Digital Toolkit for First Nations Health Services

National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation

Jordan Davis & Dr. Shawn Major

Introduction

Jordan DavisWeb/Graphic designer,

and IT guy.

10+ years.

Dr. Shawn MajorWriter/editor

Amazing at building

NNAPF’s

Social Media.

authors

In the last year at NNAPF, we have gone

through a lot of changes to the technolo-

gy and the web services that we use as an

organization. We have also faced some

challenges. General outline of the things

I’d like to talk about :

1 - Internal communication

2 - Outbound communication

Internal Communicationmanaging

Email can be a painHow to make email better.1

Task managementthat gets things done.2

File managementversions and backups.3

Securitybest practices.4

Email isn’t always ideal...Internal Communication > email

Time costs of constant email checking

Inbox overload

Email anxiety

Unneccesary emails

= Extra stress!

Email time managementInternal Communication > email

Task switching costExperiments published in 2001, Joshua Rubinstein, PhD, Je�rey Evans, PhD, and David Meyer, PhDMeyer has said that even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time.http://www.apa.org/research/action/multitask.aspx

RecommendationIf you are constantly switching, you will get less done, and you will be more tired. Productivity experts recommend checking email at specific times throughout the day. It doesn’t matter when you choose to check email, but you can save a lot of time and e�ort just by choosing when to process your email.

!

Inbox ZeroInternal Communication > email

Reduce stress byprocessing all your email at one time. One method is called inbox zero.

Sometimes the best email is a phone call Internal Communication > email

...or no email at all.Have you ever had ten back and forth emails to discuss something that could have been cleared up in a five minute phone conversation? Or been CC’d on a bunch of emails that have nothing to do with you?

RecommendationThe best email strategy (for your coworkers) is knowing when not to email.

!

Keep it short and sweetInternal Communication > email

“If I had more time, I would have sent a shorter letter”

Take some time to edit your email, remove unecessary details, shorten sentences. Emoticons and e-mail tone:http://99u.com/articles/6991/email-etiquette-ii-why-emoti-cons-and-emotional-cues-work

RecommendationTry to make your emails no longer than 3 sentences. Remember that email can have a ‘negativity bias’.

!

Task ManagementInternal Communication > task management

We tend to use Email for everything.But email isn’t meant to do everything.There is no ‘assign task’ button in email, no built in to-do lists, no easy way to access what has and hasn’t been accomplished.

We have decided to separate our Task Management at NNAPF.

This is a big decision for an organization, not to be taken lightly:

- Adds complexity

- Creates another place where messges ‘might’ be

- Needs everyone to commit

- Everyone has to learn the new system

Possible benefits

We use Basecamp:

• Simple learning curve

• All conversations about a project in one place

• Easy to-do lists

• Easy email integration

• A place for in-progress files (more on that in the next section)

• A great way to keep track of past accomplishments

• Simple and obvious accountability

Internal Communication > task management

File ManagementInternal Communication

Sharing is too easy.Makes keeping correct versions of documents a challenge. This is another area where we gravitate to using email, but probably shouldn’t. Go back and search for an attachment - what was it called? Who even sent it? We always expect that we will be able to remember.

Have a strategy (here’s ours):1 - We have in-progress files in Basecamp. 2 - Upload edits in a new file with our initials.3 - Final files go into Dropbox (cloud storage service).

Everyone has to be aware of the system, know how to use the programs, have access and tech support, and consciencously follow the system.Feel free to ask me if you have questions about these services, or alterna-tives. Make sure you have a backup strategy for your files.

!

Security practicesInternal Communication Internal Communication > security

The password talk.Password breaches are a regular thing we see or hear about in the news. Example: Breach of 1.2 billion passwords in August.

What could happen if someone had your password? People don’t realize how much trouble they could be in until too late, especially if you are using the same password for many di�erent services.

Passwords need to change every two months.

Impossible to have unique, changing passwords for many services.

How to never forget your password again.

Password managers make the internet better.

I currently use 131 di�erent internet services that require a password, but I haven’t had to remember or reset a password in several months. Using last pass or 1Pass, you might never even know or see your passwords.

(just need to remember one really good password)

Internal Communication Internal Communication > security

Don’t have one person with all the master keysInternal Communication

Make sure that your web services accounts aren’t

tied exclusively to one person.

That person could get sick, injured, or leave. Unfortunately, we learned this the hard way. It took us weeks to transfer access of all of our web ser-vices.

Use a generic email for web accounts (like web@nnapf.com), and make sure at least two people have access to it.!

Organizing and creating external communitiesmanaging

Creating online communities1Managing online communities2

Website creation and management3Mobile future4

Creating online communities.External Communication

Why?

