Chair, office and board
A first assignment the board can approve
Volunteer time, project grants and membership fees cannot carry an endless contract. Start with a course, a site or a small first assignment with a clear end.
Routes to a contract
The path depends on where you start
Digital sovereignty or one concrete tool. The board gets the same picture before you buy operations.
Sized to a call or a budget line. Delivery and reporting you can show the funder.
When the first assignment holds, the office can take a small operations frame. Exit stays in the contract.
Process
Steps in your order
Demo and the first assignment sit in the middle. A full contract comes after you have evidence.
Step 1: Board and need
What must you own? What must volunteer time not carry?
Step 2: Demo or course
The same language for office and board. Written material for the minutes.
Step 3: First assignment
One bounded result. Not a platform you cannot run.
Step 4: Operate or leave
You take over, extend or export. No lock in the format.
Demo
What you leave a demo with
A demo is part of market analysis. It is not a purchase.
A proposal the board can decide on
Cost as a first assignment - not an endless licence
Written answers for the minutes
A choice between course, site, data or a first assignment
Before you buy
Dialogue on equal terms
Short material, not an 80-page RFP. We write so volunteer board members can finish it.
One hour. What you are considering buying first.
Evaluation
Make the need measurable
Ask every supplier the same thing. The wording is about your need, not a product name.
| Need to state | How it becomes evaluable |
|---|---|
| Who owns the site and the lists? | You do. Export and open formats in the contract. |
| Can the budget survive a grant stopping? | The first assignment has an end. Operations is a separate yes. |
| Can the office run this? | Training and documentation are included. Otherwise the assignment is too large. |
Beyond the tool
Commitments you can write into a contract
Digital sovereignty gives the board a shared language before you buy operations.
Many organisations need a site and a list first. That is enough as a first reference.
References
One approved first assignment is enough
We do not chase logos. If you want, a successful first assignment can become a short reference after the board’s yes. Until then you evaluate the delivery, not our site.
FAQ
Questions we hear before a first assignment
We have no IT department. Is it still possible?
Yes, if the first assignment is small enough and training is included. Otherwise we decline the scope.
Can project funding cover this?
Often. We help you phrase delivery and reporting so it fits the call. We do not apply for the grant for you.
Must we buy the whole catalogue?
No. Start with a bounded first assignment. The rest is a choice, not the threshold.
Next step: a first assignment you can evaluate
A demo and a written RFI cost nothing. A pilot, trial or first project is how we earn a reference you approve.