ESP Projects Ltd: IT Support - Sheffield

As well as being a Social Enterprise, ESP subscribes to an ethical approach to IT Support and Consultancy and actively participates in the Circuit Rider movement. This makes us different from other suppliers and helps us build trust and maintain links with our clients over many years. Being involved with Circuit Riders commits ESP staff to the following principles:

Vision and Values

1. We will recognise and respect the characteristics (vision, values, culture, funding, mission, beneficiaries and services) of the particular VCS organisation we work with will adapt our approach appropriately.

Working Practices

1. We will work honestly and transparently, declaring any conflicts of interest (including reselling activities) and be prepared to say when a non-ICT solution is the best course of action.
2. We will use non-technical language and examples to help organisations understand ICT and their choices.
3. We will understand the limitations of our ICT skills and knowledge and help to connect VCS organisations we work with to other ICT providers and development workers if we are not able to meet the organisation’s needs.
4. We will ensure legal and best practice requirements are made explicit to the organisations we work with (e.g. health and safety, data protection, environmental, accessibility, inclusion, confidentiality and licensing).

Learning, Professional Development and Support

1. We will engage in continuous learning to maintain the necessary skills and level of knowledge to understand ICT, the VCS in general and any sub-sectors (e.g. health, environment, etc.) we work with.
2. We will participate in and share our knowledge with the VCS ICT community and the organisations we work with.

Supporting Organisational Development and Sustainability

1. We will help organisations understand the impact ICT can have on staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, taking responsibility to highlight and assist with change management.
2. We will equip organisations with tools, knowledge and processes to enable them to make informed decisions and take full advantage of ICT and how to make ongoing strategic decisions with or without external support.
3. We will enable organisations to understand the total cost of ownership (TCO) needed to maintain and improve their ICT commitments, offering choice and refraining from prescribing dependency-based ICT solutions.

These principles were developed by Lasa in conjunction with Circuit Riders themselves. You can also see the other signatories here.