Questions to aid IT adoption

As career practitioners, we need to stay updated with technology. Not only is this a PD requirement for being a CDANZ or CATE member under each organisation’s Code of Ethics (2016, 2025), it should also be something that we automatically do as professionals in our field. A sound understanding of trending technology will not only affect how we advise our clients, but also affect how effective we are in assisting them to navigate today’s world of work. If we are out of date, how can we advise our clients well?

In a recent article, LaFever proposed a list of questions to help us evaluate our technology adoption in three key three areas (2025), which I thought provided a helpful framework. The areas and questions were:

Time (integration effort, training, client navigation):

• "How much work does it take to integrate a technology into your program/practice?
• "How much training will you and/or colleagues need to implement the technology?
• "What does this require of the client and how will you ensure their ability to navigate it?"

Cost (practice and client costs; reassessment; dependency risk):

• "What is the upfront cost and ongoing cost to the program/ practice?
• "Is there a financial cost to clients on top or separately from program/practice cost?
• "How often will the cost be reassessed by the provider, and how will the program/practice evaluate the cost?
• "Is there a potential risk if the program/practice or client becomes dependent on the service and then the cost significantly changes?"

Data (client data requirements, storage, third-party sharing):

• "What data is required of the client for the technology to work?
• "How is the data stored, and what is it used for?
• "What risks could be associated with the information being shared with a third-party provider, whether intentionally or unintentionally?" (LaFever, 2025, p. 23)

I think this is a helpful list for us to consider.

Sam

References:

CATE. (2025). Code of Ethics. Career and Transition Educators. https://www.cate.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CATE-Code-of-Ethics.pdf

CDANZ. (2016). Code of Ethics. Career Development Association of New Zealand. https://cdanz.org.nz/ModularPage?Action=View&ModularPage_id=26

LaFever, C. R. (2025). Ethics of Navigating Emerging Technology. Career Developments, 41(1), 22-23. https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/asset_manager/get_file/436612?ver=1425