Catherine Middleton pointed me to the release of the Wales digital strategy release, entitled “Action plan to ensure Wales exploits digital technologies“.
The Digital Wales Delivery Plan has action plans for each of the five key priority areas identified in the Digital Wales strategy launched last December, which cover the economy, public services, inclusion, skills and infrastructure.
These are familiar priorities to us in Canada, but Wales has also published 21 specific goals in an accompanying Digital Wales Delivery Plan [pdf, 306KB]:
- Theme 1: Digital Inclusion โ An Inclusive, Sustainable and Prosperous Society
- To work collaboratively to gain a better understanding of digital exclusion.
- To reduce levels of digital exclusion amongst people aged 50 and older.
- To reduce levels of digital exclusion amongst residents of social housing.
- To reduce levels of digital exclusion amongst unemployed and economically inactive.
- To reduce levels of digital exclusion amongst people with disabilities.
- To reduce digital exclusion amongst all adults.
- Theme 2: eSkills โ Skilled and Competent People.
- To improve the ICT skills of children and young people.
- To improve the ICT skills of adults.
- To make the most appropriate use of digital technologies in the delivery of education, training and support for learners.
- Theme 3: Competitiveness โ A Thriving and Competitive Digital Economy.
- To support and develop a competitive ICT sector.
- To support and develop a vibrant creative sector.
- To support sustained investment in research & development in high value-added ICT based products and services.
- To ensure that all businesses fully adopt and exploit ICT to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.
- Theme 4: Transforming Public Services.
- To increase the availability and uptake of useful and useable digital public services.
- To design and implement appropriate, secure digital platforms which enable public services to be delivered online.
- To improve the efficiency of ICT services by reducing the procurement, purchase, carbon footprint and ownership/support costs of ICT equipment and services across the public sector.
- To deliver improvements in the delivery of public services through the innovative use of digital technologies.
- Theme 5: A First Class Digital Infrastructure
- To ensure everyone has access to a basic level of broadband.
- To ensure everyone has access to next generation broadband.
- To improve mobile phone coverage across Wales.
- To improve digital radio (DAB) coverage across Wales.
Each goal is accompanied by a list of activities and timescale.
The initiative aims to encourage market participants to drive forward with investment in Wales, to see suppliers “extending service coverage, trialling new technologies, locating in, investing in and developing new skills in Wales.” The action plan is particularly readable – I liked the phrase “broadband notspots” to refer to holes in coverage.
In 42 pages, Wales has succinctly set out its digital strategy withย 21 specific goals. Not all of the points are applicable to Canada, but its approach and clarity are laudable.
Prior to the election, we had been looking for a May release of Canada’s national digital economy strategy. How will that timetable be impacted?