Digital inclusion & City Hall

Below we set out our approach to digital inclusion covering work on basic digital skills, the role of design, improving access and engaging excluded citizens in current debates around data-sharing.

The new Smarter London Together Roadmap, launched by Mayor Sadiq Khan in June 2018, champions a bold people-first approach to the way data and technology serve those who live, work and visit our great city.

Led by London’s first Chief Digital Officer, our focus is on establishing better London-wide fundamentals — we call this ‘fixing the plumbing’, and getting this right will help the best ideas scale across the city.

This approach champions user-centred design standards when we create new services, responsible data-sharing, radically improving full fibre connectivity across the city, better basic digital skills and new ways of fostering collaboration between boroughs and public agencies.

Basic digital skills

To ensure no one is left behind the GLA will introduce a basic digital skills entitlement to all adult over the age of 19 from September 2020. The entitlement will be delivered through the existing Adult Education Buget. The standards for the basis of the new qualifications have been released, and set out the digital skills needed for work and life across two skills levels:

• Entry — designed for adults with no or little prior experience of using digital devices or the internet.
• Level 1 — designed for adults with some experience of using digital devices and the internet but lacking secure basic digital skills.

There are also a significant number of digital skills initiatives Digital Eagles (Barclays), Building Britain’s Digital Skills (Lloyds), Digital Garage & roadshows (Google) as well as civil society initiatives (age UK, Citizens Advice, Good Things Foundation) who we work with.

User-centred design

Too often, smart city thinking has been driven by a rush towards integrating new digital technologies, without understanding citizens’ needs first. Design is an important and sometimes overlooked part of digital services and technology, but it is vital in making sure the right problems get solved, or are free from bias. This approach means understanding how your users think, how they behave and ultimately what they need, then incorporating that understanding into every aspect of design, backed up with evidential data to enable the right problems to be solved.

The GLA has signed the Local Digital Declaration, which commits us working on a new scale to design services that best meet the needs of citizens and prioritise citizen and user needs above professional, organisational and technological silos. In practice, it is through the adoption of the Government Service Standard we will embed these principles in service and policy development.

This will be set out in the forthcoming Digital & Technology Strategy for the GLA (Q1 2020), which also includes our work on accessibility requirements.

Access

Most services are provided at a borough level, with each borough adopting their own approach to digital inclusion.

In 2017 the GLA undertook a pilot which tested the viability of lending tablets with mobile internet access, as a way of reducing digital exclusion in the capital. Beneficiaries of the pilot included Londoners over the age of 55, Londoners in receipt of benefits, and disabled or housebound Londoners. The pilot demonstrated the need and the benefits of allowing Londoners to access online services at no cost to them.

It proved — among other things — that it is possible to loan technology through libraries — those with no access to the internet would get online and stay online, given the chance and the support to do so — numerous benefits can come from routinely making this technology available through libraries, particularly in increasing digital literacy, reducing isolation, keeping people active and engaged with each other and their communities. See the assessment here.

Our new Connected London team has set out London first comprehensive plan on connectivity. This involves close working with providers to roll out fibre connectivity and to troubleshoot notspots. Increased competition and our coordination has seen significant advances in connectivity across London social housing stock.

Data

As sharing and analysing data becomes more important in the design, allocation and provision of services it is important all voices are heard. The GLA is working closely on a range of data-sharing initiatives, chief of which is the NHS OneLondon Patient record to help join up patient data across NHS and local government in London and transform outcomes for Londoners. This work includes an in-depth process of engagement and deliberation with Londoners, culminating in a Citizens’ Summit. This helps empirically establish public expectations around use, and sets frame for wider ambitions like the London Heath Data Strategy.