- communicate with stakeholders

- increase visibility

- connect with partners

- build a community of support

It takes time and e�ort to build up a following but the more people that “like” or “follow” your accounts the more people you can tell about your events, products, projects, and other important information which is a valuable resource.

!

Before you start....External Communication

Consider your resources.

Establish goals.

- such drive tra�c to website,

- gain followers to increase visibility

Assess target audience.

Decide which platforms will get the best response.

All ages and walks of life on social media, will only become more

prevalent.

Major online communities overview - External Communication

Twitter fast-paced, best for:

Organizations with the time to maintain

Connecting with people esp. ages 18-29

Advertising

Instagram photo based:

• Organizations that produce

frequent photos/graphics

• Connecting with people

ages 12-29, especially youth

• Internet on mobile devices

YouTube video based:

• Organizations that produce

videos

• Connecting with people of all

ages, especially ages 12-34

• Showcasing videos

LinkedIn best for:

•Organizations looking to hire

•Connecting with profession-

als, especially those aged

30-64

Facebook slower-paced, best for:

All organizations

Connecting with people of all ages

Organizing events

Advertising

Other social media platforms...External Communication

Social Media StrategyExternal Communication

A website is your organization’s home on the internet and social media platforms are the paths that connect it. To carry on with the metaphor, these “paths” have to be regularly maintained, made to look inviting, have content signposted with pictures, and people should be able to ask for directions. In practice, this means:

Frequency

Content

Visual content

Community Engagement

Managing Online communitiesExternal Communication

Social media is a cross-departmental endeavor that needs to be supported by the whole organization. It is a collaborative process that involves:

Communications

Marketing

Programs

Development

Graphic design

Social Media ToolsExternal Communication

It is time consuming to manage/create posts and, because is so common

for organizations to have multiple accounts, it is highly recommended

that you use a social media management tool.

NNAPF uses Hootsuite which is free, allows you to manage multiple

social media profiles across di�erent platforms, and our favourite feature

is that it enables you to schedule posts ahead of time. This means that

you can have a bu�er of content which is handy in times of extreme

busyness, illness, or unexpected leave.

Social Media ResourcesExternal Communication

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/23837-how-nonprofits-use-social-media-to-engage-with-their-communities.html

http://blog.klout.com/2014/07/a-product-managers-guide-to-building-relationships-on-social-media Ensure that your organization has an up to date social media policy which in-cludes security policies – only a few trusted and pre-selected individuals should have the account passwords and content posting privileges. The accounts should also be created so they are not permanently linked to any one individual – this will allow company ownership and for management of the social media feeds to be changed with ease.

Why have a website?External Communication

Websites are a great way to provide information about your organization, share news, and provide a channel of communication.

They have quickly surpassed the Yellow Pages as the go-to resource for finding information about organizations.

They also allow the organization to give a first impression about their organization.

Having a professional looking, friendly website is a great way to alleviate anxiety that a client may have.

Also, having contact form is a great, low-commitment way for someone to get in touch with your organization on their own terms.

Problems and barriers.External Communication

Outdated sites can look unprofessional. Broken links and non-functional contact forms can created missed opportunities for connection.

Expense

Time to liason with developer

Sta� training

Time for site updating and monitoring

Continued maintenance costs

With NNAPF, I’m working to create a Treatment Center web project to help

treatment centers have a�ordable websites, with low requirements for time

and training.

The future.External Communication

Broadband not available to everyone:

In B.C. alone, 26 First Nations are still waiting. Unacceptable.

http://www.firstmile.ca/

Both internet and mobile devices are increasing, only a matter of time.

Must be careful not to underserve those without digital access, a

consideration when designing websites and social engagement.

jdavis@nnapf.com || smajor@nnapf.com

visit: nnapf.com

Email takeaways

Deal with all your email at once.

Don’t email if phoning will be faster.

Don’t CC people unnecessarily.

Keep your emails as short as possible.

Keep your emails friendly :)

Task Management takeaways

Separate task management can be great, but:

Consider the cost of switching -

especially training, complexity, commitment.

File Management Takeaways

Have a strategy!

Make sure everyone:

know your strategy

knows how to use the tools

has access to the tools

has access to help

Security Takeaways

Keep yourself, your contacts, and

your organizations data safe!!

Passwords need to be unique, changing,

and unguessable.

Use a password management tool.

Social Media Platform Takeaways

Communication is connection.

Make sure you have time.

Focus energy on the best avenues

for your organization.

Social Media Tools Takeaways

Share interesting thoughts and articles,

Not just announcements.

Try to encourage conversation, respond to people.

Website Takeaways

Websites are a great way to provide info

about your organization, and provide

a private communication channel.

NNAPF web project aims for launch in early 2015.