Who am I and what do I do?
I am a Digital Manager, Producer, Facilitator working in the ‘third’ (NGO, community, environment) sector. I am freelance at the time of writing with various contracts. I am looking for a permanent, or longer term contract role somewhere I can settle in and be part of the organisation.
As a contractor, how is it to work with me?
My approach is like having that person in your organisation. I handle all of the website-related questions that come up in an organisation using the web or doing a web project – including strategy, IT, design, communications, engagement, training, internal structure, operations, decision-making, long term service arrangements, updates, power, conflict resolution, who gets to say what goes on the homepage etc.
I work transparently using shared project management tools (unless requested to use alternatives). Each step is documented as pithily as possible and I keep timesheets that we share. I aim to be replaceable at any step as well – ie someone else could step in, read the notes, and pick up where I left off.
My work breaks down loosely into Digital Management, Production and Facilitation.
Management / Project Management
- Standalone and multi-stakeholder projects, departments, organisations, community groups
- Long history with community-based projects, membership and NGO groups
- Experienced in management of multi-disciplinary teams, varying budgets and technologies, producing requirements, handling agencies
- Familiar with project managing iterative digital life cycle from strategy, to requirements, into production, and then round: user experience design, usability, programming, editorial, interface design, measurement, bug fixing, maintenance, version 2 etc.
- Source and manage digital IT infrastructure and suppliers for affordable accessible environmentally friendly (open source) frameworks (e.g. web hosting, CMS publishing, ticketing tracking, web analytics, Intranet
- Produce the products (e.g. organisational websites, directories, fora, blogs, newsletters, social networking software, etc.)
- Deliver the services in collaboration with wide variety of user groups (e.g. national volunteer blogging project, one click websites for community groups, news aggregation and distribution engines, apps and widgets)
- Manage the technology from strategic roadmaps to operational details; used to oversight for multiple web applications on different platforms and user groups
- Care for, and about, staff: recruit and manage contractors and volunteers; have co-created technical co-op with developers and designers to deliver technologies
- Manage multi-streamed budgets; sought and secured funding, reported to funders, so far haven’t gone over-budget!
Production
- Produce and manage a ‘stable’ of sensible, simple and affordable WordPress sites for organisations making the world a better place (see websites page)
- Project manage larger digital projects (most recently a social networking platform)
- Provide WordPress experience, advice and support
- Provide Google ‘Gsuite’ intranet set up and migrations
- Provide Microsoft Office 365 intranet set up and configuration
- Provide Drupal experience, advice and support
- Provide advice on, and produce available ‘cloud’ services to organise, co-ordinate and deliver projects
Most recently I was the technical producer for Schumacher College, producing/project managing The Schumacher Network; a complex online community system
Facilitation
- Facilitated groups and communities on and offline over a range of time periods in contexts ranging from joyous collaboration to uncomfortable conflict via change, expansion and reduction
- Designed and facilitated workshops, events and meetings in a range of sectors, locations and purposes
- Online ‘socio-technical’ production for physical events/conferences: ie work with event teams to agree community development patterns around physical events and produce online services to support
- Outreach and network development
- Facilitator mentoring
- Individual coaching
- Community engagement online and offline
- Long term group design and development