Paper Frogs Ltd

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More information: paperfrogs.co.uk

CC BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise stated.

Date: July 2023

Version: 1.0

Report author: Paper Frogs Ltd

Report contributors: Amity CIC, Noisy Cricket CIC

Any questions relating to this report should be directed to federation@paperfrogs.co.uk

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the ethical enterprises who gave their time to assist in this learning report, providing valuable feedback through
interviews, workshops and surveys throughout the Federation Programme. We would also like to thank Federation delivery partners
from Noisy Cricket and Amity CIC, along with teams at Co-op Foundation who shared input and expertise.

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❝
“Ultimately we must demand that tech
designers and decision-makers become
accountable stewards of technology,
able to advance social welfare.”

– Race After Technology

Ruha Benjamin, 2019

3
 Contents
Introduction
Who this report is for
This report shares insight from the Co-op Foundation’s
About the Federation Programme
digital and civic sector Federation Programme,
About the report
supported by Luminate.
Summary
Key outcomes and opportunities As a collaborative programme, Federation included
Capacity building partners exploring the impact of technology on
The approach society, challenging the role it plays in reinforcing
Who was involved inequalities and eroding human rights.
Outcomes
The purpose of the report is to share learning and
Findings and opportunities
opportunities with funders or convenors of other
Community building initiatives that contain elements of community
The approach building, collective action and capacity building,
Who was involved particularly in the fields of social and digital
Outcomes innovation, data and digital rights.
Findings and opportunities
Collective action
Developing the Responsible Tech Collective
Collective action projects
Recommendations
Appendices
Appendix 1: RTC founder members
Appendix 2: Responsible Tech challenges and opportunities
Appendix 3: Further reading
Appendix 4: Methodology - how data was collected and Photo reproduced with permission from Co-op Foundation
limitations

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Introduction
About the Federation Programme
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development goals describe
how the impact of digital technology can help make the world
fairer but also recognise that it can also threaten privacy and
fuel inequity. They highlight that those who are not digitally
engaged remain further behind and this disproportionately
affects women, elderly people and people with disabilities as
well as those from ethnic minorities amongst others.
Photo captured from Federation Stories, a film by Jason Lock Productions
Co-op Foundation partnered with Luminate in 2018 on a
three-year programme designed to look at the impacts of
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technology on society. This was made possible through a
$940,000 grant from Luminate. Co-op Foundation used this
funding to:
● Support early-stage social enterprises that use
technology to reduce inequality with funded desk space
(30 desks) in a co-working hub. Here, partners could
share learning, co-operate on joint projects and increase
each other’s impact.
● Facilitate public events that ask broader questions about
the role of technology in society, pioneering thought
leadership through community groups such as Tech for
Good Live.
● Commission collaborative responses and empower
communities to explore opportunities, such as through
The Community Tech Fellowship and formation of the
Responsible Tech Collective, a collaborative group of
organisations passionate about tackling issues such as
racial inequality.
The first phase of the Federation Programme was based at
Federation House, Manchester, as part of The Federation, a
co-working and event space operated by Co-op Group. It
supported an open community of social innovators, creating the
conditions for collaboration and a forum for shared learning in a
physical space. It aimed to contribute to a more inclusive digital
economy for Manchester and the North West of England. The
Federation operated until December 2020.
The pandemic disrupted the concept of co-working, urging
people away from shared physical spaces, but demonstrating
the agility of Federation’s ethical enterprises as they adapted in tackle the erosion of rights and trust, and increase the
response to new and uncertain challenges, but also in how they impact of the Responsible Tech Collective that formed in
supported each other. Co-op Foundation developed a learning phase one of the Federation Programme.
report to look back at the achievements, highlights, challenges
and learnings from the first phase of the Programme. The two-year phase 2 programme aimed to:
● Challenge the ways in which technology and data can
In 2021, Co-op Foundation was awarded a continuation grant of reinforce existing inequalities.
$675,000 from Luminate. The next phase of the Programme was ● Co-operate to build trust and deliver digitally enabled
grounded in the previous learning. It was developed in products and services that are inclusive, respect people’s
consultation with over 30 key stakeholders, including ethical rights and safeguard their privacy.
enterprises from the Federation community, social enterprise
experts and local government officials. Funded partners' needs
What do we mean by ‘community’?
included funding to support capacity building and collective
The Co-op Foundation awarded capacity building grants to
action projects, as well as infrastructure to support delivery,
organisations and groups working to challenge inequity and
connect the community and share learning – through both
strengthen digital and data rights. Partners on the Programme
physical and digital spaces. The Programme was designed for
were the focus of the community building activity. However,
agility to meet these varying needs.
the partners consider that the Federation community includes
over 65 values-driven businesses, digital and social innovators
The Programme had three areas of focus:
that were based at The Federation - a co-working hub for
1. Capacity building – this is about supporting social
digital and social innovators - until 2021, as well as supporters
enterprises, organisations and communities to grow the
of Federation’s ethos. Members of this wider community have
impact of their work through developing and
remained closely connected with the Federation Programme’s
strengthening skills, processes or resources, enabling
partners through co-location, social networks, partnerships
them to grow or become more sustainable.
and events.
2. Community building – strengthening communities to
drive meaningful change in the digital technology space.
3. Collective action – collaborating with Greater Manchester Geographic focus
leaders and the digital technology community to
understand how technology can be designed or used in a The Federation Programme is Greater Manchester (GM) based
more ethical way to tackle inequality, put society first, and aimed to support digital and social innovation organisations

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delivering activities in Greater Manchester. This place-based
approach continued throughout phase one into phase two of
the Federation Programme.
Manchester is the sixth most deprived local authority in
England. Data from GM Poverty Action (prior to the cost of living
crisis) found that 157,000 GM households were experiencing
fuel poverty, with 250,000 claiming help towards housing costs
and 20% of jobs paid less than the Real Living Wage.
Greater Manchester is home to a thriving £5bn digital ecosystem
and is the UKs top digital tech city outside of London, employing
over 80,000 people.
Delivery partners
Co-op Foundation appointed three delivery partners to
collaborate on the second phase of the Programme:
● Paper Frogs – Federation programme delivery and
capacity building
● Amity CIC – community building
● Noisy Cricket CIC – collective action and convenor of the
Responsible Tech Collective
Paper Frogs commissioned additional capacity building
workshops and briefings from Centre for Tendering, New
Philanthropy Capital and Funding Eye.
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Intended outcomes and indicators
The Federation Programme considered inequality as a systemic
issue – this is a complicated issue that involves many
interrelated cultural, behavioural and structural factors.
Phase two of the Federation Programme aimed to ensure:
● Partners are equipped to challenge the ways in which
technology and data can reinforce inequalities, bringing
together diverse sectors to advocate for change and
influence decision making.
● Partners benefit from being part of a mutually supportive
community where they can co-operate for change.
● Infrastructure for ongoing collective action, through the
Responsible Tech Collective (RTC), creates the conditions
for partners to co-operate and challenge more effectively
and sustainably.
It sought additional investment and funding to increase the
scale, impact and sustainability of activities aligned or adjacent
to the aims of the Programme.
Delivery partners used the following indicators and mechanisms
to evaluate whether these aims were being met, for example
through bi-annual monitoring and progress reporting:
● Ethical enterprises identify meaningful progress towards
their organisations’ financial sustainability, social impact
and/or innovation, gained through their engagement in
the networks available through the Programme (with a
target of 90% identifying progress).
 ● Specific, lasting changes in practice being adopted by a
What are data and digital rights?
range of businesses, public sector and civil society
Data and digital rights are human rights expressed or enabled
organisations, as a result of collaborative initiatives in
through the design and use of data and technology. For
which under-represented communities have played an
example, these include the right to privacy, and the right to
active role.
education and employment.
● Progress towards RTC goals, including attracting new
investment for projects, establishing a legal model and
Sometimes, poor design or decision-making processes can
attracting founder members, raising awareness of
introduce digital harms, or make existing inequalities worse,
responsible tech practices in organisations.
for example by limiting access to services.
● A targeted funding strategy for Federation initiatives
attracts £500k.
More responsible tech and data practices give people a voice
in the design of technology and hold organisations who
About the report control it to account.
This report was commissioned by Co-op Foundation, marking
the close of the 5-year Federation Programme. It forms the final
programme report for Luminate and is intended to reflect on
the highlights, opportunities and challenges of the Federation
Programme. Its purpose is to share learning with other
initiatives that contain elements of community building,
collective action and capacity building, particularly in the fields
of social and digital innovation, data and digital rights. The
report does not attempt to evaluate the impact of the
Federation Programme or the work of Federation partners on
communities experiencing inequality or harms exacerbated by
technology. As a systemic change programme, impacts are
difficult to attribute and are likely to emerge over a longer time
period (decades rather than years).
Photo captured from Federation Stories, a film by Jason Lock Productions

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Summary
Federation's first phase seeded a new collaborative community
in a co-working hub, based around a shared purpose. It also
generated a movement focused on responsible tech practice,
the Responsible Tech Collective. Impact from the civic capacity
building activities in the first phase are continuing through
increased support for community tech.

