{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Scouts\u2019 new Chief Digital Officer talks about what it\u2019s like to be a leader in tech and shares her vision for our digital future.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECan you tell us a bit about yourself?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve worked in digital for more than 25 years at digital agencies, commercial organisations and in the charity sector for the last 10 years, firstly at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Age UK most recently. At both non-profits, I ran the digital team, redesigned and redeveloped their website, and worked on improving their digital content.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]},{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/5762/lara-burns.jpg","width":1024,"height":1024,"altText":"","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAt RHS, we started up weekly podcasts (now listened to by millions of people!) and we also began a series of how-to gardening videos. At Age UK, we developed innovative tools as well as looking at digital skills for older people, volunteers and the people on the front line who work with older people. I\u2019m really proud that our digital work there won us eight awards, including Third Sector Digital Charity of the year.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA common thread throughout my career has been working on products that\u2019ve been innovative, aiming to make the most out of digital to make our lives better.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat influenced you to get into digital?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMy career started off when the word \u2018digital\u2019 wasn\u2019t even used and before the web! I fell into it by accident when I started working for a publishing company who were really innovative with digital tools and content. We digitised the entire printed works of English poetry onto CD-ROM. In my last job we introduced AI through chatbots and were experimenting with voice technology. What I\u2019m really interested in is how we can use technology to help us better achieve what we are here to do \u2013 I\u2019m not interested in technology for technology\u2019s sake; it\u2019s the outcome you\u2019re working towards that matters.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow is technology affecting non-profit organisations like Scouts?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s affecting us the same as any organisation. I go to conferences with big commercial organisations and they\u2019re struggling with the same stuff that we\u2019re struggling with. They\u2019ve got big, legacy tech systems that don\u2019t necessarily work brilliantly or work with other things. They\u2019ve got the issues around trying to figure out what you want from technology, where digital as an expertise sits, and how you involve locally based people in a centrally driven organisation. There isn\u2019t really a difference \u2013 with a charity of course you don\u2019t have much money but you can often do things in a more flexible, agile way.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat\u2019s your main focus at Scouts in the year ahead?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are four key areas that we\u2019re focusing on in the next year.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E1. Digital culture and skills for staff and volunteers\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re looking at what digital skills we need to become a truly digital first organisation. So, how do we enable every person in the movement to make the most of digital tools or systems?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, we\u2019ve created our digital principles (listed below), which we aim to drive everything we do. We\u2019re driven by data and insight so that we make informed decisions based on data not just opinions. We\u2019re user-focused; our volunteers, parents and young people are at the core of everything we do; so we\u2019re co-designing, testing and improving digital tools with the people who are going to use them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E2. Better tools and systems for our members\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re looking at how we can improve our tools and systems to help with the day to day experience of Scouts. For example, hopefully the programme planning tool is already enabling leaders to put together a programme easier with quality content, saving them time when they\u2019re trying to plan their weekly session. Everything is around making tools that help members do their role better.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E3. Our website\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re constantly improving our website to attract new volunteers and make it easier for people to come in, to see what we might ask them to do, to sign up and to follow through to a local group where they might start volunteering. \u003Cbr /\u003EWe\u2019re also moving the content over from member\u2019s resources so people don\u2019t have to go to multiple resources to find the answers \u2013 another really big focus for us this year.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E4. Our internal systems\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re putting in a new case management system to enable the safeguarding team to track all of the cases they\u2019re working on and keep better records. We\u2019re also looking at our info security and cyber security, making sure we aren\u2019t open to attack.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy is it important that we constantly evolve digitally?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause everyone else is. If we don\u2019t keep ourselves up to date, we\u2019re in danger of getting left behind. That\u2019s not just for volunteers or staff, but very much keeping in mind the fact that young people are complete digital natives. They don\u2019t see \u2018being digital\u2019 as distinct from the rest of their life. Whether we love it or hate it, it\u2019s woven into the lives of young people, from quite a young age. In fact, \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/children-smartphone-ideal-age-social-media-snapchat-youtube-a8294701.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone in four children\u003C/a\u003E under the age of six has a smartphone.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s absolutely essential that we reflect that, if young people out there are using stuff digitally we need to be on top of it, not just from the point of view of online safety but also so we present our stuff in the same way to them because that\u2019s how they use information and interact with their own friends.