Lasa has been working to develop a learning programme for Circuit Riders since 2007.
This process commenced with a stakeholder event as part of the feasibility study on 17 July 2007 at NCVO in London which examined:
- the principles by which Riders work
- ICT standards which organisations could aspire to
- the skills required for a Rider to assist organisations to achieve those standards
- feedback on commissioned research from ADP Consultancy and Summit Collaborative
- possible scenarios for training and mentoring Riders
Notes from the meeting are available to download (pdf file 181kb).
Assisted by an advisory group,the Project then:
- published an updated list of circuit rider principles
- ran the successful 2008 Circuit Rider Conference in Birmingham
- produced Round-Up,the Circuit Rider news digest
- consulted on and published a set of ICT standards for organisations upon which to build a skill-set for Riders –Improving Circuit Rider Service to Voluntary and Community Organisations ~ Tools To Build Circuit Rider Competencies (pdf file 498Kb)
- researched a training path for Riders based on peer exchange,collaborative online resources,mentoring and partnership;
Following on from this work,the Lasa BASIS London Region ICT Infrastructure Project,funded by the Big Lottery for 3 years,commenced in May 2008 and aims to increase understanding in third sector infrastructure organisations of ICT as a capacity building issue,develop a sustainable capacity building programme to improve circuit riders use of tools and resources,develop a circuit rider training framework,increase the learning capacity of circuit riders and help increase the investment in ICT from funders and frontline groups.
The result of this is the Lasa ICT Learning Programme which commences in September 2009.
Who is it for?
In the first phase:
- Independent Circuit Riders
- Circuit riders who work in capacity building organisations
Our programme will help circuit riders:
- Develop the essential consulting,planning and other non-technical skills needed to balance your existing profile
- Provide an even better service
- Become more marketable in the field of ICT support for third sector organisations
The programme is based on the Circuit Rider Competency Guide (Improving Circuit Rider Service to Voluntary and Community Organisations – Tools to Build Circuit Rider Competencies )
What it covers
The programme is organised into four modules that you can mix and match:
- Characteristics of third sector organisations,the environment in which they operate and how this affects their use of technology
- Technology systems,tools,resource use and support,and their potential impact in small to medium sized third sector organisations
- Technology sustainability –policy and procedure development,training,costing and funding
- Consulting skills,technology assessment,planning and project management
Additional learning resources
As a participant you will receive a combination of support that includes:
- Tools to design your own Personal Learning Plan
- A professional advisor to support you as you follow your customised learning path
- A private,personalised online learning environment with carefully selected resources to support your independent learning
- Access to ‘springboard’ classes focusing on exactly what you need
- Facilitated interaction with your peers who are also in the programme
- Ongoing access to the online learning environment
To learn more please e-mail Sarah Lord-Soares at
SLord-Soares@lasa.org.uk
