Organisations providing services to beneficiaries in the third sector face a huge number of valid competing pressures on their time and resources. Often technology gets relegated down the list because in many cases it is not part of core service delivery. It is not a bad thing to view technology or ICT as a utility service in the same way that an organisation may view lighting or drainage. It is essential that there is a contingency or back-up in place should there be a problem with the plumbing or the lighting; in the same way this should apply to the computers used in an organisation. There are many ways to organise the contingency solution, one of which is through engaging the services of an external provider of ICT services. In the same way as you would bring in a specialist to deal with leaking tap a specialist provider of ICT services is best placed to deal with ICT emergencies. This report looks in detail at the Social Enterprise model of delivery and draws on the knowledge of those with experience of it to critically ask if it is the best solution, what services could be provided together with the pitfalls and benefits of this method of service delivery.

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29 September 2008
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