Corporate report

DFID's actions in response to the Government Digital Strategy

Updated 16 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Action 1: Departmental and transactional agency boards will include an active digital leader

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

It currently has a digital leader who is both on Department for International Development’s (DFID’s) departmental board and the executive management committee. It will establish a digital operations unit, reporting to the digital leader, that will take responsibility for overseeing the delivery of this strategy.

Progress during 2013

DFID’s digital leader is a director general who sits on the departmental board and executive management committee. DFID has also appointed a non-executive director board member with a digital background and experience.

The department has established a new digital advisory panel, including global digital and development experts. The panel will provide an overview of strategy for digital and technology in its programmes.

Planned activities in 2014

The digital advisory panel will provide further challenge and direction on how DFID develops and increases its digital activities and use of technology in its programmes.

Progress during 2014

DFID’s digital leader is a member of the departmental board and executive management committee, and a non-executive director chairs its digital advisory panel.

The advisory panel met 4 times during 2014, providing useful challenges to its activities and priorities. A digital steering committee of senior staff representing different areas of the organisation was set up to respond to the challenges posed by the panel. This is chaired by the digital leader.

Planned activities in 2015

The advisory panel will continue to challenge and provide direction on activities outlined in its strategy.

Action 2: Services handling over 100,000 transactions each year will be re-designed, operated and improved by a suitably skilled, experienced and empowered service manager

Service managers will be in place for new and redesigned transactions from April 2013.

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID has no service that carries out this volume of transactions. However, it will work with their corporate service teams to ensure that where current services need to be improved, streamlined or made simpler, it will ensure those involved in the process have access to the appropriate advice and guidance.

Progress during 2013

DFID has no service that carries out over 100,000 transactions. The department has been working with its corporate services teams to ensure that where current services need to be improved, streamlined or made simpler, those involved in the process have access to Government Digital Service (GDS) design principles and the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Planned activities in 2014

The department will continue to work with its corporate services teams to ensure that where current services need to be improved, streamlined or made simpler, those involved in the process will understand GDS design principles and the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Progress during 2014

DFID has no service that carries out over 100,000 transactions. It worked with its corporate services teams to ensure that those involved with improving current services understood GDS design principles and the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Planned activities in 2015

The department will continue to work with its corporate services teams to ensure that those involved in improving current services will continue to be informed about GDS’s design principles. It will also assess these against the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Action 3: All departments will ensure that they have appropriate digital capability in-house, including specialist skills

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

To support their digital leader, DFID will establish a digital operations team, which will co-ordinate the current activities of communications, systems delivery and programme design, and take responsibility for overseeing the delivery of this strategy.

Progress during 2013

DFID received very positive feedback and was described as “one of the best in government at digital communications” in a recent capability review. The team coordinates the current activities of communications, web publishing, systems delivery, digital spending controls, programme design, and takes responsibility for promoting and overseeing delivery of this strategy.

In the past year the department has carried out a series of digital skills development sessions for DFID teams including the leadership group, Heads of Profession, new graduates and communications staff beyond the digital team.

Planned activities in 2014

Members of staff from a range of teams in DFID will be identified to participate in skills development programmes, and there will be continued focus on working with the leadership group.

Progress during 2014

The communications team demonstrated a high level of digital capability, and won an award for its communication of the government’s humanitarian response to the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. DFID was one of 10 Gold Award winners at the Public Sector Communications Awards 2014.

The department carried out a series of digital skills development sessions for DFID teams including the leadership group, Heads of Profession, new graduates, policy staff and advisors. It built a digital skills self-assessment tool to raise digital awareness and to point staff to learning resources.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will seek to recruit and retain people with specialist digital skills to support digital systems and management information work.

It will review feedback from the self-assessment tool and update it with new learning resources. DFID also plans to continue ad hoc support on developing specific skills when teams request it and will run a session on digital skills with the leadership group.

All DFID staff will reach level 7 on the digital inclusion scale. The self-assessment tool will help staff identify where they need to learn new digital skills to reach the level required for their role.

Action 4: Cabinet Office will support improved digital capability across departments

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

The department will work with GDS colleagues to ensure it has the skills and capabilities it needs to deliver DFID priorities. It will develop a programme of skills development, which will include delivering the proposed Civil Service Learning modules.

