Change Management: Adopt and Implement Grant Management Software

Transcription

1 Change Management: Adopt and Implement Grant Management Software StreamLink Software, 2014

2 Introduction The decision to purchase grant management software is a big one. If your organization recently took this step, or is considering it, congratulations! But this is just the beginning. Grant management software has the potential to centralize grant activities and data, from pre-award research to post-award reporting. For a successful transition, your organization must plan for the adoption, implementation and long-term perpetuation of this commitment. This guide walks through the process of adopting grant management technology, with tools and templates to help you every step of the way. StreamLink Software i

3 Step 1: Adoption Technology Rollout Plan Internal Champions Tools and Templates: Internal Communications Plan Page 1 Page 4 Page 6 Step 2: Training and Implementation Training Preparation Tips for Training Success Input Grant Data Tools and Templates: Data Transfer Page 7 Page 8 Page 8 Page 9 Step 3: Excel Troubleshooting and Customer Support Strategies to Protect Data Quality Long-Term Adoption Tools and Templates: Before and After Scorecard Page 10 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 About StreamLink Software StreamLink Software ii

4 Step 1: Adoption Some organizations purchase grant management software excited for the gains in revenue, compliance and capacity. A few months later, they wonder why data quality hasn t improved, processes remain inefficient and only half their staff is using the product. No major technology investment is a turnkey solution; you can t flip a switch and expect instant change. It requires planning, communication and commitment to realize organization-wide adoption. The good news is: it s not as hard as it sounds. Being thoughtful and proactive will steer your organization toward grant management success starting with a technology rollout plan and an internal team of champions. Technology Rollout Plan While a handful of people usually decide on the right grant management solution, there are often many others who will be affected once the technology is implemented. For them, grant management software might bring new and possibly unwelcome changes to their daily work especially if they are comfortable in their current processes. It s important to educate those who will be affected, and explain when and how changes will occur. It s likely there will be questions, doubts and uncertainties, so communicating early and often is essential to long-term success. Anticipate questions that might be asked and formulate talking points so you re prepared to alleviate concerns. Every technology rollout plan should include an internal communication strategy (See Tools and Templates on page 6), and a timeline of training and implementation milestones, such as when data will be migrated and when a full staff switch to the software will occur. StreamLink Software 1

5 Top Reasons Grant Management Software is Resisted And How to Respond It s too complicated. The easiest way to adopt new technology is to immerse yourself in it. Managing grants across two systems is confusing and inefficient. Therefore, the sooner you can fully transition to the software, the easier it will be. Training is also available to help you learn functionality. I don t have time. Getting used to the software is going to require a little extra time upfront on everyone s part. But once you get used to it, we ll be more efficient and able to do more in less time. I feel like someone s watching over my shoulder. The software isn t meant to pry into your day-to-day work. Its purpose is to centralize information to help us be more efficient and prevent a single point of failure. Over time, it will help us better achieve our mission by improving regulatory compliance, increasing capacity and generating revenue. StreamLink Software 2

6 What we do now works just fine. Why change? Our current processes will only get us so far. Grant application and reporting requirements are becoming more strict, more data-driven and more outcome-based. We need the platform and processes in place to collect data and organize activities throughout the grant lifecycle if we want to future-proof our organization. There s too much information to input. The task of information input shouldn t fall on one person s shoulders. To keep the process from becoming overwhelming, work will be split up between numerous stakeholders. Each will be responsible for inputting small pieces of data on a regular basis. This data will give us greater insight into our grant programs, which will help us better manage them and achieve more successful outcomes. Plus, grant management software will allow us to centralize our data, so you'll no longer need to worry about redundant data entry. I don t want to change the way I do things. Federal legislation and new technology are changing the way grant funds are managed. As a result, we need to adjust the way we apply for, manage and report on grants to comply with new regulations and future-proof our organization. StreamLink Software 3

