What do I mean by program development?
I can help you develop long-term programs to build any small to mid-sized organization’s relationship with clients, customers, and supporters, users, and vendors -- This process works whether the organization is in the private sector, a governmental entity, a non-profit, NGO or an educational institution:
Example 1
Organizing an alumni program from scratch specifically for a university department that has been overlooked by the big guns in fundraising and development. This would likely require creating consensus within the department that this project needs to occur; finding and contacting alumni and interested community members; creating newsletters, and other communication materials; producing a series of events tailored to the interests of alumni from that department (and related disciplines); promoting the series, and other points of regular contact between the department and alumni; finally, generating new revenue streams through this relationship.
Example 2
Create a boutique incentive program for a select group of early adopters of a product, complete with outreach pieces, events, and rewards. This means seeking out evangelists for the product, including them in testing, collecting, and incorporating their feedback into research and promotional materials; supplying them with product; rewarding them with attention, information, and incentives.
The process of true change
When beginning a new program or transforming an old one, any changes must be aimed at the cultural level where they must take root in order for them to unfold with satisfactory results.
Step one requires operationalizing behavior and measuring and reporting results using a variety of data-sets, some generated through exclusive research conducted for your company by Indicia Consulting, while other sources might include drawing on information you have previously collected and stored.
Program management
After going through the walkabout process with Indicia Consulting staff, the implementation of recommendations provided by the walkabout can begin. As I believe that transparency and inclusion are of utmost importance to the long-term adoption of any deep structural changes, it is my practice to arrange a meeting where I can thoroughly present suggested solutions to all affected staff. This must be a dialogue, with all stakeholders having the opportunity to be heard and to generate the consensus necessary on systematic, cultural change.
Design of new policies and procedures
Challenges will have been identified during the walkabout process - these may concern the handling of specific customer types and situations; the collection, curation, analysis and usage of company data; new items for data capture or new areas where company experience may be tenuous; or the implementation of new methods of obtaining information.
Has this ever happened to you?
You have a document that is critical to your mission within the organization. It needs to move along the chain of command. Without it, the entire process is halted, costing money and endangering a time-window. You receive a call, “it has gone missing, can you provide another copy?”
Naturally, since you are an experienced hand at the bureaucracy game, you have the copy ready to go in an inter-office envelope. But wouldn't it be nice if the person on the other end of the phone had understood the basics of document management?
Whichever challenge is at hand, long-term, successful, cultural change requires that I identify and service staff training needs first and foremost. In this effort, I have the experience you need when it comes to creating training materials that can educate and empower your employees to make the best decisions in a given situation. I can lighten your burden with all-in-one management of the educational process: I organize training dates, design the program, and reserve the venue for you and your staff.
Results
I am passionate about data mining and analysis, but I may fly in the face of convention when I state that the problem with getting the most out of your data is not the technology, it is the human factors, as in the example above. Further, compared with the implementation of a soon-to-be-obsolete-whiz-bang new technology, the appropriate human-oriented and scaled intervention in the process will be cheaper, and have longer-lasting, deeper, results.
In many cases, it is my belief that you already have the answers you need. What I can do for you is come up with creative uses for old data – both internally and externally - saving you upfront, capital, expenditures in new technologies.
By reviewing data you already own, I help you to breathe new life into older products, as well as explore new market niches with low impact investment.
Measurement of results
Each project receives its own unique baseline against which I measure success - I don't guarantee success, but I guarantee that if it is there, I will be able to demonstrate it!
Because I have an evolutionary model for increasing the value of your company, an evolution is an incremental process, I feel that measuring (and celebrating) small victories along the way is an important part of the process. Yet another reason for letting us plan and prepare a memorable event for your organization and its supporters!
Executive presentation
I am at your service, ready to provide a presentation to your management team at any stage of the process.
Progress reports will be delivered on a regular basis throughout the project or program, culminating in an executive summary clearly outlining the steps taken and the results accrued.