While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a significant aspect of how we look at digital transformation in the sector right now, too much of our focus is on AI. In this piece, I'm offering an AI-generated summary of 30 webinars (yes, 30) conducted over the past 4-5 years. The cover a broad scope of digital transformation within the settlement and immigrant-serving sector.
The transformation we need to continue to discuss is made up of a wide range of technological shifts, strategic approaches, and changes in service delivery, aiming for greater efficiency, accessibility, and client-centred outcomes. Not just AI.
I offer this article as a reminder of the need for that discussion. You'll see a lot of trends below that you already know about. But they're still mostly unresolved as conversations, baseline competencies, and national initiatives in our sector (and, well, everywhere). So before we obsess solely on AI, let's keep talking about the need for solid foundations.
I'm familiar with every one of these webinars. They're all available on YouTube and exist somewhere on my KM4S website. The full list is at the bottom of this article. Copy, paste, watch. They're all there for your mini-course in sector digital transformation.
I used Google NotebookLM, which lets you upload up to 50 sources. It's a wild number of data points that you can play with, for free. I tried to add 50 videos, but the AI couldn't handle 20 of the videos for some reason, and didn't let me replace those 20, so we have 30. I'm not complaining, it's still a lot.
Interestingly, initially the AI focused way too much on the AI content in these videos, and the potential of AI. There are plenty of AI videos, but there are many others that don't touch directly on AI. So I told it to refocus, and it did.
Here's a summary of digital transformation trends in the sector from these videos and what it means looking forward. I will have done a light edit and added stuff that it didn't catch that I know is important. Overall, though, pretty solid analysis of 50 videos!
Defining Digital Transformation and its Importance
Digital transformation refers to the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, especially the most disadvantaged, have access to and can effectively use information and communication technologies (ICT). It's about moving beyond simply using technology to fundamentally rethinking how services are delivered and how organizations operate. The pandemic significantly accelerated this shift, forcing many agencies to rapidly pivot to virtual and hybrid service delivery models, demonstrating the sector's adaptability and willingness to innovate.
Key Pillars of Digital Transformation
Digital transformation in the sector is multifaceted, built upon several core areas:
People: This includes the digital literacy and competencies of both Newcomers and frontline staff, as well as new roles like digital navigators.
Processes: Involves digital and data maturity, risk frameworks (like cybersecurity), and continuous improvement based on feedback.
Technology: Encompasses a range of tools beyond just AI, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems, e-learning platforms, digital messaging apps, and virtual event platforms.
Data: Central to understanding clients, personalizing services, measuring impact, and making informed decisions. This requires collecting, analyzing, and leveraging vast amounts of information while being aware of biases.
Investment: Requires strategic and intentional funding, often looking beyond traditional government sources to include private sector partnerships.
Readiness: Establishing baseline infrastructure and competencies to ensure a common minimum standard across the sector, allowing for growth while supporting all agencies.
Digital Inclusion and Equity: Ensuring technology is tempered with these values, addressing issues like limited device access, low literacy, and cultural appropriateness, and making sure no one is left behind.
Impact on Service Delivery and Operations
The digital transformation has reshaped how services are accessed and delivered:
Shift to Hybrid Models: The sector has formally moved towards a hybrid or blended service model, combining in-person and online/remote delivery, often simultaneously. This "no wrong door" approach offers flexibility and customization, allowing clients to access services in ways meaningful to them.
Enhanced Client Experience: Technology can provide personalized help, 24/7 access to information, and tailored services by integrating with client management systems. For instance, virtual assistants can provide information outside office hours, clearing backlogs and wait-lists.
Operational Efficiencies: Digital tools can automate routine and repetitive tasks, freeing up staff time for higher-value activities and direct client engagement. Examples include automated appointment scheduling, improved data collection and analysis, and streamlined internal processes like interacting with HR manual instead of poring over PDFs.
Improved Outreach and Communication: Digital channels allow for more targeted outreach, content creation (e.g., multilingual videos), and responsive chats. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger have become common communication tools.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data to better understand client needs, personalise services, and measure the effectiveness of interventions.
Challenges and Considerations
Despite the benefits, significant challenges accompany digital transformation:
Digital Divide: Disparities in access to devices, internet connectivity, and digital literacy persist among newcomers, further complicated by language barriers and low literacy in their native languages. Organizations need to avoid making assumptions about clients' digital skills.
Cost and Investment: Implementing robust digital solutions requires significant financial investment, and ongoing budget for maintenance, updates, and per-user costs. Funders are increasingly interested but often lack explicit funding streams for digital transformation, or consider the actual core costs of innovative technology adoption.
Privacy, Security, and Ethics: A major concern when sharing client information with AI tools, especially regarding data storage, training models, and potential for misinformation or bias. And AI has raised our awareness of the need for privacy and security of how we treat our digital data. But it's a much broader issue across the spectrum of technology use. Organizations need clear acceptable use policies and transparency with clients about data collection and usage.
