Network Effects Scottish Tech Army

In 2015, Cisco set itself a challenge to positively impact 1 billion lives through its social impact grants and programmes by 2025. As we start 2023, this global technology giant has reported that it is 70% into meeting that challenge. Kathryn Baddeley has led Cisco UK & Ireland's CSR programme for more than ten years. She shares how the programme got started and how this extraordinary stretch target is being met. Interviewed by the BBC's Innovation Correspondent, Laura Goodwin.



Shownotes: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/summit-shownotes/closing-keynote-kathryn-baddeley

Volunteers are the bedrock of the third sector – it simply wouldn’t function without them. Skilled volunteering, whether from the tech or any other specialist sector can be transformational for charities, but sometimes doesn’t realise its full potential. How can the third sector capitalise on the opportunities that skilled volunteering offers and what is the impact when it works well?



Shownotes: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/summit-shownotes/skilled-volunteering-value-to-the-third-sector

The value and power of open data was highlighted to everyone during the pandemic. There are many open data sets being generated from multiple sources but there are also many issues with discoverability, consistency and frequency/regularity of updates. How can we encourage governments and other data owners to continue to extend and improve access to data and how can we demonstrate the power of using that data to support a story telling capability for the third sector and civil society?

Shownotes: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/summit-shownotes/open-data-for-action

Federated organisations share some characteristics of franchise models. Common processes and systems underpin the operations of successful franchise operations. In principle this lends itself well to federated organisations in the third sector – is this approach being utilised now and what can be done to increase awareness of what works well and encourage greater openness and uptake of this approach?

Shownotes: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/summit-shownotes/federated-organisations-the-scale-opportunity

For the last two years, the Scottish Tech Army has benefitted from the insight of its cross sector Ambassadors. This group of leaders brings together insights and experience from the tech, corporate, third and education sectors, a combination that brings together different perspectives and provides the opportunity for innovative collaboration and these sectors.

There is much talk of the digital divide. On one hand, there is a widely-recognised shortage of skilled people in the tech sector and others that rely on technology, and on the other hand there is an urgent problem of digital exclusion and a dearth of equality of opportunity for many individuals in our society. But good work is being done, by both business and education. Whether it’s ensuring that young people can be inspired and learn what they need to learn to secure high value work, or businesses opening new recruitment and career pathways into their organisations.

Shownotes: https://www.scottishtecharmy.org/summit-shownotes/equality-of-opportunity