Are you interested in how to better manage technology projects in your nonprofit or as a consultant to nonprofits? We're hosting a first-of-its-kind Nonprofit Technology Project Management event in New York City on Thursday, January 10th and Friday, January 11th, 2008.

Managing Nonprofit Technology Projects will examine the tools and best practices that help nonprofits achieve successful technology solutions - whether web sites, packaged software implementations, or custom applications.

Interactive sessions and demos will allow participants to compare processes, tools, successes, and lessons learned. We will discuss areas such as team collaboration, project planning, software selection, migration, and project roll-out, and map out the software tools – from project management packages to collaborative communication to issue tracking and more – that support successful technology projects.

Aspiration's approach to facilitating practitioner knowledge sharing, combined with Idealware's experience in providing tool assessment frameworks and research-based information will ensure an informal, collaborative, and information-rich event.

What's On the Agenda?

The agenda will be designed specifically to ensure participants interact with and learn from each other, while also providing a solid grounding in essential topics. Some of the sessions will include:

=> Anatomy of a Well-Managed Technology Project: Drawing from case studies good, bad and ugly, this session will focus on key aspects of successful project management.
=> What Should a Web Site Cost? Using anecdotal data and participant input, we will explore costing for different types of web sites, from simple "brochure-ware" sites to custom, database-backed applications and points in between.
=> Using Wikis for Effective Collaboration: This session will map out best practices and techniques for successfully utilizing wiki technology ((see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) for project collaboration. Also discussed will be when not to use wikis, and when more structured information sharing tools are advisable.
=> Managing Consultants and Dealing with Vendors: This peer sharing workshop will invite participants to compare their processes and tactics for managing critical project relationships that fall outside of organizational boundaries.
=> Software Share: Basecamp, MS Project, DreamTeam and more – Nonpprofit practitioners will provide a variety of 10-15 minute software demos to allow participants to see the packages in real-life situations and compare the strengths and weaknesses.

See the full description of the event at http://www.aspirationtech.org/events/mntp2008 for more sessions. Or let us know what you'd like to talk about - the agenda will be designed collaboratively up to and during the event.

Who Should Come?

This event will focus on growing the community of nonprofit technology project managers by providing support to those currently practicing as project managers, recruiting and offering support to those new to (or bewildered by) this craft, and creating a space for the "accidental project managers" to share their stories, discover their allies, and grow into more "intentional" project managers. A significant part of the event will be built around mentoring relationships; experienced individuals with knowledge and stories to share will collaborate with participants who want to learn more.

How Do I Get Involved?

Interested in hearing more? View the full description of the event online at http://www.aspirationtech.org/events/mntp2008.

Ready to register? The event is $495 for those from organizations with budgets over $500K, and $295 for those from organizations under $500K. Register online via check or credit card at http://tinyurl.com/32q8yt

Questions? Comments? Want to be added to a low-volume email list for event reminders and key dates? Have a burning desire to be there but just can't afford it? Contact us at mntp@aspirationtech.org or mntp@idealware.org.