Why do we always have to do more with less? Resources in digital inclusion

Not to sound like a Flying Lizards tribute band, but I want money.  

I want a heap of riches to dive into like Scrooge McDuck… but I want them fairly apportioned to the hundreds of organisations and thousands of individuals that are supporting people across Scotland to cross the digital divide.  

The issue with digital exclusion is that it feels like an expensive problem to solve. How do we make sure that everyone has the right device for them? How do we secure them a reliable, affordable internet connection? How do we provide them with the space, time and opportunity to improve their skills?  

How do we do any of that without money? 

This is why Scotland’s Digital Inclusion Charter’s  third pledge is all about resource. It says: “We commit to identifying and utilising appropriate resources for digital inclusion.” 

When we talk about resources in digital inclusion, we’re talking about whatever an organisation can provide in order to support individuals to achieve their digital goals. This isn’t always about money – we all have something we can contribute to the bigger picture. 

The landscape might be bleak, but people will always need to be supported. That’s why considering the resources we can use for digital inclusion is important, and it’s why the resource part of the Charter is so important. 

What resources do we have? 

Everyone has something they can contribute to digital inclusion. At SCVO, we’re on a mission to make digital inclusion everyone’s business – and that’s exactly what the Resource pledge of the Charter helps us do.  

It can be helpful to think about the different parts of digital inclusion that are required. If getting involved in digital inclusion is new to you and your organisation, think about the five challenges: 

• Motivation: How can you support the people you work with to get excited about digital? What are the ways you can help them find the hook? 
   

• Device: Do you have old devices that could be donated to one of the many device refurbishment programmes? 
   

• Connectivity: Could you offer public WiFi at your venue or for your service users?  
   

• Skills: Are there ways you could embed digital upskilling into your service? Is a digital champion programme, or something more informal, right for you? Do you have resources you’ve produced that can help people to learn skills? 
   

• Inclusive design: If you’ve designed a service for people to use, have you thought about the user experience? Is it suitable for someone with low or no skills? Or someone with limited data?  

There are countless ways you can get involved and support or deliver on digital inclusion work. It doesn’t have to be a key focus of your service for you to be a part of our community! 

What resources does the wider system have? 

Doing more with less is fine in theory – but we shouldn’t be under the illusion that the resources we urgently require don’t exist. Within digital inclusion, we must keep placing an increasing emphasis on the role of the private sector.  

The very corporations that benefit from increased digital use – our global online marketplace, the companies that profit from our data, the device manufacturers, social media giants, streaming services… - need to be reminded of their responsibility to contribute towards sustainable, ethical digital inclusion. 

And some organisations do: Vodafone has long been a partner of our community in providing free or affordable connectivity. Banks, like Lloyds, have recognised the importance of funding insights which help to professionalise and publicise digital inclusion. Phoenix Group worked with us to create digital inclusion e-learning to solidify their internal commitment to supporting customers. There are lots of examples, and the private sector can learn a lot from us.  

But we can also learn a lot from them. They don’t expect to ‘do more with less’. When money is tight in the corporate world, they raise their prices. They do not persist with the expectation that a pint of milk will cost the same forever. Neither, in that case, should we.  

Someone I used to work with always used the phrase ‘shy bairns get nowt’, - and I think that applies here. Digital inclusion is too important a subject for us to take what we’re given. We need to think about how we, as a community, can start to demand more. 

We need to be a strong voice for ensuring that we have the resources we need to continue the work that we do.  

Join our community and help us spread this message to everyone that needs to hear it. Sign up to Scotland’s Digital Inclusion Charter today.