Progress during 2013

DFID continued to liaise with GDS and Civil Service Learning to identify where there was guidance or training which helped to address the needs of DFID staff.

DFID is part of a group of digital team leads that was convened across government departments with similar transformation and capability needs. The group meets on a regular basis to share experience and ideas. DFID has also compared experience with the Scottish government’s Digital Directorate and shared learning materials; subsequent meetings have been scheduled with the Welsh and Scottish governments.

The department has ensured that Fast Streamers and graduate intake are taking up opportunities to gain digital experience in within relevant teams.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID are planning a digital development day with the aim of encouraging staff to participate, learn and follow through into better programme design.

Progress during 2014

DFID held a 3-day Digital for Development event. DFID staff supported GDS at Civil Service Live with case studies of the department’s work on building digital skills and knowledge. It continued to liaise with the capabilities team in GDS and the wider cross-government network to identify new resources and to share knowledge across departments. It continued to build on its good relationships with the Scottish government by sharing ideas on digital capability.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID plans further events (such as seminars and workshops) to maintain momentum with building skills and confidence in using digital tools and techniques. It will work closely with the DFID Innovation team where goals overlap.

Action 5: For transactional departments, 3 exemplar services will be selected

Redesign starting April 2013, implemented by March 2015 (to be included in relevant business plans). Following this, departments will redesign all services handling over 100,000 transactions each year.

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID has no service that carries out this volume of transactions, but where it does redesign transactions it will ensure it applies the user-centred principles developed by GDS.

Progress during 2013

DFID is committed to applying user-centred principles when it redesigns services.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will ensure that user-centred principles are applied when it redesigns services.

Progress during 2014

DFID is committed to applying user-centred principles when it redesigns services.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will ensure that user-centred principles are applied when it redesigns services.

Action 6: From April 2014, all new or redesigned transactional services will meet the Digital by Default Service Standard

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Although DFID does not currently have many transactions, this is still a priority area in which to achieve efficiencies. Any redesigned services will meet the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Progress during 2013

DFID’s Development Tracker has been designed following the principles of the Digital by Default Service Standard. The tracker enables the public to find and explore details and results from international development projects that are funded by the UK government. All the data is in a standard format known as International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) which makes it easier to compare data between countries and to trace aid funding through the delivery chain.

DFID has been participating in the cross-government grants efficiency programme with the aim of redesigning and streamlining the process of applying for DFID grants and funds. The first milestone was to improve the user experience of finding and applying for grants online and work is underway with GDS to achieve this.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to develop the process of applying for DFID grants and funds with GDS.

Progress during 2014

DFID’s Development Tracker met the Digital by Default Service Standard, and changes are assessed against it.

DFID worked with GDS to develop a funding finder which has improved user experience of finding grants online. It continued to engage with the Cabinet Office as the grants efficiency programme proceeded.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will continue to engage with the Cabinet Office as the grants efficiency programme proceeds and it will continue to assess internal systems against the Digital by Default Service Standard.

Action 7: Corporate publishing activities of all 24 central government departments will move onto GOV.UK by March 2013, with agency and arm’s length bodies’ online publishing to follow by March 2014

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

By March 2013, the DFID website will have moved onto the Inside Government section of the single government website. It has a transition manager in place and intends to meet this deadline.

Progress during 2013

DFID’s website met the deadline for transitioning to GOV.UK. Its 2 remaining arm’s length bodies (ALBs) are going through the transition process and its management and editorial teams liaise regularly with GDS on continual improvement and updates to the website.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to improve the user experience with the worldwide sections of the website.

Progress during 2014

All agency and ALB websites moved to GOV.UK by the end of the year.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will continue to improve the user experience of content on the main GOV.UK website.

Action 8: Departments will raise awareness of their digital services so that more people know about them and use them

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID will communicate with its audiences to encourage them to use digital services when they become available, eg for recruitment and for feedback about how projects are working.

Progress during 2013

DFID’s Digital Developments blog provides updates on its digital activities and is an effective channel, along with its social media accounts, for engaging with people on how it is meeting digital development objectives.

