Red Flags in ICT Partnerships: What Schools Should Watch For

The pandemic shone a harsh light on the strengths and weaknesses of ICT support in schools. In this article, Nigel Milligan explores the red flags schools should look out for when working with ICT providers

In 2020, the world of ICT, especially in schools, had to radically change the way things were done. The pandemic was a true test for ICT Partnerships with schools. Many providers let schools down and couldn’t maintain a sustainable support model. Some providers didn’t survive this period and had to wind up their businesses.

In this article, I would like to highlight some of the issues that many IT Providers have -along with challenges they create for schools.

Schools Deserve More Than a Sales Relationship

There should be a definite partnership between the school and IT Provider. The school should not be treated just as a customer who needs selling to. So many times, I hear stories from schools that they do not receive priority treatment or support from their IT support as they don’t spend much on products and extra services. One IT manager (from one of the largest IT companies) spoke about one of their schools – “they are a pain, they don’t spend any money with us and are always complaining about things”.  The school he was referring to was in the process of discussing their concerns with me – they have now been partnered with us for the last few years.

Beware the One-Size-Fits-All Approach

To develop a firm and solid partnership, a clear vision and plan needs to be in place that is mutually beneficial to both the school and IT Provider. Often, IT providers want to force schools into a collection of one-size-fits-all products and services that are right for them and not the needs of the school. If you feel your IT provider isn’t working with you and is always trying to sell you something you feel isn’t right for the school, you must challenge them on this.

Cybersecurity Must Be a Priority

The rise in cyberattacks in schools means you need to ensure that your IT provider is working in partnership with your SLT and governing body to develop a robust cyber risk assessment along with regular training and evaluation of all IT systems in school. As a minimum it is recommended that your IT Provider has gained Cyber Essentials Certification. They must ensure that Data Privacy & Security is kept up to date. Regular audits must be carried out as part of the cybersecurity plan.

Sustainability and Proactive Management

IT Providers must have a sustainable business model that means they will continue to trade and not leave your school unsupported. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the larger the company, the better the support service will be. Here’s a recent example from one school we work with regularly; they had a new Wi-Fi system installed by one of the large UK companies that came with ongoing management and support. Many times since there have been issues with Wi-Fi to which I have had to chase them up to investigate. Each time the firmware hadn’t been updated on Wi-Fi. When I challenged them about their management plan and lack of proactive management to ensure everything is kept up to date, I was told bluntly that they had over 70 schools to manage, and they didn’t have time to check them all! They simply react when there’s an issue. We have now taken over the management of this and regularly check as part of the ongoing support.

The Hidden Costs of ICT Support

As part of the IT Partnership there’s so many areas where the IT provider could provide proactive support. Asset Management, Strategic Planning and Website Management are key areas where schools appreciate additional help. When it comes to the total annual cost of an IT Support SLA, it can be very misleading how proposals are put forward, especially to academy trusts who don’t always look at the bigger picture. Many companies provide a very low-cost starting offer that provides IT Helpdesk remote support with Remote Monitoring and Patching etc. This is charged per machine but doesn’t provide onsite support. Any onsite work is charged additionally in a variety of ways and can leave the school with a huge annual cost.

I have always believed in providing schools with a clear, transparent offering where they buy an agreed package of days that comes with remote support and allows the strategic use of the days to significantly reduce the amount of firefighting. This also comes with Asset Management, Strategic Planning along with a wide array of assistance with many other areas including Cyber Security.

Hopefully this will be helpful for you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have with your current provider. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to shout.