ABSTRACT
Digital social work practice has ushered in a new era of social work practice in Zimbabwe. It has significantly improved the country’s level of accountability and access to services. This chapter examines the successes, challenges and opportunities for digital practice by the social welfare workforce in Zimbabwe. The Social Development Officers and civil society organisation (CSO) partners have, with support from the voluntary Community Childcare Workers (CCWs), changed the terrain of social work practice by introducing digital devices into their practice. Zimbabwe has put in place the legal and policy framework governing information communication technology (ICT), and this is creating an enabling environment for digital social work practice in Zimbabwe. Innovations in mobile money transfer have revolutionised financial inclusion while reducing the risks and costs associated with delivering cash to service users. The CCWs, who are present in almost every ward, have brought digital social work practice to some of the remotest and hard-to-reach areas in Zimbabwe. In this regard, digital systems have promoted inclusivity and accountability, as they make it possible to trace cases in the referral pathway using digital footprints. There are, however, standards of practice that govern what data should be collected and how it should be shared and used by the social welfare workforce. The absence of clarity on an information-sharing policy and protocol has also increased the cost of building a consensus around data management. Nevertheless, the digitalisation of social work practice in Zimbabwe was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated digital practice as the most practical way to reach some remote areas.
