Service Charter : Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd.

Something I’m working on to better explain to my Clients , near and far, dear and challenging…something to refer to when the tricky questions cone to the fore;

Service Charter

Engaging Our Services

We welcome you as a new or returning client and encourage you to regularly check this page for changes.

The contents within this page are subject to refinement to better assist you as the Client and to streamline our potential and existing communication pathways.
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Terms Of Engagement

As with all forms of professional service there are a number of acceptable ways to conduct business that best suit the needs of the Client and that protect the interests and well-being of the Consultant undertaking work for the client.

There are five mains areas which generally follow a chronological order in most Consultations to engage the services of Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd.;

1. First Consultation - A preliminary one hour consultation for new clients is complimentary and FREE of charge.  All further contact is considered and deemed as ’service’ -  rendered as half-day ( 4 hours ) or full day rates ( 8 hours +) with exceptions only by negotiated Contractual Agreement.
   * Premium on-demand consultation request will only be considered for existing clients above and beyond existing contractual understandings and will be costed at 2.5 times the standard base rate of $110 incl. GST per hour ; not exceeding 10 hours in one instance.
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2. Service Quote -
3. You are under NO obligation to accept or act upon our Quote for Service however you are obliged to respect the Quote for Service as a private & confidential  document that only you, the potential client has access to. Upon commencement or notification of acceptance of our Service Quote, only then does our Accountant receive notification of your service profile details.
   .* An online Client profile and private web space for conducting project plans, meetings and negotiations will be made available upon commencement and acceptance of the Contractual Agreement.
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4. Contractual Agreement - Every client is provided with a Contractual Agreement notification  which requests and identifies ways of working and  key understandings for future perusal.  An online Client profile and private web space for conducting project plans, meetings and negotiations will be made available upon commencement and acceptance of the Contractual Agreement.
   .* We understand Contractual Agreements to be dynamic working documents subject to change, mediated, and seeking collaborative representation when changes are pursuant by any project stakeholder. Negotiations involving legal representation and/or involving third parties or other are borne by the Client.
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5. Communication & Client Engagement - All correspondence, scheduled meetings, agreements and any other related communication is retained for future reference and project acquittal. Likewise timetabled meetings and locations for such meetings are rendered in a public profile unless otherwise negotiated..
   * An online Client profile and private web space for conducting project plans, meetings and negotiations will be made available upon commencement and acceptance of the Contractual Agreement.
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6. Payment - Payment for any service rendered as Consultant is payable as per the terms noted on the invoice and by direct deposit to a nominated bank account. For Contract Agreements that total above $2,500 AUD an invoice for 50% payment will be presented at the commencement of the contract payable within 30 days of Contract Acceptance.
   . * Late payments are referred  without  notification to a collection agency after 3 months or 90 days whichever is sooner.
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Obligations And Rights

Our service is delivered observant of obligations and rights developed with wide and global reference.

Determining the rate of remuneration with a Client for consultations on services, rendered as part of a project, whether online / offline, is now relatively easier due to the concerted effort by ICT business advisers and networks of Consultants world wide who;

• build awareness of service needs of individuals and collaborative entities
• embrace base line consultation with communication, honesty and consistency as key standards
• provide advice for consultants in an open network

You are entitled to seeking alternate and other quotes to complete your business, however, we reserve the right to ensure protection and privacy of all financial disclosures, matters and intellectual properties divulged in any quote material as pursuant and supplied in my legal jurisdiction of/from Australia both electronically and verbally. All services we conduct are respectful of your rights as a Client for privacy, protection of identity and any other negotiable aspect of intellectual or property rights.

We likewise expect the same in return. .

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Core Principles For Conducting Business

We are part of a vast and accountable network of organizations who employ networked learning, e-business and information communication technologies in a global context.

We operate under the principles of Creative Commons and where applicable all of Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd. services and contractual agreements which are noted in this web space/s are subject to the Disclaimer which notes all understanding with respect to all Clients rights and attributed identity.

There are a number of other factors to consider;

1. You are under NO obligation to accept our quote for service.
2. You ARE obliged upon completion of Contractual Agreement to render and serve payment for services commencing immediately and ceasing immediately when contractual obligation has been declared by either party. You, as project client, initiate modes of communication, co-project manage and all project stakeholders are noted in the Contractual Agreement.