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EI think it\u2019s really dangerous for an organisation to say \u2018we\u2019ve done our website so we can sit back for a few years\u2019 \u2013 because if you sit back, after a few years you\u2019ll be massively behind again. So we have this idea of continuous improvement \u2013 not just for our website, but for all of our digital tools.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow will you involve volunteers in digital transformations? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVolunteers will be involved in our transformation in many ways. Of course, many have already been involved as they gave feedback on our Beta website, which we continue to use as we plan further development. We also have a community of interest, for those who might work in the digital space and are interested in getting more involved, for instance, in testing early releases. We have three volunteers on our Digital Programme Board too, led by Andrew Sutherland. Being \u2018user-led\u2019 is at heart of our digital work, so everything we do will involve volunteers, helping us learn what the issues are, shaping the design of our products and services, and testing things as we roll them out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat does the digital future of Scouts look like?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScouts should be a digital-first organisation, so that means that we\u2019d always do things digitally in the first place. Where we get young people or parents joining up on behalf of their children, most of those I\u2019d expect to start their journey online. It\u2019s not about digital replacing everything; it\u2019s about digital enabling what we do \u2013 so for instance it can save people time on things like planning their programme or joining up as a volunteer. This means they have more time to do the face to face things in local groups, doing the stuff that they\u2019ve been doing for 100 years \u2013 that shouldn\u2019t change. All the digital stuff enables our work.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople have been talking about AR, VR and AI at conferences for years but I think they\u2019re way off for us. We\u2019ve got to get the basics right first, particularly because what we do is about getting young people outdoors. That for me is not going to be replaced by techy stuff. Part of what we want to do, and are already doing, with our Digital Citizenship and Digital Maker Badges, is to equip young people so they understand and act safely in the digital world. We know that social media can be a dangerous place for young people, so that\u2019s really important for us to focus on. Honestly, I can\u2019t see a time when we would be spending money developing a VR experience when actually we can take young people out into a field with a tent and let them have a real experience.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are the steps we need to take to establish a digital first movement?\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe need to embed the digital principles. If we can get to a stage where our staff and volunteers all use those principles that would be amazing.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the next two years it\u2019s about getting our basic systems sorted so everyone can get the information they need in a really easy fashion. Potentially we might not be needing the phone lines as much. People can come on to the website, and have their queries answered though an online chat. We want to embed the programme planning tool so people are using and sharing the content. We need to look at our membership system and ensure we have a modern system that\u2019s fit for purpose, supports the volunteer journey but without it being difficult, clunky or confusing to use.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing digital first is about having systems and tools which are so easy to use you don\u2019t notice they\u2019re there. It should just be easy; it shouldn\u2019t go wrong.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScouts is a values-driven movement, how will they be considered for any digital transformations? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur values drive everything we do, in the same way as all of our work. In particular our value of co-operation underlines all our digital work. Our digital tools are often designed to help people collaborate and co-operate more easily. Any digital project will always be a co-operative development between parents, young people, volunteers and our programme team who are building the tool.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat motto do you live and work by? \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDigital is a state of mind, that changes the way we think, work and act. It\u2019s not just about a piece of tech, a cool whizzy thing on your computer or your phone, it\u2019s about doing things in a different way.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOur Digital Principles\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1. We put users at the heart of everything we do\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2. We are bold and open to change\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E3. We create digital first, responsive and accessible services \u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4. We use data and insight to drive our decisions\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5. We measure, test and learn\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6. We engage, collaborate and partner\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7. We provide safe and secure services\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8. Our systems are flexible, sustainable and interoperable\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"03 March 2020","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":48499,"nodeName":"Meet Lara, our new Chief Digital Officer, championing Scouts as a digital first movement","title":"Meet Lara, our new Chief Digital Officer, championing Scouts as a digital first movement","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/5762/lara-burns.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd077a50d0","caption":"Lara Burns","type":"jpg","size":116752,"width":1024,"height":1024,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Meet Lara, our new Chief Digital Officer, championing Scouts as a digital first movement","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODQ5OSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2020/march/digitalfirst/"}