Dot Project reflecting forward into 2023
DOT PROJECT ENTERED JANUARY 2022 FEELING BOLD AND BRAVE.
Having supported over 500 organisations in 2021 and taken 6 weeks out to focus on our regeneration we entered the new year feeling ready, strong and supported.
We had a clear vision and were focused on building core organisational infrastructure for the people we work with. We were committed to ensuring that the technology used in an organisation was not only fit for its purpose, but was the right tool for those interacting with it; ensuring teams have the skills and confidence to leverage that technology and to maximise their resilience and impact.
2022 taught us that skill, time and patience are all essential when embedding new models and ways of working across an organisation. Instinctively, we already held the knowledge, but with every engagement, every conversation and every evaluation it became clear that real change only happens when organisations can provide focus time, and when the people are ready to re-imagine their core infrastructure.
Through our direct work with charities as well as our work as a key delivery partner for the Comic Relief Ministry of Justice Fund it became clear to us that:
CEOs and boards need a clear vision of what digital can help the organisation achieve
Charities need to, not only develop digital skills, but to be confident with those skills and collaborative working
Charities need to be able to budget for long term core digital funding, covering their people costs and the time needed to make meaningful changes
It’s been heartening to see more organisations acknowledge the need to make time for people when shaping their digital approach. However, with services overwhelmed and people at capacity a paradox arises. Without time and resources nobody can invest in the changes needed to free up time and resources.
Noting how these inefficiencies can compromise access to critical services and disadvantage at-risk individuals, we wanted to address this gap. So, in the second half of 2022 we built out our approach and began developing bespoke products and services. In everything we did, we focussed on the two fundamental levers of any successful digital evolution / transformation: Tech and Teams.
Through a technology lens, we support organisations in taking stock of their existing infrastructure. Their systems, processes and data then underpins their services and ways of working.
Through a team lens, we support organisations in evolving their strategy and culture. Their vision and purpose then delivers in a context of being digital.
REFLECTING FORWARD FROM 2022 THERE ARE 4CORE EMERGING THEMES
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP:
It is rare for Dot Project to work in isolation from other people or organisations. For us the skills required to deliver our work are broad and we take time to ensure our team is going to be a good dynamic to meet our clients needs.
In 2022 we worked with CharityDigital, MediaTrust, Heritage Alliance and Naomi Korn to deliver capacity building programmes within the Heritage Sector.
We worked with technical experts and our friends at AVA Project and Chayn to deliver bespoke digital safeguarding mentoring to 23 organisations providing support to sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors.
We worked in collaboration with Outlandish and Go Free Range on a pilot supporting Access Social Care to introduce and embed digital product management into the charity.
Ultimately we learnt that building partnerships is a constant work in progress. Time and care is always needed to establish and build upon relationships, but this can be counterintuitive where programmes are running off tight budgets and fixed timelines.
WORKING WITH FUNDERS:
For years we have seen social impact organisations struggle with a lack of funds and time to invest in meaningful digital change. To address this, we must look at the systems within which they operate.
In 2022 we had frank and open conversations with some of our funders including Disrupt, Comic Relief and Okta. Our work with Okta is a culmination of our learnings to date; we designed a 1 year programme that has taken an organisational team rather than individuals on a digital accelerator journey, building both individual capabilities and skills and collective confidence and impactful relationships.
In 2023 we will continue our conversations with funders to gather more evidence and deliver more work across this theme.
WORKING AS A COOPERATIVE:
As a cooperative we have evolved and grown throughout 2022. We’ve experimented with sociocracy, we’ve introduced new systems and we’ve evolved existing ways of working. We’ve learnt enough to write a book — the good, the bad and the ugly of running a cooperative.
This year, we will be iterating again. We want to ensure the way we operate works within the current economic environment and for the people who make Dot Project what it is today.
WORKING IN THIS WORLD:
If 2020/2021 were the years of the pandemic, then 2022/2023 are fast becoming the years of the cost of living and social system crisis. As individuals it’s a hard world to work in and as an organisation we need to be prepared for constant change and pivoting. We oscillate between knowing that the work we do is vital and balancing on the precipice of despair as yet another CEO tells us their service needs are increasing by 50% but their funding is decreasing by 150%.
We have a bold mission where people and organisations thrive collectively. We see a future where organisations acknowledge their digital resilience as the strength of their technology competence and team confidence.
Our ambitions are clear and we know what organisations we most want to support. To reach them we need to reconfigure our approach; showing grit, perseverance, natural endings and new beginnings.
SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US AT THE START OF 2023?
In the coming weeks we will continue our work whilst considering our position and responsibility as a cooperative. We will be exploring our learnings of 2022 and sharing a deep dive into the 4 themes highlighted above:
Working with Funders
Working in this world
Working in partnership
Working as a cooperative
For us our journey is now going beyond digital. We believe that our society can be fairer and more inclusive and, though the journey may be tough and unpleasant at times, we are committed to improving the lives of individuals and communities.
For so many people the future looks bleak and unforgiving. We believe a different future is possible and we are here to contribute to it, for if not now, when?
We would love to hear from you if you are wrangling similar questions or if you’d like to join us in exploring how to build a different future together.