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.Associates & Sub Contracting

Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd. often engages the services of highly specialized and diversely located organizations and individuals in pursuance of contractual agreement completion. There are a number of factors which you need to consider prior to engaging our services or accepting formally our Quote For Service;

1. We reserve the right to employ sub-contractors to projects which involve diverse or extensive knowledge of web systems, structure code or other where our knowledge or obligation to provide you with the best quality of service is challenged.Upon request, where fair and reasonable access to contractual service requires it, we will ensure you are informed of  any change to normal contracted service provision. Note - We do NOT sub-contract other parties under any conditions to fulfill roles of project Facilitation nor project Management.
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2. You are under NO obligation to employ nor engage the services of any known Associate we recommend nor are under NO obligation to accept our recommendation. All advice is rendered in the spirit of informing your decisions however, your final decision should in in no way be viewed to be complicit of our collective or individual  recommendation.

Indemnity & Insurance

Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd. is a registered Australian Company under the Corporations Act 2001 issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd. commenced trading on the 25th July 2008.

Alexander Hayes & Associates Pty. Ltd. has an active Public Indemnity & Public Liability insurance portfolio to the sum of Six-Million-Dollars ( AUD ). .

Consideration

The following certain realities are built into your Quote for Service;

• On Demand - subject to availability and only for existing Clients.
• Half day - morning or afternoon - cost dependent on consultation type,  location, deliverable types; quote will include itemized travel cost, accommodation, meals, fares and other expenses ie. mobile calls ( if applicable ).
• Full day - am / pm - maximum of 10 hours - Quote for Service will be determined and dependent on consultation type & location, travel costs, accommodation costs, meals, fares and other extraordinary expenses ie. mobile calls ( if applicable ).
• Contract - deliverable negotiated with Client ; quote will include travel, accommodation & meal allowance
• Communication - Meetings, Development, Research , Additional Contact including phone enquiries, instant messaging and any number of social networking communication usually reserved as ’social’.

Fresh Air Policy

Contrary to popular belief Consultants (sole trading or propriety company ) cannot live on fresh air and goodwill alone.

A Consultant has a range of responsibilities and outgoings not limited to;

* communication costs - phone, mobile, internet
* travel running costs to and from the client - petrol, flights, bus/train
* engaging the services of sub contractors - invoices, accommodation, expenses
* taxes - personal, company, local & state government
* superannuation - personal /employees
* licenses - vehicle, operations, local & state government
* subscriptions - fees, membership, purchases
* accountancy - BAS, quarterly tax preparations, personal yearly, software
* lease - equipment, office space
* consultation - professional affiliation on-costs
* office - materials, equipment, expendables
* time - to administer all of the above

A Consultant may also have personal costs relating to mortgage, household insurance, bills, school fees, alimony, medical, clothing, food, accommodation, family obligations, vehicle etc.

When engaging the services of a Consultant ensure that you have thoroughly understood the conditions of engagement and that in your communication to secure the services of the Consultant you remain courteous and conduct yourself in a business like manner.

In return you will receive more than your fair share in goodwill, input and more often than not valuable intellectual property.

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Staging Connections : Next Steps

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[ image : mobology ]

Staging Connections is a global organisation with some incredibly well mannered and minded employees who for the best part are sitting on a goldmine of opportunity…..the ones that I’ve been in contact most particularly.

Yesterday I spent the day with the SCGL Elearning Innovations team who are examining the context for online and always available access to technology delivery for their trainees and employees. I’ve spent the last 3 months with them introducing them to an array of free tools, of intense conversations about networked learning, ebusiness, strategic infomation and process design and generally acting as a motivator for some lateral thinking beyond their current job description.

Yesterday I amped up the ‘critical moment’ rhetoric and it’s use led to some very interesting dynamics and discernable ( intended ) outcomes. As always I can tell that I’ve struck a chord with a few in the group and no doubt annoyed a few others as is always the case when your pushing for the best outcome from an otherwise exploratory insight into the use of networked technologies in a training context.