Federation’s second phase took place in a different

environment, with no physical space or dedicated coworking
support team, in the shadow of a global pandemic, geo-political
upheaval and a cost of living crisis. Despite these challenges,
with the support provided by Co-op Foundation, the Federation
partners have maintained strong bonds.

Almost 90% of Federation partners felt they had been supported

to release time to connect and co-operate with others. Although
the Programme has now come to an end, many organisations
are continuing to collaborate and partner on projects. They are
supporting each other as they work to challenge the ways that
technology and data reinforce inequalities, and to safeguard
human rights in an increasingly digital world.

Partners consider that the Federation has been a key enabler in

helping them to deliver social impact and to becoming more
financially sustainable. This was achieved through a combination
of targeted funding awards, structured learning programmes,
pastoral support and community building activities.

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Key outcomes and opportunities
The Federation Programme was set up to challenge the root
causes of inequality in tech and data enabled services, offering
alternative approaches and innovations that uphold human
rights. It acted as a catalyst, bringing together organisations and
activists working on a similar mission, and set out to strengthen
and sustain these digital and social innovators in ways that
could increase their impact.
Phase 1 proved that bringing together a cluster of start ups with
a shared purpose into a co-working space can create a
collaborative, supportive and impactful community. Phase 2 has
shown that as these organisations and groups scale, the
community can be sustained beyond a physical space, although
the desire for physical connection remains strong. The collective
impact has continued to be greater than the sum of its parts,
not least because of partnerships and collaborations that have
opened up new opportunities.
Being equipped to challenge the ways in which
technology and data can reinforce inequalities
Through the capacity building programmes, partners had the
opportunity of applying for funding for purposes that can be
otherwise difficult to access. They were provided with structured
learning opportunities, fundraising insight, a community
sustaining programme and one-to one-advice along with some
pastoral support. As a result of this 100% of partners considered
that the Federation Programme and its associated networks had
helped them to progress their social impact or innovation, with
89% considering the impact large or very large. 89% also
considered they had made progress towards financial stability.
Enabling collective action
The Responsible Tech Collective formed during phase 1 of the
Federation Programme. During phase 2, 25 member

“The Federation community has enabled us to tap into a

cohort of skills that would otherwise be difficult to find. We
have worked with and partnered with many organisations
within that community and their knowledge and expertise has
informed our working…and enabled us to develop and work in
a more financially sustainable way through partnership
working and sharing of opportunity.”
– Open Data Manchester

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organisations became founder members of the Responsible
Tech Collective, with 70 individual members making decisions
about the future direction.
Noisy Cricket worked with 25 people across 15 organisations to
research and prioritise opportunities, design, prototype, test
and co-create solutions. It facilitated 12 Responsible Tech
Collective events, attracting over 750 sign ups, with 150 regular
attendees from 50 organisations.
It has been awarded funding by Innovate UK to explore the
formation of a Community Research Network (CRN) through the
Responsible Tech Collective (RTC).
Investment and funding
Attracting additional funding for systemic change and
responsible tech and data programmes has been challenging.
The pandemic and cost of living crisis, combined with many key
funders closing grant programmes during strategy review
periods, has meant that there is a scarcity of available funding,
coupled with greater demand. In addition, there is often a
reluctance to fund the infrastructure required to deliver
programmes and initiatives that are exploratory and emergent,
such as the Responsible Tech Collective.
However, in addition to the support provided by Luminate,
delivery partners have collaborated to achieve:
● Up to £10k training support for capacity building
accessed via Manchester’s Business Growth Hub
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● £10,000 Simon Industrial and Professional Fellowship
with the University of Manchester
● £25,000 from Innovate UK, for a feasibility study
investigating a Community Research Network through
the Responsible Tech Collective, with the potential to
apply for implementation phase funding of up to
£200,000 each year for three years.
Federation partners Digital Advantage and SENDCode have also
attributed attracting over £200k of additional funding – for the
launch of a new Digital Independent Specialist College – to the
capacity building support provided through the Federation
Programme.
Opportunities
Facilitating understanding through exploration, engagement and
sharing knowledge is an essential foundation for achieving a
responsible tech vision. Funding infrastructure to support civic
sector collaboration and collective action, alongside capacity
building programmes, delivers socially impactful outcomes.
Proximity and connections to others with similar social purpose
goals encourages co-operation and partnership working that
builds capacity and opens up opportunities. These can be
particularly effective when funder relationships are built on trust
and meeting the needs of the partner community.
Capacity building capacity building funding opened up a number of other
opportunities available through the Programme.
Phase one of the Federation Programme offered small grants to
partners for the purpose of organisational development. It also
Once partners were selected, a series of one to one interviews
provided a series of group-based capacity building workshops,
took place during onboarding to understand wider capacity
on topics such as social impact, strategic planning and market
building needs. Needs analysis, desk-based research and
proposition.These were a valued addition to the Programme,
feedback through community workshops helped to shape and
extending support beyond the original focus of primarily
evolve the capacity building offer throughout the lifecycle of the
providing co-working space.
Programme, with partners provided with a series of activities
they could opt into, including:
Capacity building grant uses were wide-ranging but typically
● 1:1 surgeries for strategic planning and communications
helped organisations to invest in internal infrastructure needed
advice
for sustainable growth (such as HR or finance systems), which
● A programme of online group learning relating to theory
can be difficult to find funding for from elsewhere.
of change and measurement
● A 12-hour face-to-face learning programme on winning
In phase two, the intention was to support fewer organisations,
tenders and bids
with the Programme focusing on organisations whose activities
● Fundraising advice and horizon scanning
were more aligned to achieving equality through data and digital
rights. It prioritised organisations led by and representing the
communities most affected by inequalities. What is a Theory of Change?
A theory of change helps organisations to reflect on their aims
The approach and plans. It can be a document or a diagram that helps to
describe how organisations think their activities will lead to
For phase 2 of the Programme a total of 9 partners were the outcomes and impacts they are aiming to achieve. It can
awarded grants for capacity building within their own be an important part of thinking about how to approach
organisations. These ranged between £5,000 and £7,500, with a developing a strategy, how to evaluate impact and how to
total of £50,000 being awarded. Each of the partners for phase 2 communicate with others.
was either a supported partner during phase 1, or a member of
the wider Federation community. A successful application for
Two key principles emerged to inform the approach to delivery
of capacity building activities:

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 ● Capacity building opportunities should also help to build
and sustain the community (ie merging some capacity
building and community building activity).
● Activities need to be action based with shared goals that
are important to all Federation partners.
Who was involved
Co-op Foundation and Paper Frogs collaborated on setting
funding criteria, assessing and selecting bids that aligned with
the Programme aims.
● Tech for Good Live: helping those who are designing
technology to do social good
Paper Frogs identified expert partners and scoped learning
workshops and activities to meet Federation partners’ needs.
Experts included:
● New Philanthropy Capital - theory of change and impact
measurement
● Centre for Tendering - winning tenders and bids
● Funding Eye - funder insight and horizon scanning

The 9 organisations that successfully applied for capacity

building funding were:
● Bassajamba: designing new data models to combat
inequality
● CodeYourFuture (CYF): training refugees and other
disadvantaged people to become web developers
● Consent Kit: working to increase individual agency
around privacy and data
● Digital Advantage: working with neurodiverse young
people, particularly those with autism
● DiverseTech: using digital skills as a vehicle to create a
fairer society
● Noisy Cricket: building people powered movements
● Open Data Manchester: working to create data and
digital systems that enhance the lives of people who live
and work in Greater Manchester and beyond
● SENDCode: improving lifelong outcomes for autistic Photos reproduced with permission from Co-op Foundation

young people with an interest in digital careers

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Outcomes
Funding awards
Similar to the experience of phase 1, in phase 2 grants were
used for a wide range of purposes.
Some organisations used funding to build inhouse rigour,
evidence and resources:
● Open Data Manchester created a new role for a research
lead, with a particular focus on how data systems and the
use of data can create and sustain oppressions towards
under-represented and vulnerable communities.
● Bassajamba collaborated with community groups and
leaders on new models for making decisions and
generating value that bring in different forms of
knowledge.
● Consent Kit created a training programme for developing
and maintaining a research panel, partnering with
Diverse Tech / Diverse & Equal to develop specific
content on the importance of diversity and inclusion in
panels, and best practices for inclusive data collection
and reporting.
Some prioritised using funding to free up time, particularly for
researching and developing new organisational strategies,
partnerships, or applying for funding:
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● Digital Advantage and SENDCode partnered to access
specialist support and additional funding of around
£200k to launch a new Digital Independent Specialist
College for young neurodiverse people.
● Noisy Cricket completed journey mapping and created
resources to inform and enable community engagement,
with creation of a three-year plan to explore, deliver and
test new models, tools and methodologies.
Others used the award for process improvement and
operational costs:
● Diverse Tech / Diverse & Equal used funding for process
improvement and efficiency, creating more efficient
access and delivery of learning programmes and a
smoother pathway into digital workplaces for their
graduates.
● Code Your Future chose to use the funding for
co-working space, enabling them to come together
weekly as a team, and providing a central point of contact
for its volunteers, trainees and course graduates during
the week.
● Tech for Good Live obtained transcription services, key
for ensuring its podcast is accessible, along with
hardware and software services to improve quality and
sustainability of its podcasting.
Knowledge and learning programmes

