Background

IofC’s London-based staff have access to a network that provides facilities for storage, printers and other functionality. This network is managed by a third-party provider.

While the technical quality of the provider’s work is good, the documentation provided has been patchy and as a result the experience of users and local support staff has not been as good as we would wish. We need to bridge this communications gap by creating an IT handbook.

The role is to document the current network and establish how IT issues are managed and write this down in a straightforward way. This will be a great opportunity to get to know all of IofC’s London-based staff, work with the Centre Manager and Chair of the Executive Team and help create a better working environment. This is a one-off task.

Please note that this is an unpaid, volunteer role. Expenses such as travel and accommodation costs will be covered. You will be invited to stay at Greencoat Place for 1-2 nights if needed.

What is involved?

The main elements of the role are:

• establish and write down the process for common network issues (connecting to a printer, accessing remote drives, configuring a new user account);
• test these processes with users and establish the reasons for any failures;
• work with the current provider to find solutions to user issues, based on evidence, and change the IT handbook as needed so that issues do not recur; and
• recommend a future strategy for IT support.

How much time will it take?

This depends on the individual’s skills – it is likely to be around three to five days in all, which could be spread over several weeks depending on your other commitments. Some of this time would need to be during working hours.

What kind of person are you looking for?

The essential qualities are logical thought, a good standard of spoken and written English and the ability to listen and understand user needs even if they are expressed in non-specific terms.

While some IT knowledge is clearly important, you do not need to be a networking expert. The purpose of the role is to enable non-expert staff to obtain the services they need. You do need the skills that an experienced, general user would have, including the ability to follow instructions for using tools built-in to the Windows operating system, such as a browser, Windows Explorer and Microsoft Office.

The ability to create documents using images and screenshots would be an advantage, however training is offered if you have not previously written documents of this kind.

How do I apply?

Please apply to careers@iofc.org by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 7 February with the subject line ‘IT volunteer’, and a copy of your CV, stating why you would like to undertake this role. Any queries may be sent to the same address.