This is an opportunity as I travel on the train to see a client in Wollongong NSW Australia to reflect on what has been different and valuable about working with the SCGL team.

Firstly, inherent with any consultation role with a client comes a period of time where the need to demystify my facilitation role and to engage the team in trust building activities is imperiative. To ensure this has occured and what I’ve enjoyed most about working with the SCGL group has been a self realization that they have prospect, a realisable goal and most importantly have the organisational IT and the management group on board. This is not often the case and it’s a pleasure that this is the case here in this instance.

Largely I work with a diverse array of clients, some small RTO’s to very large corporate organisations. Staging Connections strikes me as awaiting it’s next big role in engaging e-business beyond it’s current focus of the service industry for events management. The context of training in this organization I can see is very much driven by face-to-face delivery which involves a certain amount of passivity from the client. I predict that the next big step in availing an always on solution and access to knowledge is about to happen for SCGL with gusto and with the same passion they apply to assisting clients to reach their goals otherwise.

One of the team members, Zofia, produced a Powerpoint yesterday that summed up the organisational demographic, the scope of potential in the organization and some statistics which for the better part of valour posed elearning as complementary to current training schedules. What struck me, as always is the heavily weighted male oriented employee base with an avid interest predominantly in the technologies employed to produce shows, run gigs and generally connect others to performance.
What I’ve been posing ( yesterday with gusto ) is that the same theatrics and love for impression can be employed with clients online using a range of media embedded in course ware.

I must admit that is one of the few times that I’ve sat captivated by statistics on a screen !

Robyn Jay, Manager of Elearning Innovations projects in NSW Australia funded by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework joined us yesterday as a guest  contextualising participation beautifully and the need for buy-in from management and IT to ensure sustainability of initiatives…..most especially considering the applied use of web 2.0 technologies which for the better part get used for social purposes that intertwine work with family, friends and vice vera.

A number of guests from the Sydney Opera House joined the conversation also and some people from around the country online. As always the technology got the better of us for the synchronous participants and we had to abandon the DET Adobe Connection we had brought others in on. Dissapointing but for the better part of the project it’s been possible to bring others on board using this technology.

Our day culminated in a series of decisions to follow through on……a rare moment where a project synthesises it’s findings and narrows it’s focus on a sustainable range of actions including;

* Hosting of an LMS and a wiki which for the better part will engage clients beyond lock-step timetabled didactic delivery.
* Strategic steps to engage upper management in using elearning platforms to conduct events management
* Critical infrastructural connections between the hosted external solution and the internal IT team
* Continuous improvement cycles to explore and employ technologies which interface with an e-training regime
* an active engagement with industry partners to explore connections and information sharing

It was interesting for me to see the union and realization appear between staff in similar organizations that e-business could involve a participatory dynamic that didn’t necessarily mean they were competing for employees rather collaborating for commercial purpose. I’ve really enjoyed that part of working with SC…discovering the vast array of prospects this client has to engage others and the connections that the staging community has in general.

All in all I consider that these brilliantly talented people have a great deal of learning ahead of themselves, that they have a colossal amount of prospect in bringing on things not already on scope and for the better part of valor have a opportunity to engage with a vast array of connections that introduce best practice and sound androgogical practices into the equation.

A critical discussion was achieved and thanks to Julie Downs, a major milestone has now been realized. Staging Connections for me has been a successful union of ideas and the outcomes for this project….and for me are a step forward in engaging others with a discernable and positive practical purpose.

Two stops to go and I’ll be drinking coffee with Brad from Mtraining and beginning the consultation journey with Janelle Morris from IML Pathology in Wollongong.

This is living life to the full as an ebusiness consultant

Transgressional Change Agents & Vomit Hive Minds

……and it’s 11pm and we are about to launch off into a TalkingVTE number….13.

The topic is using technologies in an educational context - Phone A Friend.

Meanwhile someone’s vomiting and another is hive minding the links.

What makes business tick ?

Seems anything that’s linked to Identica.

Chris backs up the transgressional change agency motivation. It’s radical ….lets let the network in ….connections matter.

Especially in reformed Presbyterian miniskirt some say;

Quote:

…… all for challenging the impervious of ” to give to all who work here the true love of knowledge which makes all study a discovery and a joy “….

