Opportunity

Definition

In Jigsaw, an opportunity is a positive uncertainty — a situation, change, or condition that, if it occurs, could improve the organization’s ability to achieve its Swans and protect children and vulnerable adults.

An opportunity is not a guaranteed gain; it carries uncertainty. The benefit is realized only if the organization recognizes it early and takes timely action to capture it.

Within Jigsaw’s NOST model — Now, Opportunities, Swan, Threats — opportunities are identified in direct relation to a Swan. They represent the positive uncertainties that, if acted upon, could accelerate or strengthen progress towards that Swan.

Why It Matters

Balances the view of risk: In ERM and NOST, risk includes both threats (negative uncertainties) and opportunities (positive uncertainties). Opportunities deserve equal attention because they can strengthen organizational performance and safeguarding.
Drives proactive improvement: Acting on opportunities before they fade can lead to stronger controls, better culture, and more resilient systems.
Aligns safeguarding with organizational growth: Opportunities often bring benefits beyond SAM risk reduction — for example, improved staff skills or more engaged communities.

Components of an Opportunity

Every opportunity has two parts:

Cause — the event, change, or factor that could arise (e.g., new funding, a community partnership, a technology improvement).
Consequence — the positive effect on the Swan if the cause occurs and is acted on (e.g., greater supervision capacity, expanded prevention training, faster incident reporting).

Best Practice in Jigsaw

Always identify opportunities in relation to a specific Swan, so the value is clear.
Consider external (regulatory changes, community shifts, technology advances) and internal (staff skills, new processes, culture improvements) sources of opportunity.
Use the same structured approach as for threats: brainstorm widely, then assess which opportunities would have the highest impact on achieving the Swan if captured.
Record and prioritize opportunities alongside threats in the T-Bar format for clarity, and review them regularly during system reviews.
Treat opportunities as living data within the NOST model — update them as the “Now” changes, as Swans evolve, and as threats emerge.

Examples

Primarily Organizational Performance (Vision/Swans)

Cause: Winning a major grant for program expansion → Consequence: More participants served and enhanced long-term outcomes.
Cause: Successful advocacy leads to regulatory support for programs → Consequence: Easier compliance and greater service reach.
Cause: Adoption of a new evidence-based curriculum → Consequence: Higher participant achievement rates and improved reputation.
Cause: Positive media coverage → Consequence: Greater donor interest and public confidence.

Overlap: Achieving Swans & Preventing Sexual Abuse

Cause: A new partnership offers both funding and safeguarding expertise → Consequence: Improved program quality and increased protective capacity.
Cause: Upgraded digital platforms for service delivery and supervision → Consequence: Enhanced participant engagement and better boundary monitoring.
Cause: Expansion into new facilities designed with safeguarding in mind → Consequence: Safer environments and more efficient delivery of services.
Cause: Increased parental engagement through structured feedback sessions → Consequence: Stronger safeguarding vigilance and improved trust in the organization.
Cause: Recruitment drive attracts skilled staff committed to mission and safeguarding → Consequence: Better participant outcomes and reduced safeguarding incidents.

Primarily Preventing Sexual Abuse

Cause: Introduction of clear new behavioral expectations → Consequence: Fewer ambiguous situations and stronger staff confidence in acting.
Cause: Launch of a peer mentoring program → Consequence: Increased safe adult contact and early detection of concerns.
Cause: Access to specialized safeguarding training at reduced cost → Consequence: Broader staff skill base and better incident prevention.
Cause: Improved incident reporting system → Consequence: Earlier intervention and trend monitoring.