Theory of change and measurement

The theory of change programme was made up of four online
workshops:
1. Introduction to theory of change
2. Theory of change in more complex situations
3. Bringing theory of change to life
4. Measurement and evaluation processes

The programme was designed and delivered by New

Philanthropy Capital (NPC) from September to November 2022.
Organisations particularly wanted to find out about using a
theory of change to:
● Inform monitoring, evaluation and impact measurement
approaches
● Help design projects and programmes
● Support external communications and for engaging
feedback survey, 100% found it useful (60% very useful, 40%
stakeholders
somewhat useful. All reported that they were extremely likely
(20%) or likely (80%) to transfer what they had learned to their
In addition to the workshops, participants were offered a one to
work.
one session with NPC experts to help challenge and develop
their own theory of change in preparation for an interactive
Winning tenders and bids
workshop. These were particularly useful for some participants
Winning tenders and bids was a 12-hour learning programme
who were finding measurement difficult in the context of
held over a 2-day period. Participant places were funded by
systemic change and programmes with longer-term impacts.
Manchester’s Business Growth Hub. The programme was
designed and delivered by the Centre for Tendering in October
Seven partner organisations joined some or all of the NPC
2022. Organisations were looking for practical support to find,
workshops. A post-learning survey revealed that for those who
write and win bids.
attended some or all of the workshops, and responded to the

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Programme design and learning materials sought to meet
partners’ need, with a focus on:
● Increasing professional confidence, via learning key bid
writing processes and skills
● Providing adaptable thinking and planning tools
● Learning and practising core writing techniques to
achieve high scoring question responses
● Engaging with live funds

Nine organisations attended the learning sessions, with 2

additional participants accessing recordings. Attendees who
responded to an evaluation survey reported high levels of
satisfaction with the content and delivery of the course. 100%
were more confident, with a greater understanding of bidding
and tendering processes, feeling more prepared, better able to
navigate processes and documentation, and having new
techniques to draw on to gain higher scoring bids.

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At the end of the training, 100% agreed that belonging to the
Federation community was helping them to progress towards
financial sustainability, impact or innovation through engaging
in the programme.
Funding and funder horizon scanning
Federation partners expressed a need for building insight on
funding sources relevant for social enterprises, charities,
community groups and ethical enterprises.
Funding Eye was commissioned to deliver a programme of
activity relevant for organisations working on rights and equality
in the digital industry, and responsible tech and data.
averaging a 65% open rate. In total, 9 newsletters were issued
from September 2022 to May 2023.
At the close of the Programme, 75% of participants responding
to a closure survey said that they had been able to find out
about new opportunities for funding. 75% had applied for
opportunities discovered through the briefings, with 75% again
considering that they might be able to achieve this funding,
although some decisions were outstanding. Those unable to find
opportunities had a legal form for which grant funding is rare
and difficult to obtain (limited company).

The programme included monthly information and engagement

through:
● 3 online funding briefings for ethical enterprises,
providing information for partners on open
opportunities, with discussion, questions and tips on
approaches for applying to the funds
● Written updates on open and upcoming funding
opportunities

Written briefings were distributed by Paper Frogs through email

newsletters. These also included additional information about
Federation community activities.

Whilst attendance at the face to face briefings waned,

engagement with the newsletter was consistently healthy,

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Findings and opportunities
Many of the learnings reported by partners relating to capacity
The Federation Programme funded organisations that were
building are specific to their funded activity and context.
tackling inequality through the lens of models, tools,
However, feedback revealed some common themes:
frameworks and approaches, as well as those that were tackling
1. Small amounts of funding can be transformational in
the lack of diversity in digital teams.
building capacity within social and digital innovation
organisations
In phase 1, 94% of organisations described financial growth and
2. Proximity and connections to others with similar social
100% described progress against their social impact objectives.
purpose goals encourages co-operation and partnership
For the second phase of the Programme, the aim was to achieve
working that builds capacity and opens up opportunities
90% of the ethical enterprises identifying meaningful progress
3. Funder relationships built on trust help organisations to
towards their organisation’s financial sustainability, social
focus on delivering impact
impact and/or innovation.
4. Having time to develop evidence and insight makes
organisations better equipped to challenge inequalities
A final partner survey at the close of phase 2 revealed that 89%
of respondents considered they had made at least some
progress towards financial stability, with 67% considering the
impact large or very large. Organisations that did not consider
they had made financial progress included a limited company,
whose funding was specifically tied to social purpose rather than
financial benefit.

100% of funded partners considered that the Federation

Programme and its associated networks had helped them to
progress their social impact or innovation, with 89% considering
the impact large or very large. 100% felt that they had gained
additional benefits, including 89% who also thought that the
funding had enabled them to release time to connect and
co-operate with others.

18
1. Small amounts of funding can be transformational
“Capacity Building Funding gave us the space and capacity to
embark on [a] journey…It enabled us to buy-in expertise.
Without this it would have been a real struggle to run the
business and work on the development of the business at the
same time.”
– Digital Advantage
Several funded partners were able to benefit from using
capacity building funding to free up time to focus on strategic
partnerships and objectives around vision, leadership and
resilience, as well as accessing additional expert advice. A clear
example of the impact of this was the launch of DISC –
Manchester’s Digital Independent Specialist College, set up
through a partnership between Digital Advantage and
SENDCode.
From pooling a funding award of £7,500 each, these two
organisations were able to access over £200,000 from other
sources to enable the launch of a new specialist college. The
college will help to remove structural barriers that exist for
young SEND learners wanting to access employment in the
digital economy, whilst helping to make digital teams more
diverse.
See: Partnering to grow skills for a neurodiverse digital industry
for more information about the partnership.
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2. Proximity and connections to others with similar goals
encourage co-operation that builds capacity
“It was as if my network had been embellished. And also they
were working in a space that I was… For whatever reason I
wasn’t meeting other social enterprises…”
– Bassajamba
Projects and initiatives were generated through collaborations,
partnerships and networks associated with Federation
community members. Some of these harnessed and shared
skills and expertise, such as Consent Kit working with Diverse &
Equal on training materials. Others have enabled activity at
scale, such as the GoDigital programme in Federation phase 1
(see the phase 1 learning report), and the formation of the
Responsible Tech Collective (see Collective Action).
Partners reflected on the Federation community as being a
source of inspiration and support, on a practical level through
workshops, but also through informal support and connections.
3. Funder relationships built on trust help focus on impact
“The fund has been light touch in its approach to application,
monitoring and reporting, which to a small organisation such
as ourselves is really important. It has allowed us to do what
we intended to do without diverting additional resource...”
– Open Data Manchester
The Federation Programme benefited from Co-op Foundation’s
commitment to being part of a community of flexible funders,
committed to open and trusting grant making. It was set up to
be flexible, open and with proportionate monitoring.
Partners recognised this and found the partnership fruitful,
through direct assistance from funding and the support
reflecting ‘exactly what we wanted and needed’. They found it
allowed space and time space and time to deliver their work.
4. Having time to develop evidence and insight makes
organisations better equipped to challenge inequalities
“...it's allowed our focus to be on challenges in research that
are more aligned with our social goals, instead of purely
focussing on customer jobs..”
– Consent Kit
Organisations such as Bassajamba, Consent Kit and Open Data
Manchester developed evidence bases, insight and more
rigorous approaches to understanding needs, particularly
relating to equity and underserved communities.
They are now able to apply and share this through their client
work, encouraging change in public and commercial sectors. It
has had an additional benefit of enabling more confident
approaches to potential partners and funders.
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Spotlight - Becoming better equipped to
challenge inequalities
Data is playing an increasingly
powerful role in our lives —
through the services we use,
the information we access and
how it is used to make
decisions that affect us. Bad
practice in data exacerbates
existing inequalities, impacts on people’s wellbeing and
results in unfair decisions.
Open Data Manchester CIC (ODM) is committed to challenging
under-representation through the continued development of
its Data for Communities programme. It applied for capacity
building funding to bolster its approach to diversity, equity
and inclusion and to increase its capacity to tackle these
inequality issues with rigour and evidence.
ODM used the grant to create a new role in the organisation
to develop a more robust and inclusive programme of work,
and to develop organisational expertise. The new research
lead has a particular focus on how data systems and the use
of data can create and sustain oppressions towards
under-represented and vulnerable communities, starting with
input to its Right to the Streets project.
(Photo by Open Data Manchester)
 The approach
Community building
In May 2022, Amity delivered a discovery session during which
Phase two of the Federation Programme took a different
Federation partners agreed the ways the Federation community
approach to phase 1 in relation to community building. In phase
might best serve them all in the year ahead.
one, The Federation, based at Federation House, was a physical
space that provided a hub for co-working and community
In response, Amity developed a Federation community
engagement and was a valued aspect of the Programme for
development support programme: The Federation Community
most of the partners who benefitted from a dedicated
Sustaining Programme. Delivered from November 2022 to April
community manager in the hub.
2023 the programme was made up of:
● 1:1 welcome and support calls
Many of the funded partners opted to move to a new
● Community group sessions
co-working space at Holyoake House, operated by Coops UK,
● Group mastermind sessions
due to the closure of Federation House.
● Orientation calls
● Bonus content
Seed funding for desks was provided by Co-op Group as part of
the transition, but the provision of co-working space would no
longer form the main element of community building support in
phase 2 of Co-op Foundation’s Federation Programme.