There are many aspects to the discussion and none more controversial than introducing “invasive’ technologies into the curriculum…….as was the move to ensure  the absence of corporal punishment in Australian schools and the progression to a more mature way of embracing students learning communities while protecting their rights.

Open Everything : The Rolling Gallop

[ image : sridgway ]

I met Mark Pesce a couple of years back and he had been booted from one job and was courting a thousand others.

He’s right….of course.

How the f…. can we convince huge beaucratic environments to do anything more than lock down learning further and put more roadblocks in place with ICT’s ? Open the doors and maybe using the commercial brilliance of the web some say.

Here’s some more on what he is stirring up here in the land downunder.

Connected, challenging, futurist.

Ian Squire : AFLF Elearning Innovations Case Study

Hot off the press is Ian’s excellent Adobe Presenter recording presentation on the use of Moodle and other connected learning ideas as part of his E-learning Innovations project journey.

You can find out some more things regarding the Elearning Innovations projects via the wikispace project page list.

This and many other projects this year are pushing the boundaries on whats possible to be employed with engaging clients from diverse backgrounds and often very differing workplace learning experiences.

FOC08 : Online As Convenience

[ image : FOC08 ]

Paradoxical you must admit but who ever questioned whether a living conversation had occured between two persons on either phone………outwardly facing vehicles like many an educational organisation and it’s parralelled policy particulars.

Responsible for it’s own reference. Facilitating a need for a wall…..to climb over.

I have to hand it to Leigh Blackall who’s efforts to network an open and OER FOC course are very cool….in as much as I’m interested in what I can contribute rather than what transpires. That’s a certain.

It’s the only time in my living memory that I’ve been listed in the ‘A’ section of a list of bloggers;

1. Alexander Hayes http://www.alexanderhayes.com/
2. Amy Lenzo http://allislight.typepad.com/facilitating_online_commu/
3. Bernadette Harris http://www.harrisbromly.com.au/
4. Brian Shimelonis http://bcsfoc.blogspot.com
5. Bronwyn Collins http://brononline.blogspot.com/
6. Bronwyn Stuckey http://bronst.wordpress.com/
7. Bruna Ori http://curlygrl.blogspot.com/
8. Cathy Deckers http://cdeck77.wordpress.com/
9. Concetta http://edusnacks.edublogs.org/
10. Craig Hansen http://nzsetrust.org.nz/?q=blog
11. Cristina Costa http://knowmansland.com/learningpath
12. Daryl Cook http://darylcook.com/category/personal/foc08/
13. Deb Thompson http://mediateachspace.blogspot.com/
14. Derek Chirnside http://lits.gen.nz/
15. Diane Holmes http://dianez.wordpress.com
16. Dreig http://www.dreig.eu/caparazon/eng
17. Elaine Dittert http://elainedittert.blogspot.com
18. Gabriela Sellart http://foc08.tumblr.com/
19. Greg Barcelon http://servant02.wordpress.com/
20. Greg Szczotka http://onlinecommunites.wordpress.com/
21. Illya Arnet-Clark http://illyasoet.wordpress.com/
22. Jan Hunter http://janfoc08.blogspot.com/
23. Jeffrey Keefer http://silenceandvoice.com/
24. Jennifer Verschoor http://www.jenverschoor.wordpress.com/
25. Joao Alves http://joaocarlosalves.eu
26. Joy Zhao http://joyzw.blogspot.com
27. Kay Lewis http://906703fockaylewis.blogspot.com/
28. Kirsten Marais TBA 6-8-08
29. Leigh Blackall http://facilitatingonlinecommunities.blogspot.com/
30. Lynn MacEachern http://www.facilitate2yes.com/
31. Malik Richardson http://mrarrah.teacherlingo.com/default.aspx
32. Maria Pophristova http://mimonche.blogspot.com/
33. Marie Casas http://sxyshandy.vox.com/
34. Mary Loftus http://livnlern.blogspot.com/
35. Mike Bogle http://techticker.net/category/foc08/
36. Mike Taylor http://foc08.wordpress.com/
37. Minhaaj ur Rehman http://minhaaj.blogspot.com/
38. Naketa Ferguson http://blog.core-ed.net/naketa/
39. Nellie Deutsch http://nelliemuller.blogspot.com/
40. Octavio Lima http://education.ning.com/profile/OctavioLima
41. Olubodun Olufemi J http://tutoring-e-online.blogspot.com/
42. Peter Efland http://phefland.wordpress.com/
43. Robyn Honeman http://rhoneman.blogspot.com
44. Russell Thorp http://russtreflect.wordpress.com
45. Sarah Stewart http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/
46. Sean McKee http://www.seanpmckee.net/blog
47. Shane Roberts http://shane-tech-teach.blogspot.com/
48. Stian Håklev http://reganmian.net/blog
49. Sue Wolffe http://suewolff.com/Perspectance/
50. Sylvia Currie http://blog.webbedfeat.com/
51. Tim Davies http://www.timdavies.org.uk/
52. Tom Murray http://www.tommurray.us
53. Valerie Taylor http://valerie.posterous.com/
54. Vida Thompson http://VidaFOC.blogspot.com
55. Vishal Roopun http://www.v-roopun.blogspot.com/
56. Wayne http://www.waynethinks.com
57. Nancy Riffer http://www.nowpracticingcommunity.blogspot.com
58. Olaug (Ollie) Gardener http://olliegardener.blogspot.com/

