Digital Inclusion - a community plan by RnR Organisation

 
COMMUNITY DIGITAL INCLUSION

RnR Organisation -  Briefing paper October 2020
“Digital inclusion is based on the premise that everyone should be able to make full use of digital technologies – to manage their health and wellbeing, access education and services, organise their finances, and connect with friends, family, and the world beyond. Digital inclusion is likely also to be important for our national welfare: it is, for example, a necessary element in the environmental, social and economic transformations embodied in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
^{Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2019}
 
General Guidance
The aim of this paper is to provide guidance as to how individuals, groups/organisations and communities can become digitally included, in order to take advantage of opportunities in the internet era, and to have terms of reference to enable this to happen.
 
Digital inclusion planning needs to 

• Raise awareness of digital inclusion trends, digital skills development and digital service development across a specific area or demographic, a wider geographic area i.e. city, county or region.
• This definition needs to be specific so as to focus the activity of the group and prevent distraction from wider issues. 
• Develop a ‘framework’ for individual and organisational digital development that acknowledges and can be accommodated into other strategic digital inclusion policies and frameworks.
• Provide local framework [and possible validation] for digital skills development activity.
• Provide an open and accessible platform for individuals and organisations to present and share their views
• Recognise the existence and importance of the different ages, races, genders, abilities and lifestyles within a specific geographic area or demographic and work to ensure that no group or individual will be disadvantaged as a consequence of its activities.
• Increase social inclusion and decrease social exclusion as a primary consideration in developing activities and services.
• Consider social inclusion through the development of digital skills and platforms to support the three categories outlined in the introduction to this section i.e.   

• Individual - people (citizen) focused
• The skills of the individual 
  
• Groups / communities – what services are available digitally, are they accessible
• How easy is it for people to engage with organisations, are websites accessible? 
  
• Communities - what connectivity is available
• How people connect to the internet

Specific Guidance

1. Individual - People Focused

The first principle is that skills of individuals should be at the heart of the design and delivery of any inclusion policy
Groups should explore how digital skills can be developed with individuals across a specific area, acknowledging that even in smaller ‘democratic areas’ (e.g. wards) one size/type of provision may not fit all needs.
Encourage programmes that follow the Government’s Digital Foundation Skills of using a browser, connecting to the internet, and keeping passwords secure etc
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essential-digital-skills-framework/essential-digital-skills-framework 

Identifying how skills can be taught, acquired and developed so that individuals can use appropriate skills

Encourage the implementation of programmes that develop an individual’s essential digital skills:

o   Communicating,

o   Handling information and content

o   Transacting

o   Problem solving

o   Being safe and legal online

Explore how such programmes can be developed that ensure that provision is appropriate, and both culturally and demographically accessible, working across the area to provide sessions to develop an individual’s Digital Foundation Skills

Aspire to standardise delivery across providers – monitor and evaluate delivery using the National Standard for Essential Digital skills https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-standards-for-essential-digital-skills

Identify local resources that can support individuals and facilitate development
Set criteria for engagement and evaluate experience in engagement delivery of digital skills 
Support those who are at risk of social and economic isolation as a result of not being digitally included - includes access to the labour market, claiming benefits, searching and applying for jobs, access to public services
 
2. Groups /organisations - accessible services
The second principle should focus on how service provision becomes accessible
Services need to be encouraged and supported in the development of their online services.

Organisations need to decide which of their services can be accessed online

Organisations should be supported in deciding which are the most appropriate services to become digital - which frontline services and which back room services, and how they should be prioritised

How organisations develop their services digitally, and on which platform - they should meet the needs of users, and not the issues or convenience of the organisation / staff

Encouraging digital audits of organisations and identifying skills needs

Working collectively with people who use their services to address the issues

To identify the requirements of organisations, their trustees/ board and the workforce to develop [a] higher level of digital skills through a variety of formal and informal processes – CPD, apprenticeships, higher level apprenticeships, etc.

 Identify training needs of staff / trustees to address digital exclusion within an organisation

 
3. Communities - Connectivity
Our third principle is the ability of individuals and groups to connect to the internet to benefit from acquired digital skills and organisational development
While the skills of an individual and an organisation can be developed to ensure they can use a device, or a platform, there is a financial issue of access to the internet through broadband, Wi-Fi, or mobile that is affordable and trustworthy / robust. This element is the one over which local digital inclusion programmes have an influence. It is therefore important that local intelligence and issues be reported to wider digital inclusion programmes.

Identification of local issues and a reporting mechanism for this to be shared.

Being aware of wider digital inclusion programmes into which information is fed

Use of assistive technology to access digital services

Ensuring people with impairments and disabilities are made aware of appropriate technology and how to access it. 

Local activities and developments are crucial in developing appropriate and accurate data as to the issues related to Digital Inclusion.
 
The larger the ‘policy area’ the more vague the data, and the greater chance of standardised / generalised responses being developed.
Developing local partnerships to gather data and evidence of issues related to digital exclusion and organisational digital phobia/lack of digital culture, enables appropriate responses and interventions to be developed, the results of which can be shared in a wider environment.
This, potentially, develops a better informed, peer-led response, backed up by strategic plans and shared learning, leading to vigorous assessment and evaluation processes to utilise local insight and intelligence. 

4. Local context – not included or covered above

Actions and parameters related to the group undertaking the Digital inclusion activity

Published by RnR Organisation 

Ted Ryan - Chief Operating Officer