The Consumer Framework for Digital Participation
The Issue...
Digital participation is becoming increasingly important; as more, and more vital, services move online only, or are delivered offline in a way that penalises users through higher cost or lower quality. Those who aren't online risk getting left behind.
We welcome the good work being done by government, members of the Digital Participation Consortium and others in the private, public and third sectors to increase digital participation. However, if this work is to be successful then the consumer perspective has to be central; we need to see the digital world through their eyes.
This is why we have developed the Panel's Consumer Framework for Digital Participation. The Framework was a key element of the Government's National Plan for Digital Participation, published on 2 March, and is being used by the Consortium to help target and prioritise their work.
We formally launched the framework on 26th May, alongside a review of the literature and original research conducted by the Panel to help test the framework and provide in-depth insight into people's digital participation journeys.
Our Objective...
To make a significant contribution to placing the consumer perspective at the heart of the digital participation debate, helping ensure the full range of consumers' digital participation needs are being met.
Links...
You can download a summary of the Framework and the Panel's findings and recommendation, the research review and the consumer research report below.
Delivering Digital Participation: the Consumer Perspective (PDF 601KB, opens in a new window)
The Journey to Digital Participation: a consumer research report (PDF 1.85MB, opens in a new window)
Digital Participation Research Review (PDF 0.99MB, opens in a new window)
Tackling Social Exclusion through Technology Conference
On 23rd June 2010 Anna Bradley spoke at the Inside Government conference Tackling Social Exclusion through Technology: delivering digital inclusion. She presented the Panel's Consumer Framework for Digital Participation, and the findings of the Panel's digital participation research. Other speakers included representatives from UK Online Centres, the Office of the Champion for Digital Inclusion, Direct Gov and NHS Choices, among others. A copy of Anna's presentation can be downloaded below.
On 9 December 2009 Anna Bradley, Chair of the Communications Consumer Panel, spoke at the Inside Government event: Delivering Digital Inclusion: Tackling Social Exclusion Through Technology. Her speech covered:
- The growing importance of, and focus on, digital participation;
- The importance of starting with the experiences and needs of consumers and citizens and the framework for digital inclusion and participation that the Panel is developing, which does just that;
- The link between improving online public services and promoting digital inclusion by providing a motivation for getting online; and
- Implementing, and ensuring the ongoing relevance of, the universal broadband commitment.
A copy of Anna's speech (PDF 66KB, opens in a new window) and the accompanying slides (PDF 290KB, opens in a new window) are both available to download from this website.