Worksheet 3.2: Choosing an Acquisition Strategy
Begin by first considering the most appropriate acquisition strategy for the campaign.
Be mindful that the campaign serves as a ‘pilot’ and might be the first step toward more advanced ICT tools and platforms for your community, so stick with the guiding principle: keep it simple.
Download PDF (3.2 Choosing an Acquisition Strategy)
Do you want to get up and running quickly but aren’t ready or able to invest in an ICT platform yet? |
Strategy 1: Use what you have |
| What are community members already using in their daily lives?
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| Can you repurpose an existing platform or make small adjustments for the campaign?
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| Are their skill gaps in the community that prevent an existing ICT platform from supporting the campaign?
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| Will the campaign add costs to your community members when using of this platform?
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Do you need an ICT tool or features that aren’t already available to the community but requires no money? |
Strategy 2: Choose a free platform |
| Is the platform accessible to everyone that needs it?
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| Can you live with advertisements on it?
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| How important is control of your community data?
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| How much work is involved in configuring and using this tool?
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| Can the platform grow with usage?
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| Are there any hidden costs?
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Does your community of practice have access to resources to pay for a commercial platform? |
Strategy 3: Get a commercial platform/upgrade from free |
| Will the platform be accessible to everyone that needs it?
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| Do you need all the tools and features it provides?
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| Is the platform suited to your primary orientation and community focus?
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| How much work is involved in configuring and using this platform?
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| How easily can the platform integrate with existing ICT tools and platforms in the community?
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| Are there any hidden costs?
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Do you have unique needs that aren’t well-served by any single platform? Are you not interested in or ready for a custom-designed platform? |
Strategy 4: Patch pieces together |
| Do you have more than one ICT tool that you need to integrate into an activity?
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| Do you have resources, time, and skills necessary to experiment with an unfamiliar platform?
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| How much work is involved in configuring and using this platform?
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| How easily can the platform integrate with existing ICT tools and platforms in the community?
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| What support is available to assist with this platform?
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| How much does it cost?
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Do you have unique needs not met by existing platforms? Do you have deep technical knowledge and support in your community? Do you have a developer? |
Strategy 5: Build your own/hire a developer |
| Are you sure you are ready for this?
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| Have already you conducted a campaign with a free/low-cost platform first?
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| Have you clearly defined the technological functionality, features, and back end support required?
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| Have you clearly identified the administrative and security considerations?
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| How willing is your community interested or willing to try something new and unfamiliar?
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| What are your long term plans to support a custom-designed platform?
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