playing both the CIO and the IT Manager role and understanding very well the differences between each position. Unfortunately, it is not enough for the person filling this role to know what each role entails. What really matters is how the CEO and other senior staff members perceive this person, if they know which “hat” she or he is wearing at any particular moment and, most important, if her or his comments and contributions are part of the strategic decisions being taken by the organization.

When playing the CIO role, either full or part time, the focus should be on how information technologies and systems can help the business strategy and to make sure that there is alignment with that strategy. The IT manager, on the other hand, should make sure that all systems are up and running properly and that the different IT staff members are doing what they are supposed to.

It is true that you cannot be an admiral without a fleet and if you are just managing a handful of Help Desk guys you are not a CIO. CIO is a leadership position and an IT manager is a managerial position.

As we have seen in multiple business books, leaders inspire while managers measure; leaders guide and managers navigate; leaders envision and managers maintain; leaders talk and managers listen; leaders support and managers teach; leaders hope and managers direct; leaders expect and managers demand, etc. Obviously, success requires both.

If your business card says CIO but you do not sit at the senior staff meetings with CEO, CFO, Vice-Presidents, etc. you are not a real CIO. Obviously, organization size, type of business, etc. are key factors, but by no means are they founded excuses to not allow the CIO to sit in the key strategic meetings.

A real CIO is supposed to take a strategic view of the organization, understand the business requirements and facilitate interaction with the other departments. He will have to set the agenda for strategic projects and technologies. For this agenda to work, the IT managers have to make sure that the basic and support technologies are running smoothly.

Organizations that do not have anyone performing CIO activities, even if it is just part time, show a lack of vision and a lack of understanding about the role that information technologies and systems can play today. Information technologies and systems have the capacity to transform the way organizations do business. They are not just solution providers but, even more important, they are enablers. They solve problems but also create value.

Published at the front cover of Infonomia on May 8-11, 2009.

Miguel Garcia-Gosalvez
www.casals.com
www.miguelgarcia.org