Most staff, volunteers or trustees are not ICT experts and at times may need help to get the most from equipment, a website or database..
Help may come from a volunteer, someone in the staff team with technical knowledge, a staff member with ICT support in their job description, or a paid-for contractor or consultant. Sometimes [...]

Databases are commonly used for managing contacts, monitoring or fundraising. Some organisations have the expertise to develop their own database, but most buy a package off the shelf or ask a developer to build something to suit their needs.

It may be helpful for a group of people to be able to work together on a document at the same time. They may be drafting a policy together, preparing a grant application or producing guide to services.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for making computers and the internet accessible to people with disabilities. Talk to the person to identify their needs.

Open Office is a free suite of tools that copies many of the functions of Microsoft Office. Open Office has been under development for more than 10 years and can run on Windows, Apple’s OSX, and Linux.

Video conferencing via the web can save you time and money if you have a computer and a broadband internet connection for each participant, a low cost video camera and a service to manage the connection. It can save travel time to meetings, or change contact from infrequent longer meetings to more frequent short meetings. [...]

‘Old’ media, such as newspapers and TV, is mainly about other people publishing information using expertise and tools that we can’t afford. ‘New’ media (often called Social Media) uses more conversational tools on broadband connections and mobile phones to create a more interactive and participative culture. Web 2.0 is not a technical specification but suggests [...]

You can use a website to conduct a survey as part of any feedback or evaluation process where the participants have access to the internet. There are several services available, including free options, and all offer the ability to design the forms and analyse the results.

If you use Microsoft Windows™ it is vital that you keep it up to date to prevent attacks from viruses and ensure best performance. Use the Microsoft update service to automatically check for updates and download and install the software required.

Anti-virus software works by comparing individual files with a list of known viruses. The list is usually updated at least every day by connecting to an online database which monitors the latest threats.

Sales of new IT equipment are often driven by the demands of new software, especially system software such as new versions of Windows™. At the same time ICT prices have dropped to levels at which it is often cheaper to replace than to repair or re-use equipment.

It’s a well-worn phrase, but does it really work? Before calling for help turn your machine off for 30 seconds and then restart. This may well resolve the issue you were having because closing down your computer shuts all running services and processes, whilst starting up restarts these services and process in the right order.

Registered charities can get very cheap software through a national scheme operated by Charity Technology Exchange. Visit their website for more details at www.ctx.org.uk. As an alternative any individual or organisation can download Open Source Software from the internet.

An ICT plan is not simply a shopping list for new boxes, gadgets and wires. It is a management tool to take you beyond the initial purchasing decisions to an ongoing process that makes sure you get the most from your investment. An ICT plan will include:

If your computer starts running slowly, or takes a long time to start up, it probably needs some attention. You may be able to do quite a lot yourself, or may need to ask for technical help.