Instead, the intention was to facilitate partners to collaborate

and determine what community building support they require.
Partners anticipated this might include, for example, access to
funded event space, scrums and socials, where peer learning
and co-operation could be developed. The Programme also
aimed to encourage community members to tell their stories
through blog posts, articles and short films or podcasts, to
broaden the reach of the community and share learning that
can be used to challenge inequalities and encourage further
action around data and digital rights.

21
Who was involved
Amity designed and facilitated the community sustaining
programme with Paper Frogs supporting with guidance, and
alignment to capacity building and social activities. Federation
partners who participated in the programme included:
Babbajamba, Noisy Cricket, Open Data Manchester, Digital
Advantage, Code Your Future, Consent Kit.
Outcomes
Participants took part in welcome calls, community group
sessions, orientation calls and 1:1 support sessions. Group
sessions resulted in a refreshed purpose and mission, and
agreement on how to craft a good ending for the Programme:
Refreshed purpose – The Federation community is a group of
purpose driven organisations with common causes who look
after each other, building trust to challenge the ways in which
technology and data reinforce existing inequalities.
Refreshed mission – Delivering digitally-enabled products and
services that are inclusive, respect people's rights and safeguard
their privacy.
Crafting an ending – Partners agreed on how to best complete
the Co-op Foundation/Luminate funded era and stay connected
via a celebration event: ´Federation Festival´ (see Celebrating
and ending), an instant messaging group, and social meet ups.
22
Celebrating an ending
Paper Frogs worked with
Federation partners to
understand what they
wanted from a final
event, drawing on the
approach of Stewarding
Loss to create a care-ful
ending.
Partners welcomed the opportunity to present their work, but
felt the celebration of the community should be the main
focus, so the content was built around some of the culture,
totems and key moments of Federation’s history.
The partners had been working on producing a film to
document the impact of the community through storytelling
— Federation Stories — this was shown and followed by a
series of lightning talks from partners.
The event was attended by Federation friends, partners and
supporters, past and present. The Mayor for Greater
Manchester, Andy Burnham joined to share his reflections.
Like several partners, the Mayor reflected that this isn’t really
the end of Federation, just the closing of a support
programme. The Federation community will morph and
adapt.
(Photo reproduced with permission from Co-op Foundation)
Findings and opportunities 2. Establishing minimum viable participation modes help
make it feasible to sustain a community

1. A community of busy, purpose driven people /

organisations need a programme of activity that can flex
with their capacity for participation, their organisational
and wellbeing needs
“Making opportunities available can put stress on
over-stretched people. What they feel compelled to get
involved with isn't necessarily what they can manage.”
– Delivery Partner
Partner goodwill and good intention for participation in the
future of the Federation community are high, though this does
not always align with capacity for commitment.
“...the Federation isn’t really going anywhere, because the
people are still around and we’re still collaborating, and being
in touch and I don’t think that’s going to change…it doesn’t feel
like an ending, or if it does it feels like a positive ending, where
an ending is the start of something new”
– Programme Participant
The Federation community sustaining programme supported
clarity on what was possible as a minimum participation for
partners to remain connected (adoption of a messaging app).
However, for the Federation community to become a
sustainable collective action community, it would require further
infrastructure and facilitation support.

Delivery (and impact) of the community sustaining programme

was hindered by attendance / partner capacity for participation.
Partners were unable to commit to activity even if they felt they
would benefit from it. Whilst components of the programme
were of perceived value at time of co-design, partners could not
prioritise attending sessions when they were delivered.

Including temperature checks along the way during the

Federation community sustaining programme enabled us to be
adaptable to meet ebbs and flows of time/capacity.

23
3. Motivation for participation is variable and needs dispersed. In phase 2 of the Federation Programme, the
acknowledging in the purpose and function of a community community encountered each other mainly online.

The Federation Stories film captures the nostalgia and

“It is hard…trying to align [Federation Community activities]
with internal priorities…I feel a bit sad that the way we’re
operating doesn’t align as well as it might…”
– Programme Participant
Some Federation partners prioritised direct alignment with, and
clear benefit to, their individual organisation. Others prioritised
how the Federation community benefits the wider
sector/ecosystem of which they feel a part. Both of these factors
are legitimate and can be at play when partners seek to define
their community purpose and benefit.
4. Place and space create a focal point for interaction,
serendipities and connection
connection. Partners from the Programme share their
experiences and thoughts on the impact of being part of the
Federation community. They talk about the benefits from having
a space to connect, share experiences, build trust and explore
opportunities.
During phase 2 of the Programme, social wellbeing gatherings
and in-person workshops were valued by the partners as they
helped bring people together after the closure of the co-working
space. Partners asked for opportunities to learn together to be
considered as a key component of strengthening community
bonds.

“[Thinking about] the Federation community, the image is:

ground floor, first floor, shared working space at Federation
[co-working space] and various events that were threaded
through that place that brought us together in different
formats.”
– Programme Participant

The nostalgia people have for the shared co-working space, and
the connection and trust that co-location fostered, remain
strong anchors for the community, which is now physically Photo by Open Data Manchester

24
Collective action environment for a range of citizens and sectors to challenge the
ways in which technology can reinforce inequalities and
During its first phase, the Federation Programme initially began
co-operate for change.
mainly as a supported space offer, through co-working desks
and a centrally curated events programme. It then shifted
The RTC network defined its shared purpose as:
towards more community-focused collaborations and
● Vision: Establishing Greater Manchester as an equitable,
participatory practices. This included the launch of the
inclusive and sustainable exemplar for ethical tech
Responsible Tech Collective. For phase 2, the collaboration and
● Mission: Bringing home the humanity to tech through
participatory activity continued, with a focus on collective action
systemic responsibility and personal empowerment
through:
● Developing the Responsible Tech Collective
Building on the purpose, values and the network built during
● Funding collective action projects led by Federation
RTC Discovery (2018-20), the intention for the next stage (RTC
partners
Alpha) was also to further progress socially impactful
demonstrator projects that had emerged during the discovery,
Developing the Responsible Tech Collective taking them into a design phase.
The Responsible Tech Collective aimed to build a replicable,
place-based, and participatory-led model for responsible tech
What are demonstrator projects?
engagement.
RTC demonstrator projects are a means of building evidence
to test and support responsible tech approaches. These
As part of the Federation Programme, Noisy Cricket was
projects are prototype examples of how ‘bringing home the
awarded continuation funding to further explore and develop
humanity to tech’ can be applied to real world scenarios,
the Responsible Tech Collective (RTC), which was established in
showcasing the potential impact.
2018 during the RTC Discovery phase. The impact report from
the RTC Discovery can be found here.
The RTC’s work began with clearly defined design, community
The second phase of Federation Programme aimed to support and campaign-focused solutions. The medium to long-term
the Collective to continue to build its community, focusing on intention was to investigate the feasibility of a sustainable model
strategy, design, facilitation and communications. This support and formalised governance for the RTC, exploring RTC becoming
would help to ensure the right infrastructure underpins established as a Noisy Cricket venture.
collective action in the long-term, creating an enabling

25
Who was involved processes, policies, diversity and inclusion and digital exclusion
in the tech industry (including, but not exclusive to, the
Federation community).

