Re: Justification/Tech Writer Role/Non-Profit Development Team

["John Posada" <writer -at- tdandw -dot- com>]

Message:

>Unless I'm missing something, the usual litany is *NOT*
involved
>here. You said:
>
>"From a business justification standpoint, neither of
these,
>and nothing LIKE these are the justification. The
>justification must be one or more of the following:
>-Save real money
>-Make real money
>-Gain marketshare
>-Gain a competitive advantage
>-Protect against legal action (see the first item)
>-Comply with regulatory requirements"
>
>From the subject of the thread, this is going on in a
>nonprofit organization. Thus, any justification...

Of course they apply...maybe even more so. Every non-profit
organization must get and keep funds. In the case of
non-profit, much of their existence relies on meeting
regulatory rules that if broken, not only create legal
issues, but jeopardize the very basis that allows them to
retain non-profit.

That makes documentation even more of an issue. Screw up and
you loose the tax and regulatory benefits that makes it
possible to remain in existence. I'm sure that there is a
tremendous need for very clear and precise policy manuals.
Non-profit usually relies a great deal on getting funding.
I'm sure that grant writing is a big concern.

Software that they create must be big on benefits. The
documentation then becomes a marketing tool.

I'd assume that non-profit means getting their share of
public/private funding. They're competing with hundreds of
other non-profits that are vying for the same pieces of pie.
If that's not gaining market share, I don't know what is.

Make documentation that is useful to the user...this results
in money in their bank, not documentation that is useful to
you that will help you make documentation...this is a cost
that drains money from their bank.

Plans and studies are fine. However, it doesn't take a plan
or study to walk around, talk to some people and find out
what they need. Then WHILE you are writing stuff they need
NOW and proving yourself, ALSO spend some time uncovering
other things they need. They don't want, at this point,
studies and plans...they want instructions and information.

Instead, pop into people's offices unannounced. When the
door is open, they don't have any visitors, and the phone
isn't in their hand, pop your head in, ask if they got 5
minutes, and start with something like this:

"Hey, Mary...as you know, I'm doing documentation for Harry
on the Accounting module of the "Application". Quick
question...while I'm writing something for him, what could I
address at the same time that would be of benefit to you? I
mean, I'd hate to think that I'm spending 20 hours writing
something for one purpose, when if I spent 21 hours instead,
I could make it useful for two purposes."

When I was at B&N.com, this worked SUPERBLY! Not only did I
find out what they needed, but the documentation became more
feature-rich, and at the same time, resulted in greater
cooperation from the developers becuase I'd brought their
management into the loop.

>From the standpoint of the original poster, this is job
preservation time.

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
writer[at]tdandw.com


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