Case Study: An Exploration of The Dirty Little Secret of Successful Technology Deployment: 80% of the Work is Organizational, 20% is Technological

Applying technology is simple and easy if the hard work is done first. This session will focus on the full time and long-term work that must occur prior to technology implementation. For the past 5 years, Bill has been the one who, whether collaborating with Booz Allen Hamilton, a local consultant, or simply members of a District organization, has done the exciting and challenging work of creating the readiness and alignment necessary for organizations to take advantage of technology. In this session Bill will share insights and perspectives from his 25 years of experience in local, state, and the federal governments. He will illuminate why some efforts succeed and many fail - with an emphasis on the unique things that must be done with each organization or client to help them succeed, and illustrate those approaches that will not. Using a socio-technical lens he will discuss a simple but powerful model to create the necessary receptivity for a successful implementation - regardless of the business drivers. This is a candid, open and sometimes raw review of the opportunities and challenges that must be considered. It will also highlight why organizational contracting is so critical to success - to determine if the client is willing and able to step up to the plate, and how, based on data collected from that process, a vendor can ratchet up or down their proposals in order to identify a manageable unit of work that will create a win-win for both vendor and client. Other fun stuff that Bill will cover are things like brain research, the paradoxical theory of change, and the necessity and value of resistance).