Digital services for all - setting the scene | Sarah Prag | July 2014

@SarahPrag@SarahPrag

Setting the sceneSarah Prag

Digital services for all


Why are we here?

To make sure as many people and businesses as possible can benefit from using your digital services, and from the internet more widely


Why does this matter?

Online self service is the most cost effective way for councils to deliver most services and information



Online is- 20x cheaper than phone- 30x cheaper than post - 50x cheaper than face-to-face

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-efficiency-report



Citizens and businesses who are capable of using and benefiting from the internet are also likely to be more prosperous



Likely to- save or make money

- find jobs- become less isolated- increase their health and

wellbeing


What will we cover?

Setting the scene - What does it mean to be “digitally

excluded”?– The scale of the challenge… and of the

opportunity

@SarahPrag


What will we cover?

Tackling digital exclusion:

1. Making digital services so good people choose to use them

2. Helping people to get online and develop their skills

3. Assisting people who can’t use digital services by themselves

@SarahPrag


What will we cover?

Local authority experiences– Liz Stevenson – Cambridgeshire County Council– Annette King – Birmingham City Council– Katy Briggs – Lambeth Council

What can YOU do to make a difference?



What is “digital exclusion”?

Lacking the basic digital skills and capability needed to benefit from the internet


www.go-on.co.uk



21% of the population of Britain are digitally excluded

That’s 1 in 5



Around 30% of small to medium businesses (SMEs) don’t have a website



72% of voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) lack the skills to transact online


Digital inclusion scale

@SarahPrag


Digital inclusion scale

1. Never have, never will2. Was online, but no longer3. Willing and unable4. Reluctantly online5. Learning the ropes6. Task specific7. Basic digital skills8. Confident9. Expert

@SarahPrag



What’s the ambition?

To help as many people as possible to move from being excluded (1-6) to basic digital skills or above


What are the targets?

Reduce the number of people who are excluded by 25% in 2 years

That’s 2.7 million more people online with basic skills by April 2016


Who are the “excluded”?

- Living in social housing

- On low wages or unemployed

- Registered with disabilities

- Offenders & ex-offenders


Who are the “excluded”?

Two thirds are over 55

But 6% are between 15 and 24, often also unemployed


What’s stopping them?

Access Skills

Motivation Trust


What is being done nationally?

Collaboration & coordination

Standards & measurement

Sharing best practice - from local & specific activities



What can you do?

1. Make digital services so good people choose to use them

2. Help people to get online and develop their skills

3. Assist people who can’t use digital services by themselves


Intros

1. Say hello to the people on your table!

- Your name, where you are from

2. Share one thing your council are already doing to help tackle digital exclusion





- user centred- clearly written- accessible



Simpler, clearer, faster







A relentless focus on user needs

Pic by @PaulAnnett



data




data empathy

+


The purpose of any page or tool on your site should be to meet a specific user need as efficiently as possible



Who is it for?

Why are they here?

What do they need to know or do?


“As a _______ I want to ________so that I can ________”


Present things in the order that will make sense to the user

Only include what they need to know to successfully make a decision or complete an action




Use plain English

Use the active voice“You must…” not “it is mandatory to…”


“But it has to be complicated for legal/policy reasons”

Not very often


Accessibility




Start with user needs

based on evidence & data

design clear specific content

focused on steps people need to take

make sure everyone can access it


2. Helping people to get online and develop their skills



Overcoming barriers

Access Skills

Motivation Trust


Access


Access


Motivation


Motivation


Motivation


Skills


Skills




Trust



3. Assisting people who can’t use digital services by themselves


Assisted digital

If you are providing a public service digitally, then you are responsible for making sure everyone can use it

This includes the people who can’t use it unassisted



Assisted digital


Assisted digital

Someone will either guide the user through the service – “face-by-face”, via web chat or over the phone

Or they might need to take over and enter information on behalf of the user


Assisted digital

Solution will be different for every service, as it depends on the particular needs of the people you are assisting


Assisted digital

Solution will be different for every service, as it depends on the particular needs of the people you are assisting

A relentless focus on user needs!


Assisted digital

Advice from GDS:

- Think about assisted digital from the start- Research & assess the needs of users- Understand their wider journey &

context- Identify sustainable partners- Pilot early & iterate


Assisted digital

- Your own staff and facilities

- Organisations working on digital inclusion

- Intermediaries: charities, lawyers, libraries, Citizens Advice Bureau, JobCentre Plus…


Sunderland

Customer Service Centre

Community based charity, ShARP


Assisted digital

Increased confidence

Digital inclusion

Digital services for all - setting the scene | Sarah Prag | July 2014

Government & Nonprofit

sarahprag whats

digital exclusion

basic digital skills

basic skills

good people

number of people

excluded thats

access skills motivation