Has the hive mind entered a new memory, where the collective distributes before the individual has had a chance to say a thing or is it possible that ICT’s now offer a new opportunity for spiritual enlightment to those individuals who contribute to it’s ethereal architecture ?

Back to business. ‘A’ is for …hole right ?

I dipped into the Google group last night and added my bit on Facebook however there is just a huge wealth of knowledge being dissected here and the Facebook thing is just a distraction.

2 minutes today saw me lost in the world of Joao’s Netvibes compilation….there’s a lot to be said about RSS readers that openly aggregate as opposed to Google reader that internalises ( ok it has an out section too with difficulty )

Leigh rightly posed in the Google group;

I think your challenge has something in it that could be used for this 2
week question however - what is an online community? Perhaps you could write
or point us to writing that explores the notion of commercial entities,
marketing initiatives and surveillance organisations taking advantage of a
sense online community for reasons other than the shared purpose and
understanding of those actually IN the community. I’m talking specifically
about Facebook and their data collection methods and terms of service, not
to mention darker conspiracy claims beyond that… I think the concerns that
FB raised in critics last year can be extended to a consideration of online
communities generally, and the platforms and technologies we use to
facilitate them.

Well, I could go on forever on what Facebook and like-minded companies do with private album-of-the-day information ……but, hmmm, maybe what’s at stake here is something richer which I’d rather spend time talking to, around, with.

The nature of networked and online communities in themselves are no more or less the individuals value in contributing information , engaging in the luxury of indulgently re-defining that which has been a steady composition over the development of time or as some would attest regression of human behaviour.

Somewhere I’ve read that a very small percentage of the internet is formed by those that create and contribute content and the proportion of those who use the internet to foster and support networked communities that require facilitation is miniscule in comparison to the greater proportion of those who simply seek, navigate and consume contribution only or partially. Does that matter ?

For me facilitating online communities might be re-defined as;

• a bridge into establishing connections with individuals
• an effort fraught with change and contentment in varying degrees
• governed only by the ability of others to contribute
• value laden or value driven ( rarely both )
• ostensibly NOT technology oriented rather mediated ( filtered is a closer portal descriptor)
• generationally permeated with re-orienting helplessness into positive possibility
• circumstantial ( more epitaphs are written online than off )
• largely influenced by populace nomenclature ie. group, networked, guild, Society, committee

But of course , getting back to this weeks topic I have occasionally been asked ..”WHAT”… is online facilitation and tried hard to avoid describing it as ;

a fleeting series of Wikipedia entires governed by superbly clever and rogue 19 year old Russian mods.

Out comes the butchers paper. Circles, arrows, fancy words. So perhaps ICT’s thwart our learned states and challenge the manner in which we have otherwise locked our cloistered cafe’ conversations and colloquims up into.

A convenience.

Maybe an online community is a convenience.