James Andrews Knowledge and Information Manager

Stroke Association

November 2013

User engagement: walking the tightrope

Setting the scene

Project vision

Core deliverables

User engagement

Product development

Active use

The balancing act…

Organisational priorities

Local priorities

Reporting

Mobility

Process improvement

Cost

Collaboration

Legal

Principles for successful user engagement

Relationships and trust

Stakeholder mapping

• Stakeholder map

• Power/influence matrix

Requirement gathering

• Interviews: info used/generated? Processes? Legal compliance? Current issues? What works? What doesn’t?

• Analysis of existing structures and processes

Prototype

• Map findings against core deliverables

• Translate requirements into practical design

Revisit, revise, finalise

• Sense-check design with key stakeholders

• Tweak as appropriate

Content migration

• Stakeholders identify current working documentation

• Content migrated to new system

User training

• Face to face training; Online via WebEx; Quick cards

Go live

• Stakeholders start working in new system; old system made read only

• Project team and local advocates support users during initial adoption

Introduce the project and ask the right questions

Introduce core aims of the project

Content and process questions

Legal and security questions

What works well and what doesn’t?

Frustrations and issues with current ways of working?

Beware the “IT Project” fallacy

IT Project

One size DOESN’T fit all

• Wide variety of requirements from different teams

• Variations within departments

• Regional variations

• Differing team and individual preferences

Flexible, negotiable boundaries within agreed project goals

Local needs

Space to use available tools to solve problems

Project boundaries: broad enough

User engagement: who should do it?

Library and information professionals

Inquisitive

People skills

Tech savvy

Reference interview

In conclusion

• Balance between organisational and group/individual needs…

• … essential to ensure user adoption and embed change

• Strong relationships are vital

• Ask the right questions… [What’s in it for me?!]

• Beware the “IT project” fallacy

• One size doesn’t fit all

• Flexible boundaries = better solutions

• LIS professionals have ideal skills for user engagement

Questions