7 Tips to Gain Internal Support Here are some strategies to build and sustain internal support for grant management software: Share responsibility and success. Get as many people involved in implementation as possible. Open communication and clearly defined roles will create shared ownership and spur success. Don t wait for someone else to do it. Support for the transition has to start and be driven from within. Be strategic with messaging. Create an internal communication plan to structure when, how and from whom communications will be relayed. Find an executive sponsor. Support from the C-suite will go far in setting the organization s long-term vision, and in sustaining adoption beyond initial implementation. Stay positive. It s hard to get behind a discouraged leader. Don t let setbacks get you down. Remind yourself of the software s benefits, and how your commitment is helping to future-proof your organization. Internal Champions Every major project needs internal champions who can keep things moving, rally support, and make sure necessary resources are available to make implementation a success. Create an implementation team to work together on the technology rollout plan, internal communications, software adoption and product evangelism. Then designate a team lead, the organizational administrator, who can be the main point of contact for support, troubleshooting and product updates. Finally, make sure you have an executive sponsor who can be an advocate and overcome internal roadblocks. The implementation team should include those that will work most directly with the software and be responsible for its success. The organizational administrator should be the person with final accountability for grant-related data, both performance and financial. It s also beneficial if this person is tech-savvy, or willing to learn and ask questions. StreamLink Software 4

8 Roles and Responsibilities of Internal Champions Make sure all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined upfront, and all internal champions have the resources they need to be successful. Implementation Team Software Curator Executive Sponsor Rally internal support Help overcome internal roadblocks Develop and execute the technology rollout plan Work to meet training and implementation milestones Take ownership of product adoption and data quality Be the main point of contact for support questions and troubleshooting Keep up with new product features and updates StreamLink Software 5

9 Tools and Templates: Internal Communications Plan Part of the technology rollout plan should be documenting important internal communications, messages, and milestones. Here s what to include: Who: Identify key stakeholders, users and others affected by the new software. Remember to include part-time workers, volunteers, contractors, consultants, board members and grant sub-recipients, if applicable. What: Document key messages, tasks, milestones and deadlines that need to be communicated. Consider including an initial announcement, designation of roles and responsibilities, training session reminders and requests for feedback. When: Map communications around key milestones such as training sessions, internal due dates and grant reporting deadlines. Where: Decide the best channel(s) to communicate with users. should be included, but other means paper documents, signage or in-person meetings might also be appropriate. Why: Always weave the reason behind the transition into all communications. Also consider creating a one-page FAQ document for the internal champions to reference, including responses to key objections. StreamLink Software 6

10 Step 2: Training and Implementation The second phase of grant management software adoption is training and implementation. All workplaces have routines, which can make it difficult to adopt new processes and technology. To ease uncertainties and frustration, make sure all users are fully immersed in training. The more comfortable and confident they walk away, the more likely they will use and love the new and improved grant management process. Training Preparation If your grant management software provider offers support, a representative will likely contact you to schedule training sessions with your team. Use real grant data during training, so your team can be taught on your own data, and immediately configure the system to your organization s unique processes. AmpliFund Users: What to Expect Training for StreamLink Software s AmpliFund Full Cycle often consists of three 60-minute sessions held over a four- to six-week period. During the introductory call, you ll meet your software support team, review user levels and confirm required attendees for each training session. The initial training for all users will show everyone the basics software navigation, getting around, activity, contact, and task management. A second training session specifically for the grant management team will deep dive into product functionality and processes grant management, approval processes and reporting capabilities so they can understand how the product will integrate into day-to-day grant management. The final training session is specific to those with the highest security, and will focus on administrator roles and capabilities and data management. StreamLink Software 7

11 Consortia grant managers should also consider sub-recipients. Training them allows your organization to reap full system benefits. For example, the grant manager can assign tasks and set deadlines, and send reminders. Relatedly, sub-recipients can report program activities and data through the completion of simple forms. To onboard sub-recipient users, you can schedule a scaled-down training session with your software provider, or train them yourself. Tips for Training Success There s more to training than showing up to the meeting. Here are tips for getting the full value out of your training sessions. Arrive on time and prepared to each session, and encourage your staff to do the same. Bring questions and be ready to engage, so you can get the most out of every minute. Insist on an agreed-upon training schedule. Work with your software vendor to create a training schedule, or milestones for each major stage in the training and implementation process. This creates investment and ownership on both sides, keeping both parties equally accountable for success or failure. Don t be afraid to get started. You don t have to wait for your first training session to familiarize yourself with the software s functionality. You can t break it! If using a software-as-a-service (Saas) solution, functionality is turned on immediately upon purchase. This allows you to play around, get comfortable and formulate questions for the trainer in advance. Input Grant Data An important part of grant management system set up is data transfer. This is often done through a series of imports, using a set-up template to map your data to software fields. During the process, you may find yourself asking: what do we do with our historical data? It s not necessary to import data from old grants into your new grant management system. While it might feel incomplete to have data in different places, the time and effort to migrate this data is often not worth the gains. Save all files and records of processes for future reference, and focus on keeping current and future grants up-to-date in your new system. StreamLink Software 8

