Our vision remains a vision if we do not act. It is like ending poverty only with our minds and not doing something to help end poverty. We must have an action plan or our mission to reach our vision.
Most likely, other organizations have similar visions for their own and we don't want to be just like a usual organization. We want to be distinct. How would we be able to do it? That is through our own core competency: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT.
Our branding as an information management organization started a few years ago. Although in my observation, information management exists only for disseminating information purposes and protocols are not strictly followed. Therefore, it had come to my mind that we need our own information system.
MISA'S OWN INFORMATION SYSTEM
Developing and implementing our own information system would absolutely bring us benefits and challenges. Yet, it also brings us support from external entities and help us build our competitive advantage from other organizations. But how does this information system could help in bringing us to our vision?
1. BUILD A "HOME" IN MISA THROUGH AGGRESSIVE INTERNAL MARKETING
MISA must be able to look through members' goals and interests and create opportunities for the members to actually develop and be what they wish to be. Through the information system, efficient member tracking will be present. Meaning, we will get to know you better through the interviews and your past activities in MISA. Since all of member information are in the system, it would be easy for the Board of Executive and the Associates (BETA) to actually provide opportunities for you. All opportunities offered won't be based on intuition but it will be based on information stored in the system. This is expected to result on higher member retention rate (percentage of active members) because members are dealing with things of their interests.
In addition, the information system would open another communication channel for the members. Future events, opportunities offered, skills training sessions, and other news about the organization will be sent through the system to your emails, and to the system when you actually log on to the system. This is not an alternative to the current communication channels.
For the succeeding years, transition would be made easier because the system will provide standard organization database. From project files of events to Finance and Marketing's Memorandum of Agreement will be stored in the system, which makes transfer of files to next administration easier.
2. BUILD A "SUSTAINABLE" MISA THROUGH EXTERNALIZATION AND PRODUCT MARKETING
MISA needs support from external entities and through our own funding initiatives. Revenues come from our eServices projects, corporate partnerships and sponsors, and from events. Through the information system, the BETA would be able to get quick access to status reports regarding partnerships, deals, clients, events, and etc. Through this, the BETA could guide each project teams in any cluster to provide quality product (system, website, event, activities, etc. that is offered to specific targets) delivery. The BETA would know which teams are performing well and which teams aren't, and then make specific actions.
When it comes to effective product delivery, we also need to fix our own structure through our protocols and Code of Internal Procedures (CIP). During the current and previous years, there has been a difficulty in implementing the CIP and other protocols. Through the system, it gives the organization an avenue for effective implementation of CIP and other protocols. Our duty now is to change the current attitude of simple sending a message through SMS or Facebook, to sending requests through the system.
3. BUILD A "SOCIALLY-RELEVANT" MISA THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS FOR OUR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EFFORTS AND EVENTS
This has relation to quality product delivery. To deliver the right product for our NGO/NPO clients would make them understand the importance of IM in their organizations. It also involves determining our target for our activities - whether target corporate partner for NSTP or target audience and entities for events such as Information Management Conference (IMC). Since the system has the project files and the BETA has quick access to reports, collaboration between BETA and project teams would be more effective.