To improve recruitment, DFID has evaluated impact, costs and benefits of its social media use. The department is reaching more potential applicants through better LinkedIn activity and tailored use of social media in its graduate and advisor recruitment campaigns.

DFID has been testing ways to collect feedback from beneficiaries of global development projects, including looking at when and how it is more effective to use technology to do this (eg short message service (SMS) feedback systems). This should ensure real-time information on results and programme effectiveness to inform decision making.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to communicate with its audience via its digital developments blog and other social media channels.

Progress during 2014

DFID continued to make use of existing and new social media tools to communicate with the public and stakeholders.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will continue to make use of existing and new social media tools to communicate with the public and stakeholders.

Action 9: We will take a cross-government approach to assisted digital

This means that people who have rarely or never been online will be able to access services offline, and we will provide additional ways for them to use the digital services.

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID delivers very few transactional services but, where it does provide services, it will always look to be consistent and accommodate the needs of all users.

Progress during 2013

DFID delivers very few transactional services but is committed to ensuring that they will always look to be consistent and accommodate the needs of all users.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will ensure that all new or redesigned transactional services look consistent and accommodate the needs of all users.

Progress during 2014

DFID delivers very few transactional services but remains committed to ensuring that they will always accommodate the needs of all users.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will ensure that all new or redesigned transactional services accommodate the needs of all users including those from low-bandwidth countries.

Action 10: Cabinet Office will offer leaner and more lightweight tendering processes, as close to the best practice in industry as our regulatory requirements allow

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID will adapt its procurement processes as needed to take advantage of the new leaner and more lightweight tendering processes in relation to procurement of digital services. It looks forward to working closely with Cabinet Office to explore this.

Progress during 2013

DFID is committed to making all tendering and contracting process more lean and agile. It has restructured and automated its procurement reporting mechanisms, providing real-time information. This has enabled the restructuring of its teams to maximise the efficiencies this has offered. A programme of early market engagement has been accelerated and complemented by the use of its web-based supplier portal and contractors to communicate a coherent message to the relevant supply base.

DFID has been implementing digital spending controls to achieve value for money in programme spend by adopting GDS’s design principles, and creating user-centred, data-driven web platforms.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will be upgrading its enterprise resource platform and will realign the coding taxonomy to meet the standard charter of accounts across government. This will lead to consistent reporting that enables the department to look with confidence at data from across the whole supply chain of central government spend.

DFID aims to make programme managers more aware of the cost benefits of digital when writing business cases. This provides an opportunity for departmental procurement leads to embed commissioning arrangements for new digital projects to encourage a wider range of bidders, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

Progress during 2014

DFID talked to suppliers and commercial partners earlier in the procurement process to improve outcomes and value for money. It used its web-based supplier portal and online collaboration sites to communicate a coherent message to the relevant suppliers. DFID purchased from the CloudStore and awarded contracts to small and medium-sized enterprises wherever possible.

It strengthened its process for managing digital spend. The digital team advised DFID programme managers on using digital tools and techniques to achieve better outcomes in projects and to achieve value for money.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will give digital advice to programme teams as early as possible in their business case development so that they adhere to the government’s digital design principles.

Action 11: Cabinet Office will lead in the definition and delivery of a new suite of common technology platforms which will underpin the new generation of digital by default services

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

This is not relevant to the department at this time as DFID is not reengineering any transactions.

Progress during 2013

DFID has been participating in a cross-government grants efficiency programme with the aim of improving the quality and quantity of grant applications made to DFID and making it easier to find and apply for relevant international development funds.

DFID’s systems allow the widest possible use of a full range of digital platforms and tools such as social media and cloud hosting of data.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will seek to make use of new common platforms when they become available, where this supports its delivery of services.

Progress during 2014

DFID continued to consolidate internal tools and infrastructure to prepare for moving to common technology platforms. The 1HMG programme aims to better co-ordinate processes, people and systems across departments with an international remit. DFID is participating in the development of the international platform and has built this into its future technology roadmap.

Planned activities in 2015

Planned improvements to a number of IT systems (Aid Management Platform, Electronic Document and Records Management) will support further use of common technology platforms. DFID will seek to make use of new common platforms when they become available and where this supports its delivery of services. 1HMG will increasingly support shared services between departments with an international remit.

