Earlier this year, we announced the successful projects awarded grants through Impact Jersey’s CareTech programme, supporting tech innovation in healthcare.
Orchid Connect, Lifestyle Medicine and Good Boost were all successful in their bids. Each is a strong example of how technology can improve healthcare in Jersey, and they’re already making real progress in developing and delivering their solutions.
These all followed six more diverse technology-driven projects being awarded grants as part of the first Impact Jersey Open Programme last year – a real time sensor IoT project by Andium Homes; the Breathe Air Quality Control project; Evie’s Mobility Platform; the Air Rescue Emergency Drone Team; an SPX proof-of concept project for the fiduciary sector; and the Jersey’s Journey to Net Zero Carbon initiative.
All these have been adopting technology in new and diverse ways to support Impact Jersey’s overall aims to bring about economic, social and environmental change – to make an impact.
But how is that impact being measured and what does this impact actually mean for the island?
Learning
When it comes to developing new tech-driven solutions, breaking new ground and doing things that have never been done before – exactly what Impact Jersey aims to do – it is never going to be plain sailing.
But equally, it’s always been an important part of the scheme to maintain checks and balances – both as a governance exercise, to ensure that grants are being used to achieve what they set out to do, and to help provide support to the innovators behind the projects, to guide them on their journeys and help them to pivot where necessary.
It’s why, as part of the Impact Jersey initiative, ongoing evaluation and Progress Reports form an integral part of the platform. The first one was undertaken late last year, drawing on interviews and information gathered from the initial six project teams, to explore how well things were going and what could be done better – essentially, to make sure islanders are getting the biggest ‘impact’ possible.
It looked at:
- intended and unintended changes as the projects got under way
- indications of whether each project was on track to deliver the expected outputs
- any challenges or opportunities arising, making recommendations where appropriate for addressing or capturing these
- any learning, successes and stories of change
- any gaps in data collection requirements
Inherent in the Impact Jersey platform is the notion that it is a learning exercise, that involves taking calculated and proportionate risks for significant long-term gain. As such, this evaluation is about support and informing future direction, rather than being critical. The whole platform is about learning and responding to those learnings to do things better, to achieve more and make a bigger impact.
In the initial report, for instance, it was noted that several projects have had to pivot how they have taken forward implementation, due to a range of internal or external changes or events. This is to be expected in projects of this nature. Impact Jersey gives them the flexibility to do this, and all projects have taken a learning-by-doing or agile approach. It’s about striking the right balance between oversight and empowerment.
Reputation and Credibility
The evaluation process is also critical in terms of transparency and accountability – conscious that this is public money. The Report is important in itself, but so is communicating its findings to stakeholders, so that the work Impact Jersey is supporting has credibility and maintains a positive reputation.
It’s a good example of Digital Jersey working collaboratively with the Government of Jersey to nurture a platform that can build trust, champion collaboration, and deliver the best possible results for islanders.
Equally important is that it is not just the initial impact being evaluated, but the ripple effects the projects can have – and in a small island community like Jersey, those ripple effects can be significant. We’re seeing that in action already – because of the funding Impact Jersey has directed to certain projects, separate but related organisations and projects have benefitted also, because of the added confidence, agency and accountability the initial funding has had.
There are also examples of how Impact Jersey funding has led to changing perceptions on key issues and improved collaborations amongst stakeholders.
And this robust approach will become even more important as Jersey looks to assert its position as a leading test-bed environment for off-island innovators too – showcasing the potential for innovation that is possible here.
Evolving to stay effective
Ongoing feedback and monitoring help shape how Impact Jersey operates. After listening to applicants, we streamlined the CXTech application process – making it easier to apply while maintaining high standards of oversight and governance.
This approach will continue. By measuring impact, being transparent, and staying responsive, we build trust in the digital solutions tackling Jersey’s biggest challenges – now and into the future.
While many projects are already delivering results, they’re just getting started. And none of this progress would be possible without Impact Jersey’s backing – or our continued commitment to improving how we deliver that support.
