THE DIGITAL PROFICIENCY

ELVIPS.COM - Digital proficiency is the capacity of an organisation to engage with digital technology and communications.

The new proficiency

Every development in communication technology changes the way organisations function, and no development has been more profound than the present transformation of information communication technology (ICT).

Business has responded quickly and positively and is reaping the benefits; community sector organisations have been slower to move.

We now know that ICT improves the capacity, effectiveness and financial efficiency of organisations. Community sector organisations must join the revolution. Community sector organisations must get smarter.

We must move beyond seeing communication technology as a tool, and recognise it as a strategic asset, an asset that underpins our effectiveness and defines how we function. ICT is a path to efficiency, it helps to shape our client services and ensure participation in our professional networks.

The Commonwealth Government has acknowledged that ICT is a prime resource by committing to a national broadband network that is to connect every Australian business and household to high speed broadband. The Commonwealth has therefore recognised the interdependence of digital inclusion and social inclusion.

Victoria's Office for the Community Sector has developed an action plan for strengthening community service organisations (CSOs). The plan has set out five themes to achieve this.

• Reducing the regulatory burden and streamlining interaction with government.
• Building the capacity of community organisations.
• Supporting innovation and growth.
• Enhancing the role of not-for-profit organisations in local community life.
• Recognising community organisations and coordinating effort across government.

Information communication technology provides a key strategy for fulfilling these themes in ways not available before the digital revolution.

ICT provides digital inclusion to support social inclusion

The challenge is, then, to achieve digital proficiency in order to realise the full benefits ICT now provides.

Digital proficiency will:

• reduce the regulatory burden
• streamline interaction with government, clients and professional networks
• increase the capacity of community organisations to deliver day to day services
• encourage innovation and growth
• enhance the community service organisation (CSO) role in the community
• facilitate coordination across government and the community sector.

The digitally proficient CSO has:

• effective and efficient administration and business processes
• open and engaged knowledge systems
• effective investment in business systems
• flexible workplaces
• increased likelihood of continuous improvement and evolution
• increased engagement with new ideas
• the ability to support its clients and stakeholders to improve digital proficiency and so make their own contribution to digital inclusion.

Over the past eighteen months, Infoxchange Australia has conducted research into the use of ICT across small to medium size community service organisations. These studies have found that CSOs are not making as effective use of ICT as they could and, importantly, as much as they need in order to meet the increased demand.

While it is clear that many internal administrative functions of community service organisations have benefited from ICT use, client service provision has not kept pace with the possibilities that the commercial sector has already capitalised on.

The commercial sector has achieved acceptable levels of digital proficiency in service delivery. The health and welfare sector must now address the need to provide an equivalent level of digital proficiency in its own service delivery.

The digitally proficient organisation

Digital proficiency is the capacity of an organisation to engage with digital technology and communications. A digitally proficient organisation has the appropriate hardware, software, knowledge and skills to use technology to extend organisational vision, goals and achievement. A digitally proficient organisation uses technology to improve the operation of its systems, reduce bureaucracy, enhance knowledge management, increase its networks and better support its clients and its community.

Attributes of a digitally proficient CSO

Comprehensive plan and governance processes supporting ICT development:

• established ICT plan that is reviewed on at least a quarterly basis
• key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure effectiveness and monitor implementation of ICT plan
• governance and operational management processes ensuring optimisation of ICT costs, continuous improvement and service level accountability.

Alignment with board and organisational objectives:

• ICT plan linked to organisation's strategic objectives
• regular review at board level to ensure alignment with strategic direction and priorities
• individual projects to measure benefits against strategic objectives and organisation goals.

Tightly integrated business systems supporting efficient processes:

• implementation of integrated business systems that effectively support organisational processes
• automated reporting across business systems for internal management and reporting to external funding agencies, government and other stakeholders
• continuous assessment and improvement of processes leveraging business system capabilities.

Effective relationship management and service coordination systems:

• effective and easy to use client management systems supporting service delivery needs
• service coordination tools enabling finding of services, electronic referral, sharing of information and management of capacity between services
• connectivity with broader stakeholders through open web-based interfaces ensuring appropriate security and privacy of information at all times.

Open and engaged knowledge management and information sharing:

• support staff and volunteers with the capture and sharing of information using web-based collaboration tools
• encourage use of ICT to share ideas and knowledge across the sector and more broadly around the world
• use of online tools and Web 2.0 applications to improve communications and engagement with stakeholders.

Training and development of staff and volunteers leveraging ICT:

• use of technology to deliver training to staff and volunteers, manage training/ development plans and measure organisational capability
• sharing of training and education content across the sector using web-based e-learning tools and virtual classrooms
• incorporate appropriate ICT training into staff and volunteer development plans.

Optimal ICT procurement ensuring best value:

• established procurement processes and procedures for ICT purchases
• use of buying groups available to the sector to ensure best value procurement for ICT products and services
• sharing of procurement best practices and purchasing agreements across the sector for the benefit of all community sector organisations.

Flexible workplace supporting multiple devices and locations:

• capacity for online access from client premises, home or other locations through web-based interfaces, smart phones and other technologies
• advanced collaboration tools enabling service coordination using video conferencing, live document sharing and other technologies
• use of ICT to improve responsiveness to clients and other stakeholders.

Levels of Digital Proficiency

Where is your organisation on the Digital Proficiency scale?

Basic - 'ICT as a cost centre'

• Adhoc and reactive response to ICT needs
• No formal alignment between ICT and organisation's strategic objectives
• Lack of business system support for organisational processes
• ICT does not effectively support client management and relationships with other stakeholders
• Lack of ICT support for capturing and sharing knowledge
• Limited use of ICT for training and development of staff and volunteers
• Uncoordinated and typically retail level ICT procurement
• Limited ability to support access from home and mobile technology

Intermediate – 'ICT as a business function'

• ICT Plan and processes established but limited alignment with organisation's strategic objectives
• Business support and client management systems in place but lack of integration and reporting capability
• Systems to capture knowledge but difficulty in sharing across the organisation
• Some use of ICT for training and development of staff and volunteers, typically with limited measurement and management capability
• Established procurement processes, limited use of sector based buying groups
• Partial support of mobile technologies and working from home, often only for senior management

Advanced – 'ICT as an enabler'

• ICT Plan and associated management framework designed to support organisational objectives
• Integrated and effective business support and client management systems – automated reporting and connectivity with external stakeholders limited
• Knowledge management systems and processes enabling sharing of information across the organisation
• Training and development of staff and volunteers is supported by ICT
• Coordinated ICT procurement leveraging sector benefits
• Proactive support for home and mobile based access, not all systems may be available through web and mobile technologies

Proficient – 'ICT as a strategic asset'

• Comprehensive ICT Plan and governance processes with regular review against organisation's strategic objectives
• Aligned with board level priorities
• Tightly integrated business systems supporting efficient processes, client management, service coordination and broad stakeholder engagement
• Open and engaged knowledge management systems enabling sharing within the organisation and across the sector
• Training and development of staff and volunteers is led using ICT
• Optimal ICT procurement ensuring best value from across the sector
• Flexible workplace supporting multiple devices and locations