Change Management and Staff Support: The transition requires time, training, and ongoing support for staff who may experience discomfort or fear of job replacement. It's crucial to involve staff in the development process and demonstrate how technology augments their work, making it more interesting and gratifying. We are still so woefully behind here.
Lack of Standards and Guidelines: The rapidly evolving nature of technology, particularly AI, means there's often no clear legal framework or defined standards for ethical and effective use, leading to uncertainty.
Maintaining Human Connection: While technology enhances efficiency, it's paramount not to lose the personal touch and human interaction, especially in sensitive areas like mental health or community connections. The "AI sandwich" model (human first, then AI, then human last) is suggested to ensure final decisions are based on human wisdom and ethical considerations.
Future Outlook and Recommendations
Looking forward, digital transformation in the sector will continue to evolve, with several key directions:
Continued Hybrid Service Delivery: This model is seen as the future, providing both in-person and digital choices for clients and workers.
Increased Collaboration and Seamless Integration: The vision for a more coordinated system where agencies collaborate on technology, content, and marketing continues. It's a technological possibility. This includes centralizing client registration and content repositories to reduce duplication and ensure accuracy. What's stopping us from making progress here is human, not technological.
Newcomer-Centric Design: All technological solutions and service designs must be centred on the newcomer's needs, experiences, and preferences, involving them in development and implementation.
Formalizing Digital Navigator Roles: Integrating digital literacy support and advocacy into front-line roles to help newcomers navigate digital systems and make informed technology decisions.
AI Literacy: OK, fine, we can do this while we continue to work on overall digital literacy. And digital literacy now needs to include AI literacy. But we should not assume digital literacy is a given and focus solely on AI. Promoting AI literacy for both newcomers and staff, focusing on critical thinking, understanding biases, and responsible use of AI tools. This includes knowing how to craft effective prompts and identify trustworthy sources.
Strategic Investment and Policy Development: Funders are encouraged to lead by example, providing guidance and investment for ethical and effective technology adoption. The sector needs to proactively develop its own responsible AI policies and frameworks, learning from others like the Furniture Bank's AI Manifesto. We also need to stop being just consumers of technology. We need funds to develop the tech. That's happening here and there, but more can and should be done.
Focus on Outcomes: The primary goal of technology adoption should always be to enhance client outcomes and integration into society, not merely to implement technology for its own sake.
In essence, the future of the sector relies on intentional, collaborative, and human-centred digital transformation that leverages technology to augment human efforts, improve service delivery, and address systemic inequalities, all while upholding core values of inclusion, equity, and privacy.
Sure, you've heard me and others say that before. It needs to keep being said.
The following is a list of the video titles used as sources:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the efficiency of services for newcomer-serving sector
CivicTechYYC - Role of Technology in Innovative Immigration Systems
Connecting with Clients Leveraging Technology Webinar Recording
Coping With Covid-19 Using Online Instruction
Educational Technology 2020
Emerging Practices in Settlement Service Delivery: A Hybrid Model to Respond to Newcomer Needs
Exploring HyFlex and Blended Synchronous Program Delivery
From learning about AI to application for marketing | Dan Kershaw, ED, Furniture Bank
Going Hybrid: Lessons from Quebec and Ontario Immigrant-Serving Agencies During the Pandemic
How do I know my transition to virtual service delivery is effective?
Innovative Outreach Strategies to Reach Newcomers
Innovative Outreach Strategies to Reach Newcomers in BC
Literacy Lunch & Learn 1: Literacy Students in Hybrid Spaces
Literacy Lunch & Learn 2: Resources & Activities for Literacy Students in Hybrid Spaces
Local experiences of using Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Norquest College Empowering Newcomers to Succeed project presentation
Online and Hybrid Language Service Delivery Initiatives
Promising Practices: Refugee 613 Welcomes You to Ottawa
Research in Action Advanced digital technologies and settlement work
Research in Action: Reimagining Settlement Funding
Role of Generative AI in supporting newcomers | Isar Nejadgholi, National Research Council, Canada
Role of Media in Driving Information for Settlement Services During the Pandemic
Session 4 Roundtable: What is technology’s promise for the future of migrant workers?
Settlement Services during COVID-19: IRCC's early data on the pivot of service providers to virtual
TSLIP: Navigating AI Exploring Fundamentals and Applications in Service Delivery
The Future of the Ontario Settlement Sector
The Powerful Role of Social Media in Resettlement
The future of settlement work - thinking out loud
Virtual Bridge Workshop 2 - Connecting with newcomers online: How can AI help? Part 1 Aug.16, 2023
Virtual Bridge Workshop 2 - Connecting with newcomers online: How can AI help? Part 2 Aug.17, 2023
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