Pioneer members: Organisations and individuals cross-sector

and communities looking to provide thought leadership,
consultancy or solutions to improve data ethics, design ethics,
diversity and inclusion and digital exclusion (including, but not
exclusive to, the Federation partners and Federation
Noisy Cricket led the development of the RTC strategy, community).
facilitated its co-creation activities, hosted events, and delivered
design and communications services throughout the In addition to Noisy Cricket, Federation partners who were also
programme, bringing in external experts when needed. founder members of the RTC include:
● Bassajamba
Founder members were drawn from 25 organisations active in ● Consent Kit
the Greater Manchester area. See appendix 1 for a list of RTC ● Digital Advantage
founder members. These included: ● Diverse & Equal
● Practitioner members ● Open Data Manchester
● Community members
● Pioneer members Outcomes

Practitioner members: Organisations and individuals from Building the movement and influencing through
across the public and private sector looking to share learning, engagement
co-create and trial solutions and advance their responsible tech
Noisy Cricket’s approach involves exploring the root causes of
practice (including, but not exclusive to, the Federation
social issues (including structural, cultural and personal factors),
partners).
and ensuring holistic perspectives are explored to seek potential
new opportunities.
Community members: Organisations and individuals from
across the third sector and groups looking to improve people’s
capabilities, give citizen communities a voice and influence

26
It co-created a strategy for the Responsible Tech Collective’s tech practice (such as speculative design) and providing
direction of travel and engaged RTC members in co-creating a space for attendees to discuss and test new approaches.
communications strategy, to align RTC member needs and to ● RTC Project Insights, Co-Creation and Prototype Show
provide a platform for sharing work and learning on centring & Tell events, focusing on generating research,
communities and adapting processes, policies and practices. prioritising opportunities and ideating solutions to RTC
This helped with raising awareness of responsible tech practice infrastructure and demonstrator projects, simultaneously
and deepening understanding of what’s required to take action. centring communities and shifting practice, processes
and policies.
Throughout the RTC’s Alpha phase, Noisy Cricket organised and ● RTC Member Assemblies, updating on RTC project
delivered 12 events, attracting over 750 sign ups, with 150 progress, informing decision-making or strategy around
regular attendees from 50 organisations. Events formats communications and content and leveraging networks
included: across sectors and in communities to platform and
influence around the RTC’s work.
● Responsible Tech Reviews, focusing on responsible tech
topics (for example data ethics), platforming cross-sector
and community voices (such as BBC, Greater Manchester
Combined Authority and Open Data Manchester, and a
person impacted by digital exclusion), sharing examples
of successes and failures and opening up debate with
attendees around related themes.
● Responsible Tech Roundtables, focusing on responsible
tech related themes (including trust), highlighting tech
industry and media trends to enable horizon scanning
and platforming boundary pushing innovators and
thought leaders to highlight what’s possible.
● Responsible Tech Shared Learning events, delivered by Quarterly RTC Member Assemblies attracted anywhere between
one or more members partnering on a co-created 10-15 attendees from across the 25 member organisations and
session, doing a deep dive into the context, insights, tools 70 members in making decisions about the future direction of
and community stories around a specific responsible the RTC.

27
Infrastructure projects
The infrastructure projects also provided insights around the
Infrastructure projects focused on the identified challenges and structural enablers, cultural conditions and personal skills and
opportunities facing the wider industry when engaging in strengths required to successfully practise community
responsible tech. RTC prioritised projects that enable internal engagement in particular, and is being utilised to underpin work
organisational transformation for members. funded by InnovateUK to explore the establishment of a
Community Research Network through the RTC.
All RTC members were invited to engage as project participants,
ensuring holistic insights from different member, organisation The work to share learning and encourage understanding of
and sector types, and the opportunity to help research, design community engagement value and buy-in is foundational.
and test solutions to aid organisational transformation. Further discovery work is required around underpinning the
shift towards responsible tech policies processes and practices
Noisy Cricket worked with 25 people across 15 organisations to as well as best-practice community engagement. However,
research and prioritise opportunities, design, prototype and test funding for the RTC ran out in October 2022, so projects
co-created solutions, including: intended to focus on responsible tech standards, followed by
embedding them within organisations have not yet been
● A Shared Learning Session series to enable RTC explored.
members to share learning and enable the embedding of
new policies, processes and practices in their
organisations.
● A Community Engagement Value Survey to help
organisations explore and reflect on how community
engagement might benefit their organisation, while
assessing community engagement maturity and
likelihood.
● A Community Engagement / Responsible Tech Buy In
Workshop to help organisations imagine the potential
value or impact of practising, and providing artefacts for
pitching planning and prepping for any key challenges
that might emerge.

