Definition:
In Jigsaw, activities are the actions and processes the organization performs regularly. They are a core component of the operating model and represent the day-to-day delivery of service, protection, and impact. Activities can be formal (e.g. structured programs, scheduled services, intake processes) or informal (e.g. hallway conversations, unsupervised transitions, volunteer onboarding routines).
Activities often take place in specific times, spaces, or sequences — and involve interaction between people, systems, environments, and expectations.
Why Activities Matter in Jigsaw
Activities are where the system comes to life — and where risk most frequently arises.
- If Swans are the aims, and the operating model is the infrastructure, activities are the motion — the interactions, routines, and engagements that drive the organization forward.
- They are one of the most common entry points for sexual abuse risk — particularly when interactions are unsupervised, ambiguous, or taken for granted.
Each activity can:
- Directly support (or undermine) progress toward a Swan
- Surface opportunities for prevention or early warning
- Reveal patterns of vulnerability or resilience
- Intersect with behavior expectations, supervision, training, and controls
In Jigsaw: Activities connect the operating model to lived experience. That’s why we map them in detail — and analyze how risk shows up in the real flow of work.
Activities, Swans, and Risk Sets
- Every Swan depends on a set of core activities to become real. For example, a Swan related to trust or trauma-informed care may depend on daily check-ins, group facilitation, or peer mentoring.
- These activities are where we ask: “What could help or hinder this activity from delivering what the Swan requires?” That question defines the associated risk set.
- Activities can be leveraged, redesigned, or monitored to manage those risks effectively.
Activities are also a natural focal point for:
- Identifying unsafe routines or invisible gaps
- Designing or testing controls
- Embedding behavior expectations into everyday practice
- Reviewing impact and system performance
Best Practice for Defining Activities in Jigsaw
- Name activities in plain language — e.g. “arrival and drop-off,” “supervision during free time,” “weekly training,” “partner-led sessions”
- Link each activity to a Swan it supports
- Identify who participates, when it occurs, and what its purpose is
- Reflect on the flow of each activity: Where do transitions happen? Where does isolation or ambiguity increase?
- Use activities to anchor behavior expectations, control placement, and risk assessments
Activity Examples
1. Organization-Related Activities
These are general activities that support service delivery, daily operations, and mission execution.
- Program delivery (e.g. lessons, workshops, sessions)
- Intake and registration
- Daily arrival and dismissal
- Meal distribution / snack time
- Transportation (e.g. school runs, trips, pickups)
- Transitions between activities or spaces
- Supervision (formal or informal)
- Volunteer coordination
- Staff onboarding and training
- Partner coordination or briefings
- Reporting and communication routines
- Performance evaluations or staff check-ins
- Parent communication or outreach
- Fundraising or donor engagement
- Financial management and resource allocation
- Site maintenance or venue setup
- Incident response (non-SAM)
- Community events or showcases
- Strategic planning meetings
2. Sexual Abuse Risk Management–Related Activities
These are activities that explicitly relate to the prevention, detection, or response to SAM risk.
- Staff and volunteer training on SAM awareness and prevention
- Behavior expectations review (initial and refresher)
- Supervision planning and risk zoning
- Safe recruitment (background checks, screening interviews)
- One-on-one interaction protocols
- Observation and informal risk scanning
- Escalation pathway discussions
- Incident reporting (including anonymous reporting)
- Post-incident debrief and system learning
- Facilitated reflection sessions (e.g. “review mode”)
- Risk review cycles or audits
- Control reviews or updates
- Family or participant engagement around SAM safety
- Scenario-based practice (e.g. “what would you do if…?” sessions)
- Team-based analysis of near misses
- Psychological safety surveys or culture checks
- Policy walkthroughs or simulations
- Application of SAM Risk BOK insights to local context
3. Cross-Cutting/System-Level Activities
These are activities that support the health, learning, and integrity of the risk management system itself.
- Jigsaw facilitation sessions
- Values review or clarification workshops
- Mapping the operating model
- Developing or reviewing Swans
- System goal setting or refinement
- Environment scanning (internal and external)
- Risk set identification and analysis
- Linking controls to real-life activities
- Feedback loops and reflective journaling
- Documentation upkeep and system syncing
- Team onboarding into the Jigsaw system
- Leadership review of Jigsaw progress
- Preparing for or contributing to the SAM Risk BOK
- Reviewing system performance indicators
- Crisis simulation or escalation walkthroughs
Swans and Operating Model – Sample Facilitation Script