Suddenly got global traction and needed to upscale quickly
They came up with tonnes of little databases to keep up with the demand of outputting data, but quickly needed one manageable system
Buy-in was the hardest part, getting people internally to invest in the future
“You need one version of the truth for your organisation”
It helped them work smarter, pick a direction and put all efforts into that
They needed a model that could be deployed for all data sets that scientists were gathering on the ground
They made hard choices, didn’t allow small solutions to spring up again, kept everyone focused on the big picture strategy
Made small, realistic, incremental changes and didn’t allow anyone at any level to throw any spanners in the works
They made a high level decision to trust their employees and internal experts, allowed them the safety to say when they didn’t have the expertise in certain areas and enabling them to find the external support they needed to deliver
They allowed some flex, where data gathering needed not to be halted while migrations took place
Allowing this kept internal stakeholders on board
They created a space for users to feed into the project, to have control over its development and not feel change was happening to or around them
Cultural shift was a challenge, getting people to relinquish control of their specific ways of working
In some cases they had to retain existing systems, but created smarter ways to integrate them with the central process
When they recruiting outside help, they asked suppliers why they wanted to work with the Marine Conservation Society to make sure they found a cultural match
Donor journeys – Barnardo’s
Figure out where you are and map out where you want to be
Working with the impact team to form an evidence base for change
Barnardo’s have a whole digital fundraising team
They are the tech and fundraising bridge, which has helped them break down silos and alleviate fear of change
Salesforce.org has made machine learning accessible for them
Personalisation is done via user account, no browser based targeting
They trial different supporter groups to test new ideas, and then upscale them
Blockchain
The uses extend beyond money
The important thing isn’t how it works, but the doors it opens to change our thinking on centralised versus distributed record keeping
Good for automation, transparency and distribution
Could see the decentralisation of charities altogether, enables transparent and efficient collaboration of individuals for social change
Opportunity for better trust with donors, they can track their pound all the way through the chain
How do you protect people within radical transparency, e.g. those working in dangerous fields who benefit from cash trading
Algorithmic regulation, e.g. law, accessibility of smart contracts
“This is happening now, we should take advantage now”
Gives power to smaller networks to fill gaps charities or governments can’t
Is accountability diminished by decentralisation
Fraud and cybercrime – London digital security centre
There are huge numbers of cyber attacks every day, so they prioritise prevention, innovation and education
The simple things matter, we give up our data too readily, often without realising what we’re doing (e.g. logging into free wifi)
We also fear the high profile cases, e.g. Russia, we need to pay more attention to everyday cybercrime
Easier to commit crime online and harder to get caught
Social engineering (e.g. phishing)
Data compromise (e.g. passwords)
Targeting vulnerabilities (e.g. non encryption)
We imagine ourselves being targeted, but it’s more fruitful to target companies and use that context as a guise to target individuals (e.g. a phishing text from your GP)
Latest Apple update encouraged people to mitigate the wifi security risk by releasing more emojis at the same time as their software update, incentivising security
Breachaware exposes where these have happened, we should all check regularly and act
Transparency and trust
Took Oxfam five years to get their app to market
St Mungo’s use blockchain to ensure donors can track their donation
It got people reengaged in the charity and helped them to communicate all the work that goes into tackling homelessness
But transparency and trust is not always wanted, they also had people who were annoyed at the expectation they should care after their donation was made
Technology should always be connected to the value of the organisation
Does it matter if we replace trust in agencies with trust in technology
Algorithmic bias, etc.
“Trust isn’t rational and not everything that counts can be counted”