My DDC experience so far
Writing about my experience as a DDC team member, using a template designed for programme participants to write about their experience so far.
Hi, I’m Joe. I’m one of the people at CAST helping run the DDC programme. I’m not really at CAST as I’m a freelancer. But I’m working hand in glove with the team on this one. My main work is facilitating open working and designing bits of content for the programme.
I’m not doing much open working facilitation as it’s not really working out as we expected. I’m going to ask the team for support and input with this at Monday’s standup.
I’m doing quite a bit of content design though. Like the personalised reading lists and core resources I collected together for the programme support site (on Notion).
I also play sidekick on the monthly peer support sessions. More on them later I hope…
Anyway. I’m not sure what this weeknote will be about, as I’m using this template blind. I’m using it blind because although I created it that was two weeks ago and I want to try it out and see how it works for someone who hasn’t seen it (because I’ve forgotten most of it by now).
My routefinder experience 🗺️
The routefinder is a tool that programme participants (folk in nonprofits part of Deloitte’s 5 million futures programme) used to identify their support needs from us.
I didn’t fill in a routefinder of course. But what I heard from people was that:
- the routefinder was helpful because it helped people narrow down what they wanted to achieve
- the routefinder was unhelpful because they already knew what they wanted to work on and were just waiting for volunteer support from Deloitte
- the routefinder was ok, a bit of a chore, but also a bit helpful
- that some didn’t complete it (only a small few)
It made me realise that people on the programme are at very different places in their understanding of digital, their level of confidence in it and the amount of day-to-day leading they do on digital in their organisation. We knew this already but seeing it in the routefinders made me think that we could have tried a more express process for some.
When I looked at people’s completed routefinders I did find some of the questions and flow a bit confusing. I don’t know if anyone else did though. 🧐
My project’s next steps 👣
I’m expecting my work on the programme to be quieter this month (April). Participants are getting to know their volunteer buddies and mentors and accessing their help now. Deloitte are also running more workshops for them. So I think this means a more backseat role for the CAST team and me.
Its also going to be Easter so people will be on holiday and most things will slow down a little.
However, I would like to support some of the participants — probably those with more momentum and less reliance on volunteer support to move forward - to write about their work. So I’ll probably make some templates and write some emails next week.
I feel less optimistic about achieving high levels of open working with folk on the programme. But I do believe we can nudge it up a bit over the remaining weeks. I also imagine people might feel like they have more to share at the end of the programme. Not quite the point of open working to do it at the end, but still an achievement and others will benefit 👍🏼
OK. How did I do with the template?
Yeah. I think it worked OK. I liked that the subheadings still worked for me. And I liked being able to skip some of the bullets and suggestions. Once I was up and writing I didn’t need them so much. The subheads were enough. 🤩
