Organization Name: International Center of Photography
Description of Project:
The Communications Department at the International Center of Photography (ICP) is requesting technical support in the following area:
Access and Sharing of Images
The Communications Department (a branch of the External Affrair Department at ICP) stores and monitors access to many of ICP’s available images of exhibitions, collections, events, and the instituition. Requests are received both internally and externally for usage of these photographs. The volunteer will be asked to propose a mechanism to facilitate accessing and sharing images maintained by the External Affairs Department, while retaining control over the photographs’ distribution. Implementation of the volunteer’s assessment will be the responsibility of internal staff.
The goals of creating a new way to monitor and distribute images are to increase ICP’s external community’s satisfaction, and facilitate interdepartmental collaboration. Currently, ICP does not have an intranet. Shared documents and information are stored in shared folders with authorized access based on the user or department. It is difficult to search and staff must know where to look to find what they need. Many folders are out of date or have not been used for years.
This departmental aid will lead the way for the creation of a platform for the entire museum that supports internal communication, information access and sharing, and collaboration. The creation of a user accounts based intranet will be part of a larger platform that spans the continuum from internal to external, as much of the functionality is desired by the overall ICP community.
Scope of Work:
This organization is in need of an experienced and capable consultant to assess the project and provide guidance for a possible solution.
This project would include:
Locating images in the External Affairs Department shared drive and CD collection
Mapping out the process/procedures needed to implement a system of image access and sharing
Developing a plan to communicate and train on usage
Working with IT to develop the optimal solution for helping the department to back-up data being stored
Proposed Timeline:
Months 1 – 2
Interview key staff to understand the scope of the project, current types, uses, and storage of data, ways of tagging/sorting/searching the images desired for the future
Month 3
Present recommendation for organization of the Communications Department shared drive
Month 4
Present recommendation for how a future internet-based solution should be used for image access and sharing, key system requirements
Present the recommended process/procdures needed to implement this system across all staff for image access and sharing
Month 5
Develop and present plan to communicate/train on usage
Month 6
Work with IT to develop the optimal solution for helping the department to back-up data being stored
ICP is flexible in terms of schedule but would like to complete the assessment within 6 months of the volunteer’s start.
Any Available Incentives for the Creative Professional
Besides gaining invaluable experience at a premier cultural/educational institution, and making an impact on how we work and serve our community, volunteers are invited to attend ICP seminars and special events and are offered the opportunity to visit other related organizations. Tuition discounts for ICP courses, workshops and/or labs are also provided.
