Contingency planning for extraordinary situations, when one link (person or machine) in the project workflow is unavailable.

A librarian erased the organisation’s entire database. This particular database can be erased with one action. The backup didn’t work. Had to restore from an older backup. Learnt to check that backups work.

• Manually, from bad experiences with autobackups
• Save locally on different computers
• Tape backups
• Combination TAR/FTP
• Copy to CD
• If you’re doing automated/compression backups, test that they work.

(1 person)

• More systematic documentation as team gets bigger.
• Try, but usually don’t get a chance.

[Malin] No thought of contingencies, except backups. No conscious planning.

[Sonja] Leaves a human resources (HR) plan whenever she is leaving. If she is not there, lists things that should still happen. Although plan is there, problem of no HR backup (people available) should there be big problems.

Always experiences problems with ICT / community radio presentations. Soundcard wont work, etc. Uses backup analog audio cassette, although this doesn’t demonstrate the ICT. Also, problem with selling the idea of an audio clearinghouse to radio stations etc that often don’t have computers.

[Irene] thinks there is a contingency plan but doesn’t know it.

[Cheekay] Colleague, Pi, problematises contingencies – technical.

In terms of content, what if network doesn’t provide (B+5) info anymore. Initially there was a lot of information, but had to have other sources of information, alternative to network members who are meant to provide information. Had to be creative in sourcing information.

Onsite reporting from regional meetings: Last Bangkok meeting - bad internet connection, laptop died, needed to FTP all the documents during conference. Always takes file copies / templates (front page of site etc) of each of the pages, so no need to start from scratch. Pi and Cheekay had to do some quick work – Cheekay sending email attachments to Pi, who would upload

Lesson: things wont go as smoothly as you want them to go.

[SK] Use tape and CD-ROM backups, very safe. Test backups? Yes.

[Taposhi] Backup system for database. Plan – keep some canned materials. If some content doesn’t show up, material can be sourced from ‘can’. Weekly output is prepared by Friday for Monday, leaving a day to plan (material for can) or to arrange contingency plans.

[Liz] Regular backups as ISP. The GN crash – solution might have been to have mirrored site. June18 mirror sites largely ‘paranoid’ reaction, but very useful for GN when site experienced heavy traffic.

[Sharon] Test backups now! Backing up on eachothers’ hard drives. Using dev server for web. Staffing – shared responsibilities. Finding it useful to share responsibilties amongst staff, training all in HTML. Have used backup email incase mailserver goes down (when starting out and not reliable service)

[Pi] As sysadmin, has to think of backups, documentation… what is more important and achievable on top of normal workload: Documentation is always lower on the agenda. Is there anyone in the organisation who can pitch in – help wear your hat?

[Sonja] Contingencies are usually a human resource problem. Womensnet is 3 people: Information manager, Program manager and Training manager. Womensnet is located nextdoor to Sangonet (ISP) although they don’t have time to teach or provide support.

[marlin] An HTML editing tool developed by oneworld europe. The software is not very good. Search engine doesn’t work. There is a dependency on oneworld, and dependency on external sysadmin.

[sharon] has contract with external tech support but not happy with it. Needs server set up better, has friends/people who can come in for odd jobs.

[cheekay] suggest new topic: Overcoming fear/ unknowns / being able to troubleshoot / being more confident / not having to trouble technical people with more problems.

Identifying training needs

Making content people more comfortable with working with machines in order to do their work.

[pi] Cheekay has been set up with test area to play with linux. Depends what you’re allowed to do with access to tech. From training perspective, we each have specific roles (content or other) but valuable in terms of working with team to each know something about eachothers’ roles / tasks … Cheekay is able to navigate via linux around server. Use Homesite, looking for comparable Linux-based web authoring tools.

Many people can pitch in, but there are some things that noone can fill in. Day-to-day troubleshooting.

[justina] Document as you go. As you are explained a procedure, type it up. (Analogy – entering an email address into your address book as soon as you reveice the amil, regardless of how busy you are at the time..because it will save time in the long run)

Offsite backups

Someone supposed to take backups home.

Mirrors can help keep website going.

• If you want to distribute software (Freeware and Shareware) amongst members of a network, seek permissions from software owners to distribute software.
• Seek Copyright Clearance or Permission to Use anyone else’s work – text, photos, sound etc.
• If you are using photographs of people, seek the express permission from the person/people photographed.

OpenContent – open source philosophy to content and distribution.

Important for future generations to see development of knowledge (Relevant where more than one person is collaborating on a B+5 document)

*Versioning – a module in GWENT2000.