In response to the changing needs of families and the increasing demand for family services, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust) approved $157 million to launch The Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project (“JCSFL”) from January 2018 to September 2022, aiming at fostering cross-sectoral collaboration between NGOs and academia to devise an innovative and evidence-based family service delivery model that leverages Information and Communications Technology (“ICT”) and data analytics to enable preventive, supportive and early remedial services for family well-being.

JCSFL is being implemented in 26 NGO-operated Integrated Family Service Centres (“IFSCs”)/Integrated Services Centres (“ISCs”) operated by 12 NGOs, with system and programme design led by The University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health (“HKU SPH”) and Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (“HKU TeLi”).

Based on the fruitful results of JCSFL, the Trust launched the Phase 2 project to The University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University from October 2022 to September 2025, to enrich the functionalities of i-Connect system, development evidence-based mixed or blended mode of service, perform big data analysis, conduct overall evaluation and impact assessment of the project, and implement capacity building and public education programmes.