evidencing digital inclusion in the uk alice mathers
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Evidencing Digital Inclusion in UK
Dr Alice Mathers, Online Centres Foundation
5th Social Digital Research Symposium
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The key issue…
‘there is little incentive for digital inclusion practitioners to critically evaluate their
practices in a meaningful way’
(Seale and Dutton, 2012)
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Evidence from practiceTop down interventions and national programmes
Bottom up community initiatives and innovation
Differing approaches to measuring impact
on and ofDigital Inclusion
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Existing evidence of impactDigital Unite
• Providers of free learning content
• Online community forum.
• Home visit tuition through network of local Digital Unite Tutors
• Training for organisations through community learning programmes,
staff training programmes and digitally-orientated customer care
services.
• Structured skills development through Digital Champion ITQ (DC
ITQ)
• Advocacy
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Existing evidence of impactDigital Intervention:
• Get Digital, Digital Unite (2010-2012)
Programme focus:
• Digital inclusion through comprehensive,
structured learning programme for
residents in sheltered housing, working
with staff, landlords and wider community.
Evaluation measurement:
• Mixed method: quantitative (online and
paper surveys, baseline, progression,
outcome), plus qualitative data from 12
case study sites.
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Existing evidence of impact
Impact: • Skills and confidence: 57% of staff have increased confidence in use of
ICT, 83% of residents have a more positive attitude towards computers
and the internet, 88% likely to use a computer/the internet for email,
phone calls, search for information, access public services and use
social networking sites.
• Reduced isolation and loneliness: 50% find it easier to keep in touch,
42% easier to meet new people, 42% contact with family and friends
• Enhanced health and wellbeing: Almost 20% of residents now look
after themselves better and know more about their health.
Evaluators: NIACE (2012)
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Existing evidence of impactUK online centres
• National coverage through a network of 5,000 centres
• Longitudinal daily DI data collection + daily surveys
• Products, support, advocacy, research
• 4 specialist networks: – Disabled people
– Carers
– Older people
– Into work
(Image source: Helen Milner, Nov 2012)1,089,402 people as of 24th April 2013
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Existing evidence of impact
Digital Intervention:
Social Impact Demonstrator Project (2007-8)
Programme focus:
• Partnership working through UK online
centres to reach socially disadvantaged
people and engage them in ICT activities.
Evaluation measurement:
• 3 stages of data collection: baseline,
progression and outcomes.
• 4 focus groups and 8 individual semi-structured
interviews
• 20 individual project evaluations
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Existing evidence of impact
Impact:
• Cost efficiency: 12,234 people were engaged at a cost of
£163 per person.
• Skills & confidence: 60% now happy using computers and
internet, 70% now confident.
• Employability: 40% progressed in terms of training and
employment etc.
• Social capital: 39% met up with new friends and 32%
volunteered.
Evaluators: Ipsos MORI (2011)
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Existing evidence of impactAge UK
• Digital Inclusion Network of over 200 members
• The Network is a UK-wide membership programme managed and
delivered by Age UK in partnership with Age Scotland, Age Cymru
and Age NI.
• Best practice: developing and share best practice approaches.
• Advocacy: working with key stakeholders to gather intelligence,
provide a channel for discussion on digital inclusion issues at a local,
regional and national level.
• Communications: regarding funding‚ information & advice,
publications, networking opportunities, events and resources.
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Existing evidence of impact
Digital Intervention:
• Reach for IT, Age UK (2010-2011)
Programme focus:
• Tackling the digital exclusion of older
people in residential care homes
through partnership working with five
community-based organisations
Evaluation measurement:
• Qualitative practice reporting
• Social Return on Investment (intended)
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Existing evidence of impactImpact (organisational and individual):
• Engagement: 20 care homes, 34 volunteers delivering IT
training sessions to 234 residents.
• Communicating DI benefits: offering a new services
increases profile, reputation and attractiveness to potential
residents and their families.
• Meeting consumer demand: for personal development of IT
skills in IT-friendly environments.
• Quality of life: creation of ‘happier homes’ and better
working environments for staff.
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Academic Evaluation
• Sus-IT: Loughborough University– Participative research into older people in the
digital world
• University of London, Imperial College, evaluation of NHS Choices– Measurement of financial benefits to
Government of digital interventions
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Practical concerns• The limited extent to which impact of digital practice
is currently being evidenced.
• That evidencing impact is not considered a priority (due to lack of political and financial support).
• That smaller organisations delivering digital inclusion on the ground do not have the capacity or expertise or money to carry out robust evaluation of impact.
• Funders pay lip service to project evaluation – no support up front for projects
• That approaches and outcomes of evaluation do not always ‘empower’ the most digitally excluded individuals.
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Current and New Approaches
1. Social Impact evaluation of Community Capacity Builders
• Online Centres Foundation
2. Evaluation of ‘Get Connected’ • Digital Unite
3. Regular online reporting of ‘Get IT together’ • Citizens Online
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Valuing Evaluation
What Works Centres
• Launched: March 2013.• Aim: to improve the evidence used in decision making
across a number of key policy areas.• Approach: creation of specialist independent research
centres• Partnership working and accountability: with the ‘Alliance
for Useful Evidence’, a network of over 1,000 members who champion evidence, the opening up of government data for interrogation and use, alongside the sophistication in research methods and their applications.
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Suggested areas for development
1. Robust evidence regarding the social and economic value of digital inclusion.
2. Methodologies that may be utilised by non-academic organisations to capture and communicate impact.
3. Political support behind the importance of evaluation as a means to develop effective practice.
4. Legitimising communication of ‘failure’ in approaches as a learning tool: agile development and iteration
5. LONG TERM GOAL? Creation of a single digital inclusion framework ..…