Bridging the digital divide between government and charities

The Digital Leaders Group convened by the Community Council for Australia is aiming to assist in bridging the gaps holding the sector back, writes David Spriggs. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed the way that charities and not-for-profits work and utilise technology to deliver their services.

Organisations are investing more in technology than previous years, with a particular emphasis on improving collaboration and productivity in hybrid working models.

While the pace of change has accelerated, there are still significant gaps that are holding the sector back from achieving greater impact through the use of digital technology.

The Digital Leaders Network, a group convened by the Community Council for Australia (CCA) and comprised of experienced not-for-profit technology and charity sector leaders, met recently to discuss how some of these gaps could be addressed and opportunities to work more closely with the new federal government to address these issues.

The group identified several opportunities to work proactively with the government to strengthen the sector and bridge the digital divide.

Improving how we utilise data to drive better outcomes and inform future policy

We recognise that better utilising data is a significant opportunity for government and the sector to work more closely together. With that in mind, the Digital Leaders Network agreed that it is our responsibility to work with the government to obtain a greater understanding of what data is available, and how we can reduce red tape when it comes to what data is required through regular reporting. 

Actionable items that will go a long way in reducing complex reporting requirements were discussed, and included the following recommendations:

• As per the 2018 Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) review, the federal government should mandate that departments and agencies are required to use the Charity Passport and should avoid seeking information from registered entities that is already available within this system.
• Our Community’s SmartyGrants system is an existing initiative that can potentially be built upon. At present, SmartyGrants manages billions of dollars in grants, and allows organisations to track against their own and general indicators. There is an immediate opportunity here for the government and the team at Our Community and SmartyGrants to collaborate to allow for increased visibility, and ultimately improved outcomes regarding digital transformation across the sector. 
• Infoxchange’s client and case management system is used by almost 6,000 services across the sector to manage service delivery and report data to funders.  There is an opportunity to leverage this system to streamline reporting across different government agencies and better understand client outcomes.     

Understanding that measuring impact and outcomes is a shared responsibility between the sector and government

Organisations in the sector and funders are always seeking better ways of measuring their impact in the communities they serve. 

The Digital Leaders Network identified several ongoing barriers to ensuring efficient, meaningful reporting methods which need to be addressed as a priority to demonstrate the overall impact of the sector. These include:

• A lack of resources and funding support. The value of organisational capacity needs to be understood at a macro level if the appropriate investment is to be made in this area.
• A need for a shared ownership approach when it comes to reporting requirements. 
• A plan to better bridge the gap between people who can navigate support systems and those who facilitate them.

Sector development funding should be an investment in digital transformation.

The sector has observed New South Wales and New Zealand making substantial investments to improve digital capability via sector transformation funds. The $50 million NSW Social Sector Transformation Fund (SSTF) provides grants for small and medium not for profits and charities to assist them in modernising their operations. 

Infoxchange received funding as part of this program to assist with scaling the Digital Transformation Hub, initially established with grant funding from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Gandel Foundation.  With support from the New South Wales government the hub has gone on to help over 10,000 organisations on their digital transformation journey in the last year. 

While it is acknowledged that these funding injections provide immediate benefit, it is a steady flow of long-term funding commitments that is sorely needed. Careful planning is also required to ensure that grants are utilised in a transformational way, with strong links to improving outcomes being the overarching factor in ensuring the long-term success of these programs. 

Skills development is crucial if we are to see improved outcomes and greater impact.  

It is important to recognise the need for digital skills training across the sector. While we are seeing some shifts in training pathways (for example, many vocational, education and training programs now incorporate digital skills training) the need for further skill development amongst those working in the sector is critical.

Infoxchange is currently compiling the results of the annual Digital Technology in the Not-for-Profit Sector Survey for 2022, and of the 600 responses received building digital skills and capacity amongst staff has been identified as the number one priority across the sector. 

Building a better-trained, more productive workforce was one of the key objectives at the Jobs and Skills Summit held in Canberra earlier this month. 

Several key outcomes highlighted the need to improve digital skills and outlined ways in which cross-sector partnerships could work on developing programs to address these gaps.

Particularly encouraging was a strong commitment to improving access to jobs and training pathways for women, First Nations peoples, regional Australians and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds coming out of the summit.

The launch of the Digital Transformation Hub in mid-2021 has helped many organisations on their digital transformation journey.  We have seen a strong uptake of the hub’s training resources by staff working in the sector as they seek to improve their digital skills. 

There is an opportunity to build on this by incorporating additional learning and development resources for the sector in partnership with tech companies, universities and other training providers.

If you’re not sure where to get started, be sure to head over to the Digital Transformation Hub for access to free webinars, donated technology, training resources, guides and an expert bar designed to help your charity or not-for-profit organisation to close the digital divide.