A charity guide to horizon scanning

A digital strategy is essential for charities. It helps staff to embrace long-term thinking about technology and decide how it can best be used to improve working practices across an organisation. Adopting new technology can help to streamline processes, increase donations, and better support people who use charity services. 

But how do you put a digital strategy in place, and keep up to date with changes in technology, when things are constantly evolving?  

This is where horizon scanning is helpful.  

What horizon scanning involves 

Horizon scanning gives you foresight of early signs of change, so you can anticipate and respond to emerging trends, risks, and opportunities. The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) says: “It’s not about trying to predict the future but rather to review options so that evidence-based decisions can be made.” It helps organisations to be proactive with the decisions they make and plan strategically. 

Research from the IRM shows the importance of getting expert input and continually updating the evidence you use to make decisions. This is particularly true for technology as it’s constantly evolving and changing. 

Horizon scanning could be used to gather information on topics such as cyber security, data management, and compliance. This information can be used to develop a digital strategy that allows charities to make informed decisions. 

The benefits to organisations of carrying out horizon scanning include: 

• Being able to anticipate emerging changes and opportunities

• Being able to identify potential threats and risks early. This will help an organisation to develop contingency plans and strategies to reduce the risk.

• Being innovative. Carrying out horizon scanning can provide valuable information that organisations can use for research and development.

• Understanding your different stakeholders. Being able to anticipate changes can help organisations to better engage with their different stakeholders, including the people who use charity services. This will give you an understanding of people’s concerns and interests, which will improve communication and build stronger relationships.

• Improving resource efficiency. Carrying out horizon scanning can help you to identify types of technology that are likely to grow or decline. As a result, charities can decide where to allocate their resources, making them more efficient.  

How to carry out horizon scanning effectively 

Identify places to look for trends 

There are different sources that you can use to find out about digital trends. These include: 

• Industry reports and publications that show early changes and statistical analyses

• News and media outlets. For example, opinion pieces and business articles.

• Expert opinions, including industry experts and professionals working in digital

• Social media and online communities. Keep an eye on discussions taking place around digital.

• Team brainstorming sessions. Organise a time to discuss digital and technology with your team and share thoughts. There will hopefully be diverse perspectives and viewpoints to broaden the conversation. 

Assess and prioritise charity’s needs 

When you’ve identified emerging trends, get together with your team members to evaluate them. Decide which are most significant for your organisation and prioritise which ones to focus on.