Doing+IT+Better

=Name Of Project= **Home page**: @http://doingitbetter.net.au
 * Main Country of Operation:** Australia
 * Other Countries of Operation:** --
 * Contact:** Larry Stillman, larry.stillman AT infotech.monash.edu.au

Doing IT Better is a social justice initiative of the [|Centre for Community Networking Research] (Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University) and the [|Victorian Council of Social Service], generously funded by a foundation to build information and communications technology (ICT) capacity in the Victorian community services sector 2007-2010. **The final report was delivered in 2010 and can be downloaded from the website**. Community service organisations — just like government and commercial organisations — are now dependent on ICT systems to support basic organisational functions and service delivery. But limited financial resources and a shortage of ICT skills and know-how in the sector have left most agencies struggling. Improved ICT capacity will enable improve organisational efficiencies, enabling more resources to be directed where it really counts: supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged Victorians via the direct service work and advocacy that is the community services sector's core business. A three-way approach has been adopted: A [|Reference Group] comprising workers in community service organisations and people from the ICT industry guides the work, and will ensure that key aspects of the work continue to be supported beyond the life of the project. Stillman, L., S. Kethers, et al. (2008). Representing practice wisdom: adapting corporate modelling for better welfare practice. 10th Australian Conference for Knowledge Management & Intelligent Decision Support. Ballarat. Stillman, L., S. Kethers, et al. (2009). "Adapting corporate modelling for community informatics." VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems 39(3): 259 - 274. Stillman, L. and J. McGrath (2008). "Is it Web 2.0 or is it Better Information and Knowledge That we Need? ." Australian Social Work 61(4): 421-428.
 * Undertaking [|case studies] with a number of organisations to identify issues and trial solutions
 * Providing [|information resources] to build know-how and assist decision-making and planning
 * Identifying [|systemic issues] that are holding the sector back, and working to change them

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