TECHNICAL CONSULTING

We understand that employees and customers rely on technology-based solutions to real, tangible problems. In our technical and systems consulting, we partner with clients to produce specific technical results as well as to analyze the human processes and systems that are involved in getting to the end result. We provide web design and development services, web training and other technical services to help people and organizations maximize their time.

Specific examples of technical consulting include:

• Helping non-technical people use technical tools to further their own mission
• Analyzing productivity trends and suggesting strategies and ways to use technology to improve performance
• Developing internal websites, tools, or databases targeted for use by employees, customers or public information
• Designing evaluation systems and other ways to collect and learn from data and results
• Designing and creating topic-based Web sites, generating interactive multimedia for lab exercises, and capturing lectures for delivery anytime over the internet.
• Providing training in HTML and other internet and desktop technologies and technology resources so that staff can use and/or create technology systems without continually needing technical assistance
• Consulting with organizations' leadership regarding internal processes - such as hiring processes, communication strategies, pilot projects, organizational performance reviews, etc. and the role of technology to expedite processes.

INDIVIDUAL COACHING

We believe that people ultimately have the capacity to resolve the challenges they face. Occasionally it's useful to engage with a coach to discover more resources, strategies and get feedback on one's effectiveness. MGS provides individual coaching for the areas of focus listed below, or individuals can request specific coaching in any specific skill or issue covered in the MGS Workshop Offerings.

• Help set clear and effective goals in complex settings.
• Identify transferable skills and strengths and/or new strategies that can assist in reaching challenging business goals.
• Provide a sounding board for strategies/planning/leadership skills in order to be clear and focused about how to produce results.
• Provide assistance with remaining focused on "outcomes" or "results" in the midst of increasing change and time-demands
• One on one leadership/management coaching - dealing with personnel issues, dealing with conflict, performance feedback, organizational effectiveness, etc.
• Provide clients with relevant tools, resources, support and structure to assist them in accomplishing a variety of individualized goals.

WEB DEVELOPMENT and KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

MGS can work with you to quickly and efficiently design or update your web-presence. Our work can be a brief analysis, brainstorm, recommendation session - or a full design process of audience definition, layout grids and design sketches, web-based prototypes, and the actual construction of the site itself. You determine how we can be most useful to you. MGS Associates include experienced knowledge management/information architecture professionals, physical architects, graphic designers, and technical consultants. We can partner with existing staff and/or pull together the team you need to make your internal or external website effective.

BOARD DEVELOPMENT

People on the board of a non-profit organization have the primary responsibility of supporting the mission of that organization. Depending on the agency, community, and size of the organization, boards perform a wide range of tasks. Usually the board's role in any voluntary organization can be broken down into three areas:

1. Governance: Giving overall direction to the agency. Advising the staff on matters of significant policy or strategy
2. Resources: The board takes actions and makes decisions to ensure there are sufficient and appropriate human and financial resources for the organization to accomplish its work.
3. Operations: Generally the board has no mandatory role in this area, however board members choose to actively participate in tasks, events, activities due to philosophy, the board "model" of the organization and/or limited resources.

OUTCOME BASED EVALUATIONS Outcome-based evaluation is a systematic way to assess the extent to which a program has achieved its intended results. MGS enjoys working with businesses and organizations to build or expand their Outcome-based evaluation processes. The end result is to get clear about how well the mission of the organization is being fulfilled, and to be better able to communicate to stakeholders (participants, staff, board, donors, partners) about what actually happens that makes the (business/organization/community/clients/planet) better off than before the program existed.

MGS works with clients to plan, pilot and assess their evaluation efforts. We work with some of the same tools and strategies that the United Way recommends. We can assist in strategy, design and communication and/or we can provide the resources to build a whole system complete with computerized tracking methods. Our end goal is to help our clients gather information that will be useful to them in continuing to provide effective service to their customers, in support of their organizational mission. Some of the basic questions we start with include:

• What is your organization's mission? Who are your customers?
• What are you trying to accomplish in the world as a result of your work?
• What decisions do you want to be able to make as a result of your evaluation?
• Who are primary audiences for the results?
• What kinds of information and is there a deadline?
• What will you do with the end result? How will it help you to better serve your organization and your customers?

NON-PROFIT MARKET RESEARCH

MGS works with non-profit organizations to look at long and short term research that applies to their mission. We provide research services for needs such as examining customer trends, locating results from similar programs, or environmental conditions to look at possible revenue initiatives. This work is necessary in order to make sure that the organizations efforts and evaluation strategies are making the best use of existing resources in order to reach their goal. Contact us for more information or click the link below to see one example of Market Research that we put together for one of our Non-Profit clients - currently available on our Online Non-Profit Resources area.