Technology First 12
What are the Technology First 12?
SHIFT’s Technology First 12 is the definitive framework guiding organizations to lead with enabling technology. These twelve standards define what it means to thoughtfully adopt, implement, and sustain technology in ways that expand access, increase independence, and strengthen service delivery.
The Technology First 12 establish a shared, measurable foundation for excellence. Organizations pursuing Technology First Accreditation engage in a collaborative, guided process to align their policies, practices, and systems with these standards — supported every step of the way by SHIFT’s subject matter experts. Accreditation is not a solo journey; it is a partnership designed to build clarity, confidence, and capacity.
Built for Growth. Designed for Impact.
The Technology First 12 are both aspirational and actionable. They recognize that organizations are at different points in their Technology First evolution and prioritize progress over perfection. Rather than functioning as a static checklist, the 12 outline a maturity pathway — beginning with foundational awareness and infrastructure and advancing toward full integration across leadership, culture, operations, and everyday decision-making.
Each standard reflects the deeper systems, behaviors, and mindsets required to ensure enabling technology is not an afterthought or isolated tool, but a trusted, intentional, and embedded part of service design and delivery.
From Tools To Transformation
When organizations commit to the Technology First 12, they move beyond experimentation and toward transformation. Enabling technology becomes:
A strategic priority
A leadership responsibility
A workforce competency
A person-centered expectation
A measurable driver of outcomes
Together, the 12 create the conditions for sustainable change — ensuring technology is leveraged not just to support services, but to fundamentally strengthen how services are imagined, delivered, and experienced.
SHIFT’s Technology First 12 is more than a set of standards. It is the blueprint for building a Technology First organization.
Standard 1: Person-Centered Approach
Standard 2: Organizational Commitment
Standard 3: Technology Leadership and Team Structure
Standard 4: Stakeholder Communication And Engagement
Standard 5: Staff Education and Workforce Development
Standard 6: Data-Driven Decision-Making
Standard 7: Sustainability
Standard 8: Assessment And Technolgy Matching
Standard 9: Implementation And Integration
Standard 10: Ethical Use And Use Process
Standard 11: Technology Reliability And Continuity
Standard 12: Values-Aligned Partnerships
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