28
Demonstrator projects
In the RTC Discovery phase, individuals and organisations who
went on to become RTC members mapped out the scope of
responsible tech practice, covering data ethics, design ethics,
diversity, and digital exclusion.
As a result, 4 demonstrator projects, directly addressing
locally-aligned and globally relevant tech issues, were identified
as opportunities to address in line with the RTC’s co-created
mission.
Noisy Cricket brought together cross-sector project partners
from the RTC’s membership, and invited diverse delivery
partners to get involved. They undertook community-led
research, uncovered systemic insights, and established service
blueprints for solutions relating to:
● A Responsible Tech Diagnostic Tool
● Citizen-Led Security Standards
● Ethnic Equality in Tech
● People Powered Smart Cities
Opportunities to commit as a project partner were opened up to
all RTC members. Each project had a blend of cross-sector
practitioner, RTC pioneer and RTC community members.
Responsible Tech Diagnostic Tool (RTDT)
RTDT focused on progressing understanding of and delivering
impact on design ethics. In the RTC Discovery phase, Noisy
Cricket engaged a design delivery partner, and also partnered
29
with Co-op Group and Ethics Kit to explore how to make
responsible tech more relevant and practical for organisations
to engage in.
Research revealed that leadership values, organisational culture
and decision-making processes are central to influencing
responsible tech practice. Focusing on the latter, a responsible
tech framework, strength-based exercise and ideation tool was
created to integrate into an organisation’s planning architecture
and influence an organisation’s understanding of their purpose
in addition to amending policies, processes and practices.
By the end of the discovery phase, a prototype was tested and
refined. This insight was captured and readied for further
investment during the RTC Alpha phase, which was secured
through Co-op Foundation support partner, Paper Frogs
engaging the University of Manchester. A Simon Industrial and
Professional (SIP) Fellowship was set up to work with the
university and RTC members to develop the prototype into a
minimal viable product.
However, the delivery partner’s availability became challenged
during the onboarding stages of the project. The Fellowship was
transferred to Noisy Cricket to explore how academics can
better integrate community engagement into their research
practice.
Citizen-Led Security Standards (CLSS)
Photo by Vonecia Carswell on Unsplash
Focused on progressing understanding of and delivering impact
on data ethics, for the CLSS project, Noisy Cricket engaged
Honey Badger as service designer and partnered with GMCA’s
Information Governance team, the University of Manchester’s
Centre for Digital Trust and Security, People’s Powerhouse and
Open Data Manchester (during the RTC Discovery phase) to
explore how to mitigate people’s data vulnerabilities through
building trust with organisations.
Through desk-based research and co-design sessions with
families experiencing multiple complex needs across Greater
Manchester, Noisy Cricket worked with Greater Manchester
Combined Authority (GMCA), One Manchester and Inspire
30
Women in Oldham and learned that understanding about data
security and privacy, trust in organisations and related
perceptions of risk and reward are fuelling people’s decision
making.
A set of community engagement principles was co-created,
alongside recommending further investment in the design,
development and delivery of data sharing visualisation, a data
sharing decision making tool, and a consent policy to be used
(initially) in local government policy and processes.
Noisy Cricket shared the insights and showcased the service
blueprints with GMCA’s Information Governance Team, creating
a proposal that was utilised to ensure the CLSS was integrated
into GMCA’s Data Accelerator project.
Further funding was sought with support from the Co-op
Foundation and delivery partner, Paper Frogs. This was needed
initially to provide time and resource to propose, secure
commitment and onboard GMCA, the Data Accelerator project
team and local authorities working on co-creating, testing and
embedding new data sharing processes and practices. A
successful funding award from Innovate UK enabled Noisy
Cricket to progress the CLSS project while simultaneously
establishing a Community Research Network (CRN) through the
RTC.
Currently in progress (May 2023), GMCA’s Information
Governance and Public Service Reform teams, Trafford and Bury
Council are proactively working alongside RTC members Open
Data Manchester, Bassajamba, Manchester Metropolitan
University, University of Manchester, Reason Digital and Nexer
to co-create a solution with communities to help raise
awareness of responsible tech topics. Early insights have shown
that being listened to, creating mutual value and being
transparent with communities are of utmost importance,
whether communicating on data sharing, AI ethics or
accessibility.
The work will help to evidence to Innovate UK the potential of
engaging both organisations and communities in co-creating a
shared resource hub and network to advance best practice in
community engagement, with the potential of further funding.
Ethnic Equality in Tech (EEIT)
Photo by Lagos Techie on Unsplash
31
EEIT focused on progressing understanding of and delivering
impact around equity, diversity and inclusion.
In the RTC Discovery phase, Noisy Cricket engaged Honey
Badger as service designer, partnered with Diverse & Equal and
Barclays, and was supported by Code Computerlove in exploring
how to empower organisations to create safe workplaces for
people of colour in tech.
The team shaped a service blueprint for diagnosing and
benchmarking key challenge and opportunity areas, based on a
co-created set of standards and consultancy tools to be
integrated into employment policies, processes and practices.
With an ambition to scale the holistic solution nationally and
cross-industry, Noisy Cricket sought potential sponsors to
engage in the co-creation of an EEIT Benchmarking and
Diagnostic Tool. However, most organisations had
symptom-focused diversity efforts in place, and were not willing
or able to address the root causes of racism with more informed
and targeted action within their organisations.
Further funding was sought with support from the Co-op
Foundation, but potential grants were too small for the project
budget or focused on helping people of colour directly. No
UK-based funding was available for systemic interventions to
transform the organisations, industries and the sector. As a
result of lack of industry interest and funding alignment, the
EEIT project stalled in 2022, with no further progress made.
People Powered-Smart City (PPSC)
Photo by Thomas Foster on Unsplash
For PPSC, Noisy Cricket focused on progressing understanding
of and delivering impact around digital exclusion. It engaged
Reply as service designer and partnered with Manchester City
Council and BassaJamba to explore how to ensure community
needs are central to future smart city initiatives.
In the RTC Discovery phase, desk-based research revealed
evidence of the tech industry pushing innovation agendas on
local government, an overwhelming focus on data usage over
design approaches, plus ad hoc and light touch usage of
32
participatory practices. RTC co-created a solution to improve
community communication, cross-sector collaboration and to
empower local authorities to better make decisions about smart
city innovation through robust digital inclusion policies, process
and practices.
During the RTC Alpha phase, with a clear set of principles
designed and a service blueprint mapped for local government
governance, participation support infrastructure, Noisy Cricket
initiated conversations with local government in a range of
northern cities to support in co-creating, testing and piloting the
PPSC solution. However, with funding support from Co-op
Foundation and Paper Frogs focusing on infrastructure projects,
CLSS and EEIT, the PPSC project was deprioritised and no further
RTC work was undertaken.
Findings and opportunities
Over the course of the RTC Alpha phase, Noisy Cricket
responded dynamically and adaptively in shaping and delivering
the RTC’s strategy and plan over the short-term.
Findings and opportunities were discovered throughout the
funded 18 months of the planned 2 year project (see appendix 2
for a detailed list).
RTC is emergent and more space is required for further
discovery on opportunities around:
1. Clarifying the value of responsible tech to encourage
short-term investment
 2. Deepening explorations and sharing of responsible tech
practices
3. Enhancing community engagement expertise
4. Evidencing long-term impact through trialling RTC and
member projects
1. Clarifying the value of responsible tech to encourage
short-term investment
RTC member engagement ebbed over the course of the RTC
Alpha phase, Noisy Cricket’s explorations of why revealed that a
perceived lack of value was the main cause.
Members were less inclined to commit capacity to the activities
of the RTC because responsible tech is neither a core business
priority nor do they believe it requires immediate investment. Its
emergent and exploratory nature means that there is limited
current evidence of impact that can be used to counter this
perspective. Perception of value would therefore likely increase
as the work progresses and solutions emerge.
2. Deepening explorations and sharing of responsible tech
practices
Co-creation is an unfamiliar approach for many organisations
and responsible tech practices are still emergent. People often
experience discomfort in having to adopt new practices,
processes and policies to engage. This was experienced by RTC
members who sometimes experienced confusion as to why
33
other people’s perspectives (including other community
members’) were being engaged.
Noisy Cricket encouraged progress through RTC campaign
activity (see Spotlight - Responsible Tech Collective). Facilitating
understanding through exploration, engagement and sharing
knowledge is an essential foundation for achieving a responsible
tech vision.
3. Enhancing community engagement expertise
Community engagement practice is still in its infancy, even
within the social sectors, where both participatory practice (e.g.
enabling communities to inform research) and co-production
(e.g. engaging communities to consult on the design and
development of services and products) are becoming better
understood.
In addition to limited recognition of the value of community
engagement – where investing upfront in understanding
people's needs, wants and hopes can build trust, reduce the risk
of regulatory and PR costs, improve performance and engender
innovation – there are wider structural and cultural blockers
around ethically and impactfully practising community
engagement.
While most organisations focus on the need to reach and build
trust with communities, they often overlook the unique skills
(e.g. facilitation) and strengths (e.g. resilience) required to do it
effectively, alongside the tools and resources that ensure good
practice (e.g. recruitment screening).
How organisations engage is even more important than what
they do, with thoughtful and experimental cultures required led
by diverse and multi-disciplinary teams where personal and
cultural bias is surfaced, where possible, ahead of contacting
communities.
Community engagement requires time, space and significant
resource to do well. However, with limited budgets, funding,
commissioning or tenders available to undertake it, few
organisations are willing or able to really engage.
34
4. Evidencing long-term impact through trialling RTC and
member projects
Transforming the wider tech industry means changing the
complex and interdependent causes underpinning its current
profit and product-focused culture. The predominant industry
culture is based on performance, focusing on driving user
numbers, engagement rates, conversions and venture capital
rounds, meaning profit (vs purpose or people) is prioritised.
A focus on imagining new possibilities and innovation can be
beneficial for all. Commercial organisations need to find
alternative ways to differentiate their offer. Meanwhile,
charitable and philanthropic funders need to find impactful
ways of achieving their aims.
RTC and similar systemic change initiatives, provide the
opportunity to move towards more holistic solutions,
co-creating with people, not for them, and imagining new
possibilities that can spark innovation. At the same time, it levels
power and creates solutions that are more inclusive and better
meet people’s needs.
Spotlight – Responsible Tech Collective
Developing understanding through research and engagement

Building on the cross-sector and in-community engagement established by Noisy Cricket

during the RTC Discovery phase, they attracted over 25 founder members to inform
decision making, drive strategy and to co-create responsible tech solutions through
infrastructure projects, as well as to participate in demonstrator project teams, as
sponsors and project partners.

Founder members cover the public, third and private sectors and include representatives
from communities, including the BBC, GCHQ, Co-op Group, Greater Manchester Combined
Authority, Manchester City Council, Salford CVS, Open Data Manchester, Diverse & Equal,
and the University of Manchester. They have been instrumental in shaping the RTC’s
scope, purpose and objectives in working together to bring home the humanity to tech.

RTC activity is directly targeted at influencing organisations that have tech and data practitioners, and their internal processes and
policies. The RTC also directly engages pioneers (for example Open Data Manchester) which are thought leaders or innovators around
responsible tech practice. However, the RTC anchors on community members. In the context of RTC, the community includes social
enterprises and charities working directly with marginalised and vulnerable people and communities who are impacted by
technology. To ensure the needs of people from marginalised and vulnerable communities are prioritised, Noisy Cricket funds a
person with lived experience of digital exclusion to engage in the work, helping inform decision making, shaping strategy and ensuring
disadvantaged communities are central to the design and development of RTC solutions.

Noisy Cricket has been awarded funding from Innovate UK to explore establishing a Community Research Network. This has been
aligned with an RTC demonstrator project on Citizen-Led Security Standards, enabling exploration of a research network through a
responsible tech lens. A funding award and fellowship with the University of Manchester is also helping to continue exploration of
ways in which academic researchers can adopt community engagement practices.

