The results are in
28th April 2009
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) released the responses this week to the Digital Inclusion Action Plan consultation that have been collated over the last 3 months. 99 responses were received in all, a fairly small number considering it was a national consultation – but that has not affected the amount of information DCLG and Paul Murphy MP (Minister for Digital Inclusion) has had to go through.
The resounding agreement of all to the consultation was the fact that digital inclusion is inextricably linked to social inclusion, improving one area would inevitably improve the other.
In principle, most agreed with the creation of a Digital Inclusion Charter and Champion – however, many thought the Action Plan did not go far enough in detailing how these will really help the digitally excluded on an every day basis. A resounding answer to DCLG was to ensure that all information related to the digital inclusion agenda was communicated in a citizen-focused way “with clear language that is understandable by those groups of people specifically targeted.” (Source: DIAP Consultation Responses)
Organisations who answered the consultation suggested that the Champion should have a range of skills including the ability to influence senior ministers and members of Whitehall, be media savvy and have the ability to push the digital inclusion agenda forward as often as possible. They should also have experience of new technologies and knowledge of social inclusion policies. However, most agreed it would be a challenge to find all these attributes in one person. One of the suggestions to get around this difficulty was to split the role of the Champion between a public figure, who would be the voice, and a strategic Executive behind the scenes, who would progress the delivery of the digital inclusion agenda.
The 3rd sector, particularly, requested that the policy to come out of the consultation would have to be benchmarked, time driven and measurable – and this should not just be led by “industry and service providers, but by consumers and service users themselves.” (Source: DIAP Consultation Responses)
Now DCLG and Paul Murphy MP have released the responses to their Digital Inclusion Action Plan consultation, everyone will be watching what happens next. With the Digital Britain Full Report expected out in mid June (Lord Carter confirmed this timescale at the Digital Inclusion Conference on 27th April in London), and the Digital Inclusion Strategy, Charter and Champion also on the horizon, it is a busy year for all aspects of the digital agenda. This means it will be an even busier time for us at Digital Birmingham, so bring it on!
