Technology Support Staff Assessment

Use these questions to help you think through your technology support staff needs. Do you have a system administrator on staff?

If you have a system administrator:

1. How many hours does your system administrator work per week? Do they have too much to do? Do you feel like they can handle most of what needs to be done?
2. Do they answer questions easily and understandably?
3. Are they able to train staff individually, or organize group trainings?
4. Are they keeping a network log or other records on the computer system?
5. Is there a person on staff in addition to the system manager who can do essential computer tasks if necessary?

If you do not have a system administrator:

1. Are your existing systems of technology support adequate? Do you have a need for a system administrator?
2. What is your potential budget for technology support? Can you fundraise to extend this budget? Remember that approximately 70% of technology spending should go to support and training.
3. On average, how many hours does your organization dedicate to the following each month?
   • Computer Maintenance
   • Printer Maintenance
   • Software Troubleshooting
   • Network Administration
4. Who does this work? Is it a part of their assigned tasks?
5. Is anyone in charge of computer training at your organization? Is there a need for such a person?
6. Do you have a computer store or consultant that you can afford to hire to help you fix or make upgrades on your computer?