35
Collective action projects
During phase 2 of the Federation Programme, partners were
invited to apply for funding to deliver collaborative projects
aligned with Federation’s aims – civic empowerment through
co-operation that challenges inequity and strengthens digital
and data rights. The fund sought to support opportunities for
community action, or those that encouraged participation in
decision-making. It had a geographic focus on Greater
Manchester.
The total fund value was £30,000, with funding of £10,000 each
awarded to three collective action projects. Each of these
projects was led by a Federation partner (an organisation
supported through a Federation capacity building grant), in
partnership with at least one other organisation. Once funding
was awarded, partners proceeded with their collaboration
projects independently, with light touch monitoring.
Who was involved
Successful applicants for the fund included:
● Bassajamba, in collaboration with GM Change Network
and local black leaders’ networks
● Digital Advantage, in collaboration with SENDCode
● Open Data Manchester, in collaboration with Walk Ride
Whalley Range
36
Outcomes
All of the partners considered that through their project they
had helped ensure human rights are integral to design or usage
of data or tech enabled services, and built collaboration across
organisations or people working together for a common aim of
more inclusive digital or data systems. To at least some extent
they felt they had been able to challenge the ways tech or data
reinforce inequalities.
Collective action in underserved communities
Bassajamba aimed to develop a community action forum.
Working with GM Change Network and local black leaders’
networks, it set out to create an audio series to raise the voices
of underserved community leaders around the barriers to
creating digital technology, products and services. The series
would cover approaches and responses to the underlying
barriers, taking learning from these discussions to shape
ongoing community activity. The themes that came from the
interviews in this audio series were combined with insight from
community workshops to gather needs.
The project delivered an audio series and developed an initial
Human Centric Framework for a smarter city and smarter
economies, in addition to building the foundation for an
action-based forum for continued connection, learning and
development.
A more diverse digital industry
Digital Advantage and SENDCode partnered on a project to
understand and create the conditions necessary for successful
employment and retention of young people with an Autistic
Spectrum Condition (ASC) in the tech and digital industry in
Greater Manchester. By doing this, they aimed to enable tech
teams and the products and services they deliver to become
more inclusive.
The project set out to address two main challenges:
1. Many employers support neurodiversity in the workplace
but are slow to adopt new recruitment and employment
practices that lead to more employment opportunities
for people with an ASC.
2. Employers are not geared up to identify and recruit
suitable ASC candidates into employment.
the data and turn it into actionable insight. Through this the
intention was to help individuals and communities to feel more
connected and empowered in relation to what is going on in
their streets and neighbourhoods.
ODM ran a series of meetings, user research and co-design
sessions with community groups in and around Chorlton and
Whalley Range. As part of this they ran workshops with Walk
Ride Whalley Range and parents of school children. They used
ODM materials to help them to develop research questions,
seek existing data and begin to collect their own data. Their
feedback helped to iterate and build upon the materials for the
handbook. There will be a short period of final user feedback
before the handbook is launched at a public event.

The project researched and developed a campaign to raise

awareness and opportunities with tech sector employers, with a
launch that included local media coverage.

Community Data Handbook

Led by Open Data Manchester (ODM), the Community Data
Handbook project grew out of its community-led data work with
Our Streets Chorlton.

It aimed to help communities to plan and carry out their own

data collection projects, looking for what data exists, and
enabling new data to be collected, whilst helping make sense of Photo by Christina on Unsplash

37
Findings and opportunities
The collective action project fund aimed to test the impact of
funding small, discrete projects that could be completed within
the timeframe of the Federation Programme. This was in
contrast to the longer-term demonstrator projects being
developed through the Responsible Tech Collective.
Whilst each of the projects successfully concluded, we noted
some key learnings for funders and partners:
1. Projects with short-term outputs often still require longer
time frames for societal impact to be observed
2. Project outlines in funding bids are based on
assumptions – activity centred on needs requires
adaptability from partners and flexibility from funders
3. Being relevant to communities and their needs makes it
easier to engage on issues relating to data and digital
rights
4. Reciprocity is important for achieving positive outcomes
in collaborative community projects
1. Projects with short term outputs often still require longer
time frames for impact to be observed
“It is fair to say that due to the delays in the project we are yet
to see the impact we envisaged. i.e. employers creating job
opportunities.”
– Digital Advantage
38
Two of the funded collective action projects experienced
delivery delays. All three created outputs that signal the start of
activities that could have a longer term impact.
Funding organisations should therefore consider approaches to
re-visiting some or all of their partners over a period of years to
better ascertain the outcomes from their funding awards. This
may help a shift away from using metrics that miss longer-term
societal impacts.
2. Project outlines in funding bids are based on assumptions
– activity centred on needs requires adaptability from
partners and flexibility from funders
“The major challenge was getting agreement amongst a very
diverse group of participants and stakeholders.”
– Digital Advantage
User research and co-creation enable projects to test
assumptions to deliver better outcomes. However, this
engagement takes time and ongoing learnings may suggest a
rethink or a change in approach.
Rather than racing towards a fixed deadline or deliverable,
funders should encourage partners to adapt based on
continuous learning. Funders should be flexible in their
approach to monitoring, to enable better outcomes for
communities.
3. Being relevant to communities and their needs makes it Even if incentives are different, partners and funders working
easier to engage on issues relating to data and digital rights alongside communities can create a mutually beneficial
relationship, where the aims and priorities of all parties are
equally respected and valued.
“At first we aimed to create a handbook for use by anyone,
but due to the…nature of the groups we engaged with, we
For example, Bassajamba’s approach to working with
found we had to adapt our direction slightly. We learned that
communities affected by race-related challenges ensured that
people were more able to fully understand the idea of the
Bassajamba could gather the research it needed whilst also
'community data handbook' when it had a more focussed
helping to meet the needs of the networks and communities
area of application.”
involved.
– Open Data Manchester

Language and concepts used by funders and partners can

sometimes create a barrier to engagement with local
communities. Reframing conversations around issues that
community groups are passionate about helps create greater
engagement.

4. Reciprocity is important for gaining positive outcomes in

collaborative community projects

“Data and digital technology, development of products and

services was not the main priority for members of the
network. All members of [the] network were focused on
supporting communities affected by race-related challenges.
We therefore discussed challenges and opportunities that
affected [them] from a non-technology perspective.”
– Bassajamba

39
Recommendations
Providing a variety of well designed and targeted funding
These recommendations are drawn from the findings and
options for capacity building and community building can be
opportunities in this report and are based on understanding the
transformational, even with small funding pots.
needs of the partners involved. They are intended to be a
summary of learnings that may be useful for similar
Be adaptable and champion continuous learning
communities, programmes or funders when designing or
Project outlines in funding bids are based on assumptions,
delivering collective action, community building or capacity
whether or not this is made explicit (e.g. estimates of cost/time
building activities.
or hypotheses relating to needs). Activity centred on
understanding and meeting needs requires adaptability from
Start from trust
partners and flexibility from funders. Ongoing learning, testing
Funder relationships built on trust enable organisations to focus
and validation may reshape projects or result in the need for a
on delivering impact. Being a partner means supporting the
pivot. These changes are a great sign that partners are
delivery and adapting to changing needs and learning as the
responsive to meeting needs and basing decisions on evidence.
programme develops. Light touch monitoring is often all that’s
needed.
Provide adequate, long-term support and actively plan for
the ending
Flex according to the needs of the partner community
Establishing minimum levels of participation and adopting
A community of busy, purpose driven people / organisations
simple engagement tools can help to sustain a community when
need a programme of activity that can flex with their capacity to
infrastructure support or partner time commitment is limited.
take part, so they can be involved without being overwhelmed.
However, for sustained collective action, infrastructure support
and facilitation is vital. Having expertise in a subject matter
Motivation for participation in community activities varies and
relevant to the community, or lived experience of the issues
needs to be acknowledged and accepted for the community to
involved, is a bonus.
maintain engagement and to thrive.

The end of a programme can be delivered with care and in a

Consider the wellbeing of partners when global, national or local
way that sustains the community beyond the life of the
events cause concern and provide support that helps with
programme, if that is what the community desires. Allow the
resilience, for example releasing additional funding during the
budget to shepherd this exit or transition process.
Covid pandemic (Federation phase 1).

40
Use space as a community amplifier and capacity builder
Proximity to others with similar goals encourage co-operation
that builds capacity. Place and space create a focal point for Responding to the needs of the partner
interaction, serendipities and connection. This helps to sustain community
the community but can also become a magnifier of its shared
purpose, reaching and attracting others to investigate and join
Much of the approach to delivery
the community.
of the Federation Programme has
centred on observation, reflection
In systemic change programmes, measure impact over
and adaptation to best meet the
years or decades, not months
needs of the community.
Even projects with short term outputs often require longer time
frames for impact to be observed. Often in systemic change it
Early in 2023 there appeared to be
can be impossible to demonstrate cause and effect. Seek out
an energy dip across the community, with engagement
patterns or signals of change rather than focussing on easy but
waning and a sense of collective overwhelm growing. Paper
less meaningful metrics, such as number of events/attendees
Frogs sought out some socially connecting opportunities to
etc. Storytelling (e.g. similar to Federation Stories) can be an
help build resilience, avoiding the usual tech industry
effective method for gathering evidence and communicating the
stereotypes of meet-ups, beers and pizza.
value of an intervention relating to behaviour change or
community building.
There is plenty of existing research about the benefits and
value of nature on mental health. So a foraging walk was
Focus on relevance and reciprocity when working with
selected, guided by Forage Box. This turned out to be one of
impacted communities
Federation’s best attended connecting events.
Whilst a community of purpose may have a clear mission that it
is passionate about, it is not always necessary or desirable to
The foraging excursion was an experiment into ways to build
evangelise about a lofty cause. In work involving impacted
and sustain the community. In the Programme closing
communities, listening to people’s experiences and collaborating
evaluation surveys, connecting opportunities, such as the
with them on issues they care about can make conversations
foraging event, came out strongly as the activities considered
more accessible and solutions more likely to evolve.
to have most helped to sustain the community.