Action 12: Cabinet Office will continue to work with departments to remove legislative barriers which unnecessarily prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID are not aware of any significant legislative barriers to achieving digital by default for its services. If legislative barriers do arise as it rebuilds services, it will work with Cabinet Office to amend these.

Progress during 2013

DFID is not aware of any significant legislative barriers to achieving digital by default for its services. If legislative barriers do arise as services are rebuilt, the department will work with Cabinet Office to amend these.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will ensure that it works with Cabinet Office should any legislative barriers arise during the rebuild of services.

Progress during 2014

DFID has not encountered any significant legislative barriers to achieving digital by default for its services.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will ensure that it works with Cabinet Office should any legislative barriers arise during the rebuild of services.

Action 13: Departments will supply a consistent set of management information (as defined by the Cabinet Office) for their transactional services

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

This is not directly relevant at this time as DFID does not carry out transactions at the volume to be monitored by Cabinet Office. However the digital operations team will produce a dashboard which aggregates key measurements of DFID transactions and activities, to enable to the organisation to monitor and track improvements as services are developed.

Progress during 2013

DFID does not carry out services at the volume to require monitoring by Cabinet Office and its transactions are reported on Transactions Explorer.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to report its transactions on the Transaction Explorer.

Progress during 2014

DFID does not carry out services at the volume to require monitoring by Cabinet Office and its transactions are reported on Transactions Explorer.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID will continue to report its transactions on the Transaction Explorer.

Action 14: Policy teams will use digital tools and techniques to engage with and consult the public

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

DFID will review previous consultations and promote the techniques which have been successful across the department, ensuring policy teams have a programme of support and guidance to use them effectively. It will also pilot new ways of gathering feedback from the people directly affected by aid projects.

Progress during 2013

DFID has a long history of open and consultative policymaking, processes which have been commended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Assistance committee.

Alongside established channels to share policymaking and delivery with other government departments (eg stabilisation unit) DFID routinely engages with external partners to develop innovative approaches to delivery.

The department has been developing case studies of good practice to share with MyCivilService to allow others to learn from their experiences and its digital team has supported policymakers in using social media to engage with partners and influence development policies in, for example, Nepal, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to develop its case studies of good practice to share with MyCivilService to allow others to learn from its experiences.

Progress during 2014

DFID teams were shortlisted for 2 Civil Service Awards: one for communication and achievement of policy relating to the Girl Summit, and the other for the Humanitarian Innovation and Evidence Programme. Several case studies were shared via the Civil Service Quarterly Newsletter, and staff from the communications division participated in the Government Communication Service Comms Exchange sessions, where experience is shared with colleagues from other government departments.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID’s digital specialists will work with colleagues who are establishing a policy profession in DFID. They will ensure digital capability needs are met and staff are aware of best practice in ways digital can support and enhance open policymaking.

Action 15: Collaborate with partners across public, private and voluntary sectors to help people go online

Action 15 was added to the Digital Strategy in December 2013, so reporting on departments’ actions will begin with 2014.

Progress during 2014

DFID’s services are designed around user needs. Alternative methods of contacting the department are available for people without internet access or skills.

Planned activities for 2015

DFID will continue to ensure that its services are designed around user needs. Alternative methods of contacting the department will remain available for people without internet access or skills.

Action 16: Opening up government data and transactions

Action 16 was added to the Digital Strategy in December 2013, so reporting on departments’ actions will begin with 2014.

Progress during 2014

DFID continued to publish open data on international development data in the IATI standard. This includes full details of all international development projects, including documents, transactions, budgets and sub-national geographic locations. The Development Tracker re-used IATI open data from DFID, other government departments, non-governmental organisations and private sector suppliers, and enables the public in the UK and other stakeholders to use international development data. In addition DFID continued to publish monthly spend on transactions over £500 and other corporate open data.

Planned activities for 2015

DFID will continue to improve the quality and coverage of the IATI open data, and continue to improve the ease with which international development funding can be traced through the delivery chain (NGOs, private sector, multilateral agencies). It will continue to evolve Development Tracker in response to user needs and to influence the evolution of the IATI open standard through international engagement. The transition to the open document standard will further improve accessibility to DFID’s information.