How to run an effective digital pilot

Tech transitions can be tough for organisations, beneficiaries, and audiences. Launching a digital pilot programme could be the means to moving ahead on an innovation. 

For in-person and digital pilot programmes charity experiences reveal learnings and top tips.

Here, we showcase do’s and don’ts for small-scale experiments.

What are pilot programmes?  

Most pilot programmes are small-scale projects that test out whether an overall idea will work or not. The purpose is to get a taste of change and, if possible, reduce the risk of failure.

The Association for Project Management summarises pilot programmes: “The pilot project is an initial small-scale implementation that is used to prove the viability of a project idea.” In other words, a pilot is a small experiment showing whether the larger version will work.

This definition is in contrast to the purpose of a trial. Trials are not aimed at proving viability but are intended to try to reduce the risk of the implementation.

Top tips for launching digital pilots

Here we look at some top tips for launching digital pilots, with some of the dos and don’ts that you should consider.

Do set SMART goals

When considering launching a digital pilot set SMART goals aligned with the resources to hand. Time is critical. It may be that you’re only running a digital pilot through an event or season.

Do define what success looks like

Related to SMART goals, determine what success looks like for digital. KPIs for charities are a good starting point. Plan for the pilot to support or prove out the case for improving impact by measuring incremental changes. Charting KPIs over time can help with trend analysis.

Don’t forget to take a risk

Taking measured risks are important for innovation. Take stock of what can be lost to achieve results. Time, resources, and funding are all elements to define ahead of the project. 

Do take time to onboard users

Let participants know what they are meant to do and what the expectations are. Onboarding can be done in three ways: digital, traditional (in-person), and hybrid. HubSpot suggests various methods, including sign-ups, questionnaires, and know-your-customer checks. Our top tip is to go hybrid – let your audiences know you can be flexible about involvement.

Do learn from other experiences

Good Things Foundation launched a pilot in partnership with Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Services. The purpose of the programme was to extract learnings in order to design a digital support service for onboarding and access to services. The pilot revealed that some locations were easier to induct than others based on previous experiences. The teams learned that uptake depended on local expertise. Local knowledge of legal services and other organisations supporting beneficiaries determined the degree of success.

Don’t forget to check in

While the pilot is running, don’t forget to plan regular checkpoints to assess how participants are doing. You may want to run periodic video calls, online surveys, or in-person interviews to gather feedback.

Do think about the challenges

Consider the gap between the current scale and the vision, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) explains. There are many reasons why a pilot can look good. One pitfall the HBR notes is that conditions are self-selected. For example, focus groups might be recruited from a set of willing volunteers. But, during the real rollout, not everyone may be as willing. They suggest the solution: “As part of scaling the solution, create the conditions that allow individuals and teams to adapt the solution to their unique circumstances and make it their own.”

Do talk about the results

Post-pandemic, working conditions transformed. A first-of-its-kind pilot, the 4 Day Week Global recruited companies to trial out a four-day week for six months. During that period, the pilot organisers tested the idea that companies could achieve 100% of their existing productivity in 80% of the time.

The results were stunning and picked up on social media and news outlets. The Guardian reported that nearly 89% of companies were still on the four-day week, with 82% of companies saying that it had had positive impacts on well-being. Once the pilot has seen results, be loud about them. Issue the findings on social media, to news outlets, and more broadly on the website. When speaking about impact, our top tip is to use the before and after format.

Don’t forget about the data

Pilot and trial programmes typically mean charities are collecting data. Don’t forget about GDPR rules and how you will be protecting the information.