41
Appendices

Appendix 1: RTC founder members

● Ada Lovelace ● Code Computer ● Digital Advantage ● Manchester City ● Open Data
Institute Love ● Diverse & Equal Council Manchester
● AND Digital ● Consent Kit ● Dsposal ● Manchester ● Reason Digital
● BBC ● Co-op Group ● Greater Manchester Metropolitan University ● Salford CVS
● Bassajamba ● Culture Shift Combined Authority ● Nexer Digital ● University of
● Barclays ● Department for ● HI Future ● Noisy Cricket Manchester
Education ● Macc

42
Appendix 2: Responsible tech challenges and
opportunities
Engaging in responsible tech requires a wholesale change in the
tech industry’s culture, created through precedent-setting
organisation’s leading the way and demonstrating what is
possible.
Noisy Cricket has identified the challenges and opportunities
that exist (reproduced here with permission from Noisy Cricket).
The challenges
● Facing into the scale and complexity of the issues
surrounding responsible tech practices and the industry's
willingness and ability to break down into manageable
challenges
● Knowing where to start with responsible tech due to the
emergent nature of responsible tech and whether to
integrate at organisation, policy or team level
● Improving awareness of responsible tech practices and
levers, understanding its value and alignment with the
organisations’ ambitions plus enabling action through
new skills, strengths and approaches
● Understanding what good looks like to ensure
organisations go beyond doing the bare minimum when
it comes to responsible tech
● Ensuring leadership focus in strategy and decision
making in alignment with organisational purpose and
value creation
43
● Engaging in fear-based avoidance or ethics washing tech
activity due to fear of negative consequences and their
fallout for organisations
● Creating space and encouraging discomforting
conversations within teams and navigating tensions
between teams across an organisations to enable
accountability
● Encountering peer pushback when ethical issues are
raised and disempowering individuals and teams in
taking action
● Managing the complications of engaging in
multi-disciplinary approaches in the midst of tight
scopes, short-term delivery periods and limited budgets
● Ensuring responsiveness and adaptability through
existing policies, processes, practices and approaches,
and avoiding creating bad solutions to quickly address
pain points
● Initiating community reach and engagement when there
is a lack of expertise and ambition within organisations to
undertake it
● Navigating the resource, time and cost of integrating new
practices, processes, policies and approaches when
organisation budgets, commissions, tenders or funding is
difficult to access
● Considering the use of responsible tech not just within
internal IT systems but also in the engagement of
external suppliers
Both challenges and opportunities
● Accepting the lack of responsible tech definition and
embracing responsible tech's intention that each solution
and the practices and approaches or policies and
processes that enable it respond to unique and evolving
human needs
● Putting people first, both internal and external to the
organisation, and considering the risks and potential
consequences in balance with the intended benefits and
value you can create in people's lives
● Avoiding making assumptions and leveraging qualitative,
conversational and participatory disciplines to ensure
holistic understanding of people and the context of their
lives across the organisation
● Working openly, honestly and empathically, and sharing
learning across the industry to help normalise seeing
humans as opposed to subjects, users or customers
across the industry
● Working to clarify the value of putting people first, how it
aligns with the organisation’s purpose, strategy,
objectives and goals, and how practising responsible tech
makes a tangible difference
44
The opportunities
● Investing in team skills, strengths and approaches and
working to inspire confidence and empower people to
ask big questions and challenge received wisdom
● Motivating individuals through engaging in ethical activity
and encouraging employee retention
● Enabling width and depth in team thinking and ensuring
oversight of responsible tech insight and activity across
varying teams and departments within the organisation
● Ensuring organisations and teams have the tools and
resources to shift practice and that its integrated at the
right time in the process and on new (rather than
existing) projects
● Shaping manageable and clearly scoped briefs and
creating practical, tangible and actionable solutions to
utilise across industry
● Leveraging the wider network to user test or encourage
early adoption of pioneering solutions
● Understanding how models, values and culture
influences responsible tech practice, and platforming
those organisations, teams and individuals who are
pushing boundaries across responsible tech disciplines
● Leveraging the work of pioneering organisations, teams
and individuals to set an industry precedent and
investing in responsible tech innovation across the
industry
Appendix 3: Further reading
This list provides links to material written relating to the second phase of the Federation Programme. See also films: Federation Stories
and Federation - a short story. For material relating to phase 1, see the Co-op Foundation Federation Learning Report.

Date Author Title/Link

July 2021 Paper Frogs Guest blog: Pioneering digital and social innovation through the Federation Programme

July 2021 Noisy Cricket Bringing home the humanity to tech… the journey so far

February 2022 Paper Frogs Evolution of the Federation

February 2022 Paper Frogs Federation landscape review

February 2022 Noisy Cricket How Might We Progress Ethnic Equality in Tech?

February 2022 Noisy Cricket Why invest in responsible tech?

February 2022 Noisy Cricket How might we share responsible tech learning for the greatest impact? — Part 1/3

March 2022 Paper Frogs Evolution and impact (so far) of the Responsible Tech Collective

April 2022 Noisy Cricket Exploring data ethics

April 2022 Noisy Cricket Exploring ethnic equality in tech

April 2022 Noisy Cricket How might we share responsible tech learning for the greatest impact? — Part 2/3

May 2022 Noisy Cricket Exploring digital exclusion

August 2022 Noisy Cricket Opening up technology design and development to people and communities — Part 1/3

October 2022 Noisy Cricket How Might Design Ethics Bring the Humanity Home to Tech?

45
November 2022 Noisy Cricket How Might We Progress Citizen-Led Security Standards?

November 2022 Noisy Cricket How might we share responsible tech learning for the greatest impact? — Part 3/3

November 2022 Noisy Cricket Founder Member Collaboration: Diverse & Equal and Nexer

November 2022 Noisy Cricket Founder Member Project Highlight: Public Service Internet at the BBC

November 2022 Noisy Cricket Responsible Tech Collective Pioneer Spotlight: Phil Hesketh at Consent Kit

November 2022 Noisy Cricket Supporting organisations to value community engagement — Part 2/3

December 2022 Paper Frogs Federation’s collective action projects

January 2023 Noisy Cricket What Do We Mean By Bringing Home The Humanity to Tech?

January 2023 Noisy Cricket Founder Member Ethicist Spotlight: Tricia Wheeler at the Co-op

January 2023 Noisy Cricket Responsible Tech Collective Pioneer Spotlight: Chris Northwood at Culture Shift

March 2023 Paper Frogs Building the foundations for a more diverse digital workforce

March 2023 Paper Frogs Tackling inequality by building capacity

March 2023 Paper Frogs Partnering to grow skills for a neurodiverse digital industry

March 2022 Noisy Cricket Exploring the co-creation of a Community Research Network

April 2023 Paper Frogs Building rigour and evidence for dismantling systemic oppression through data

April 2023 Paper Frogs New flavours of connection

May 2023 Paper Frogs Celebrating an ending - how we closed the Federation programme

June 2023 Digital Advantage DISC and the Federation Stories film

46
Appendix 4: Methodology - how data was
collected and limitations
Source material for this report includes:
● Phase 1 evaluation and learning report provided by
Co-op Foundation
● Feedback surveys and monitoring reports provided by
Federation partners during phase 2 of the Federation
Programme, including capacity building, collective action
project, and community and capacity building surveys
● Monitoring and closure reporting from delivery partners
Noisy Cricket CIC and Amity CIC
● Evaluation surveys from capacity building workshop
providers, Centre for Tendering and New Philanthropy
Capital
● Interviews with a selection of Federation partners at the
start and close of phase 2 of the Federation Programme,
highlights of which are captured in the Federation Stories
film
Whilst all funded partners provided responses to closure
surveys for capacity building funding and collective action
projects, there was less engagement in the final survey covering
capacity and community building activity. Even with a 100%
response rate, there are limitations in the value of statistics and
trends with such a small sample size. Therefore, whilst some
quantitative data is included in the report, the insight from
qualitative sources may be more useful for others looking to
47
learn about the approaches taken through the Federation
Programme. In this context, storytelling is a useful method for
gathering and sharing primary data, making Federation Stories
and Federation related blog posts (appendix 3) useful resources.
Neither Federation phase 1 nor 2 had any predefined
monitoring or evaluation frameworks in place, so it is not
possible to compare efficacy of the phase 1 approach with
phase 2. The Programme relied on a continuous learning,
reflection and adaptation approach to best meet the needs of
partners whilst maintaining focus on the objectives of the
Programme.
The shared mission of challenging the ways that tech and data
reinforce inequalities, and safeguarding human rights in digital
and tech, both require systemic change. Impact is notoriously
difficult to ascertain at a systemic level due to the complexity of
the issues involved. Even if/when a cause and effect can be
isolated, impact may take years to emerge. It has not been
possible in such a time-limited programme to consider the
impact on society of the initiatives born from the Federation and
its supported partners. The emphasis in this report is therefore
on the impact of the Programme on the funded partners and
their activities.