‘Reskilling: the watchword now in social sector organisations’

While helping the pandemic-hit, voluntary organisations have been gasping for help themselves. A survey by Azim Premji University lists the challenges faced by these non-profits

Many social sector organisations (SSOs) have stepped up to the plate, and undertaken pandemic relief work. During the two waves, a raft of SSOs cutting across focus areas extended help, while ironically looking for help themselves to dodge the curve balls the pandemic had thrown their way. Disruption is the defining word of SARS-COV-2. SSOs had their share of debilitating and niggling disruptions to deal with: reduced fund flow, the need to adopt technology and the demand for a whole new style of functioning.

In the context of the social sector, digital transformation is a sparsely used term.

The pandemic came as a rude jolt to many SSOs, some of which suddenly discovered that some of their hallowed systems were grossly dated, and they had to aggressively upskill their staff to adapt to the new systems.