|
A telework program requires input from various departments in an organization. The larger the
organization, the greater the number of departments involved. In small organizations, one person
may be responsible for the entire project, although they may seek advice from consultants or
vendors.
The team approach to creating a telework program gets key people involved early and helps distribute
the work. A telework team, or advisory committee, has two primary functions, (1) to establish
program goals, and (2) to establish program standards. Both are discussed in greater detail in
this section.
Who is on the team? Although organizations sometimes start telework in a single department it
is probably a good idea for a cross-section of departments to be represented in the planning.
It may be good to have employees represented on the team, and if unions are going to be involved,
it is probably best that they are involved early on. Someone knowledgeable about legal and HR issues
would be a good addition.
One of the most important people to have on the team is someone highly knowledgeable of information
technology issues; particularly related to security and connectivity. The IT Director or someone
representing the IT Department should be involved. Smaller organizations may need to consult an
IT professional.
Larger organizations may want to hire or designate one person as the Program Coordinator or
Manager. The coordinator runs the program. This is the person management looks to for progress
reports and managers look to for advice. If the organization is going to have a coordinator, it
is a good idea for that person to be on the program team as soon as possible. Very large organizations
may also have coordinators at the department, division, or regional level.
Click here for more information about the Coordinator role.
In a very small organization, the team may be made up of employees. Getting them involved during
policy preparation will help them internalize the fundamentals of teleworking.
Team Assignment: The team's first assignment should be to review the toolkit. This will
provide the background information needed to begin establishing program goals and policies.
|
