Technology resources
Technology resources
ONLINE VOTING
If you are looking for software to run elections digitally for your club or association, then we recommend investigating either SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to see if they meet your needs. They both are easy to set up, offer free plans and are both widely supported. There are a lot of resources available online on how to use them. Here are two links to get you started.
Click here to see how to set it up in SurveyMonkey
Click here to see how to set it up in Google Forms
If neither of the above meet your election needs then the alternative is to purchase an off the shelf software such as Big Pulse Voting, SimplyVoting, Electionbuddy and Opavote which specialize in voting. Many of these off the shelf software packages do cost money and may require some support with the software vendor to set it up successfully.
WORKING FROM HOME (WFH)
- Consult your IT support provider if your organisation has one. We recommend you connect with them for remote access procedures and policies. They are best suited to provide accurate information as they know your technology setup and should have this documented.
- Ensure your WIFI internet connection is secure. While most internet setups are configured correctly and secure, some older installations might not be, which means people in the near vicinity can snoop your traffic.
- Ensure your laptop has current antivirus and is up to date with security patches. Where possible try to use your allocated work laptop which should be maintained by your organisation’s IT support provider and should be up to date with antivirus and security patches.
- Cybersecurity should be at the forefront when working remotely. Many probably won’t have perimeter security that your office setup usually provides in terms of a business-grade firewall and other threat management solutions.
Users should be extra vigilant especially around email and phishing attacks. Scammers are already using the Covid-19 pandemic to disguise attacks. Look out for any suspicious links that may be sent to you. If you weren’t expecting an email that has a link, then best to contact the sender to see if its legitimate before opening. - Implement 2-factor authentication for extra security. This allows for an extra layer of authentication which is usually through an SMS code. Discuss this with your IT support provider.
- Make sure you backup data regularly either to a USB drive or to a cloud service. Users could fall foul of ransomware for instance. Then all is lost without a backup.
- Many partners have a data storage system. Some may use shared drives and others, cloud services. If you need to share files while working remotely then recommend a cloud-based collaboration tool. Recommend Microsoft Office 365 and using the OneDrive storage feature. Other solutions include Google Drive or Dropbox. Google Drive and Dropbox both have a free version. Microsoft Office 365 only has a free version if you are a registered Not for Profit organisation.
- A virtual or web meeting lets you connect with any laptop, tablet or phone with a camera to join a conference call. Working remotely feels more connected with a virtual meeting. All you need is a reliable internet connection. Even if it weren’t for Covid-19, it’s the foundation of future of business collaboration and you should be using it regardless. There are many of options out there. We recommend Microsoft Teams (replacing Skype for business) Other solutions include Zoom, WebEx, Slack and Google Hangouts. All except Google Hangout has a free version but you can trial Google Hangout for 14 days.
- Refer to Working from home (WFH) guidelines (PDF 1.8MB) for more tips.
- If you require some advice on remote access and your organisation does not have an IT support provider then contact Business Capability Consultant – Technology via email edmund.bartley@sportnz.org.nz
TEMPLATES
These templates are to help organisations manage the use of technology . The templates cover general acceptance and use of various technology components which are common to many organisations. These templates should be used as a guideline and customised appropriately to better meet your organisation’s needs.
