Where do you want to go?

Without a destination, you will get lost

New technologies offer powerful tools for social progress, but in working with them many old principles still apply. You need to know why you want to do something before deciding how, otherwise you could fall into the technology trap of having achieved little but spent a lot. You need to know what you are trying to achieve, and for whom.

Developing a project with social technology is first social, second technical. Technology is a great enabler – but it is still people who make it work. The technology may look as if it offers solutions, but it is the last thing to decide on. Ann Holmes argues that processes and tools are only one part of success. As well as the right technology, you need to consider:

• Purpose, the ‘why’ – influencing people, improving services, widening opportunities or tackling a specific problem. Focus on what you are trying to achieve, and nothing else.
• People, meaning everyone involved – beneficiaries, contributors and supporters. Consider their needs, their skills, what motivates them and what they are capable of.
• Context, the current situation – for example locality, organisation, conversations, culture – and everything that goes with it.

The human context you’re operating in determines what is possible. There could be many different personalities, and a culture of ‘how we do things round here’; maybe a shared sense of what’s worked and what hasn’t; and an array of assets like equipment, premises, skills and relationships. You need an idea of what is possible, and how to approach it, before you set off.

Only once you have clarified these are you in a position to choose the tools and decide how and when they will be used. A clear, realistic objective will stand you in good stead throughout the journey ahead.