DIGITISATION OF THE CHARITY SECTOR: UNRAVELLING THE TENSIONS OF THE DIGITAL VERSUS THE REALITY

Abstract

Due to Covid-19, many charities have had to rapidly adapt their face-to-face services and transition to using digital platforms. This digitisation of services has led to the concept of Digitally Enhanced Advanced Services (DEAS), a model of servitisation applied in the manufacturing sector, being discussed in relation to the charity sector. This paper examines the applicability of DEAS to the charity sector. It explores how trust, resilience and privacy are addressed in co-creating digital platforms as well as the sustainability of digital services. Using the Refugee Council Children's Section as a case study, a mixed methods approach was applied including data mining, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with 10 practitioners and service users. Findings show that there exists a tension between the digital and the reality in the charity sector: digital services increase access to service users in remote areas but digital poverty and illiteracy remain significant obstacles for digital servitisation. Resilience and adaptability have enabled the charity sector to operate inside the tension between the digital and reality. The adoption of DEAS in the charity sector will be dependent upon maximising opportunities, implementing changes, and overcoming barriers.