Scottish Tech Army and the tech for good ecosystem.
by Kirsty McIntosh
The Scottish Tech Army
The Scottish Tech Army was launched on 28th April 2020 by Alistair Forbes and Peter Jaco, early in the first UK-wide lockdown. It was in response to a recognition that organisations on the front line of dealing with the effects of the pandemic were under extraordinary pressure, facing huge increases in demand, unable to deliver their support and services face to face and challenged by a huge loss of fundraising opportunities. At the same time, hundreds of IT professionals were furloughed, or out of contract and keen to help in the emergency, but without a means to do so.
The response was magnificent. Around 150 people volunteered in the first 24 hours and the pace of signups didn’t slow for several weeks. We quickly got to work on short, impactful projects delivered by small teams in days, not weeks.
However, while the pandemic did introduce unique challenges, it also shone a light on many long-term underlying challenges the third sector faces. Operating on small budgets and restricted project-related funding models, it has neither the capacity nor the resources to embrace the possibilities technology might offer. Perhaps even more fundamental, many of these organisations have little or no experience in the application of digital technologies and as a result may not even be aware of the possibilities that may be open to them.
There is already some activity to help with this problem – a number of tech and tech-related organisations have been stepping forward to help third sector organisations with technology and they’ve done great work, but they do so individually, which means there is a lot of duplication of effort. In recognition of this, we have transitioned the Scottish Tech Army with the aim of becoming a tech for good ‘hub’, a catalyst for collaboration, and encouraging the development of a vibrant tech for good ecosystem.
The journey so far
The last year has been amazing for us. We held the inaugural Tech for Good Summit on April 28 2021, the anniversary of the launch of the Scottish Tech Army, which brought together more than 500 people from many sectors. It was a way to celebrate our volunteers, highlight the tech for good going on in Scotland and around the world, and show the third sector the art of the possible. The second Summit is coming up shortly, again on our birthday, 28th April.
We secured UK Community Renewal Funding to deploy our local economy web platform and mobile app, SOLE Scotland, across East Lothian, having piloted it in Dunbar last year. We are also part of a consortium that will be developing a digital skills programme for care experienced young people, through legacy funding from The Life Changes Trust. We are really delighted to be part of this and are looking for care experienced tech professionals who can act as inspiration for people coming onto the programme later this year.
Of course, nothing happens in the Scottish Tech Army without our volunteers and in March this year we tipped over the 2000 registered volunteers milestone – one of the most inspiring things is that we have not lost the momentum for tech for good that was gained during the initial pandemic response.
The role of tech in Scotland’s financial and professional services industry
Tech skills are incredibly important to the future of financial services in Scotland. The sector requires a broader range of skills than many appreciate, from developers to designers, customer success to data analysis. It’s important that we reinforce the message that there are multitude of opportunities in the sector and not all tech skills look the same.
No single organisation can deliver change at the scale required. The Tech for Good Summit will focus on collaboration and discuss how we move forward together. We must continue to develop our volunteer pathways and promote skilled volunteering and secondments as a way in which we can help those coming into the tech world hone their skills and help the third sector begin to develop its own capacity.
The ‘Tech for Good Alliance’
The pandemic has shown what is possible when we work together. As a nation, we are facing many big challenges. Poverty comes in many guises – education, health and financial poverty all lead to poverty of opportunity. The tech and tech-related sectors such as those within the membership of Scottish Financial Enterprise have knowledge, resources and skills that can make a massive difference – that’s what their ESG goals and CSR programmes reflect. But only by joining forces can we really make an impact on these challenges. The Tech for Good Alliance is about drawing everyone together to aggregate and amplify the work being done and augment the individual efforts, creating a whole that is considerably greater than the sum of the parts.
Join the Alliance and bring all the skills, enthusiasm and knowledge of your workforce with you!
