Expert observers of Information Technology (IT) trends say organizations waste time, money and credibility on IT because of a few fatal mistakes. Even though studies of IT innovation span the last decade, the challenges still come down to understanding the problem to be solved and choosing the right technology. Many have been blindsided by the “glitter of all things new,” when in fact the best solution to the problem may not be the technology but an organizational or policy change. Many have tried and many have failed all in the name of innovation.

Pick a technology that enhances the course or the material - don’t let the technology drive the business or the topic.

The eight grantees were no different from other IT innovators. Many found the selection of the technology as challenging as using the technology to conduct their project work. A number of the teams had little if any technology expertise within the team and had to rely on the knowledge and experience of others to guide decision making in these areas. Some project teams were fortunate that their project leads were in fact comfortable with technology. However a majority of the teams were comprised of primarily content experts: people who understood what knowledge needed to be shared with whom and for what purpose. A majority of the teams had in general, limited knowledge about the medium they were relying upon, except as users themselves.

The teams wrestled with questions such as:

• Will it (Web site, Webinar, etc.) work within their environment?
• Are the desired results obtainable with these new mediums?
• Do we have the skill sets necessary to take advantage of these new tools?
• Will the users posses the necessary knowledge to take advantage of their product?

When planning a project involving technology, make sure to try it out before committing to it - that’s the only way to assure it is the right technology for your project.

Choosing the right technology is a difficult, and at the same time a crucial process for the success of a project involving the use of IT for knowledge sharing. Selecting the best technology to support the goals of a project while also ensuring the users have the skills and resources necessary to benefit from the system over time is a complicated task, especially for teams with limited knowledge of IT. The teams found enabling their knowledge sharing innovations to be challenging in and of itself, especially within the non-profit environment in which they worked. Couple this with geographically dispersed team members, and the selection and use of technology became even more compounded.