12 Tools and Templates: Data Transfer To make the data transfer process go smoothly, make sure your data is well organized so the following can be clearly defined and mapped: Accounting records: Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) rate, cash match percent and/or amount, in-kind match percent personnel and non-personnel, federal rate type, etc. Departments: Names and unique identifiers for each internal department. Budget: Categories to group budget line items and unique identifiers for budget line items. Contact records: Record details for all organizations, individuals and staff involved in grant management. Grants: Key record data, unique identifiers, responsible parties, etc. for each active grant. Projects: Key record data, unique identifiers, responsible parties, etc. for each active project. StreamLink Software 9

13 Step 3: Excel The final step in grant management software adoption is maintenance and long-term success. This is arguably the most important step, and the one where most organizations fail. It s easy to build momentum and enthusiasm for a new and exciting piece of software. But after a few months, the excitement wanes, old habits return, and more pressing projects get in the way. Soon your system is incomplete, data inaccurate and momentum lost. To keep this from happening to you, commit to data quality and long-term adoption. Troubleshooting and Customer Support The internal champions role does not end once initial implementation is complete. As employees become more familiar with the system, it s common for them to have questions or require support. Make sure all users are aware of, and have access to, troubleshooting resources such as a support site, FAQs, videos or product documentation. The organizational administrator acts as the main point of contact with the software vendor, but all users should have access to the software support team. If your software vendor offers additional training sessions, take advantage of this service. Annual refresher courses can be an invaluable way to keep users skills sharp, and make sure your organization gets full value out of the product. Strategies to Protect Data Quality Preserving your system s data quality is the single most important aspect of long-term software adoption. Without it, you lose trust in data accuracy and jeopardize compliance. StreamLink Software 10

14 Keep the following in mind when protecting your grant management data: Data quality starts with people, not products. It s up to users to input accurate records and keep data up-to-date. Your staff must be good stewards of grant data, if you are to be successful. Think proactive, not punitive. Many organizations wait until they have a problem to address data quality. Put processes, checks and balances in place early, to prevent bad habits from turning into bad data. Share the load. Placing the burden of data input on one person denigrates data quality. Prevent fatigue and errors by spreading accountability across your user base. Update consistently. Don t let users wait to input large amounts of data at once. Small, consistent data input will result in better data quality and user adoption. Long-Term Adoption Perpetuate long-term adoption through a feedback loop. Ask for feedback at regular intervals to make sure the software is meeting end user needs. If it isn t, it might be a sign that more configuration or training is necessary. Most of all, your staff wants results. Users were told that grant management software would generate revenue, build capacity and increase compliance; now show them. Compare efficiency, grant proposal success and grant performance data from before and after implementation. Share success stories with staff to underscore the product s benefits and keep them committed to new processes. StreamLink Software 11

15 Tools and Templates: Before and After Scorecard Evaluating key metrics before and after grant management software implementation will give your organization objective feedback on implementation success. Continue to track metrics over time to identify successes and areas for improvement. Pre-software 12 Mos. After Adoption 24 Mos. After Adoption Grant proposal success rate Grant funds lost to drawdown Grant funds lost to audits Annual staff time spent writing grants (hours) Annual staff time spent on administrative tasks (hours) Annual staff time spent on audit preparation (hours) StreamLink Software 12

16 About StreamLink Software StreamLink Software offers grant and board management platforms that connect disparate systems and processes creating dynamic ecosystems that drive performance and compliance. StreamLink Software s products, AmpliFund and BoardMax, enable nonprofit and public sector institutions to systemize complex tasks, secure additional revenue, and increase efficiency to better serve their communities. AmpliFund was built to simplify the growing complexities of grant management. It creates a comprehensive, yet intuitive, hub where grant managers can efficiently oversee the entire grant lifecycle. As a result, nonprofit organizations and public entities can drive additional revenue and capacity through more streamlined processes, and easily ensure regulatory compliance with advanced reporting functionality. AmpliFund and BoardMax provide accurate, immediate, and accessible reporting to ensure public trust and protect the reputation of the organization to the board and other stakeholders. Founded in 2008, StreamLink Software helps solve different management challenges including board member and leadership volunteer management. Connect with StreamLink Software on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and on our blog. StreamLink Software 13