Introduction

This chapter focuses on holistic strategies for leading and influencing digital capabilities development that make use of structures which already exist within many organisations. It explores how peer coaching strategies and collaborative partnership activities can engage individuals in a co-ordinated and focused way, and generate wider organisational reach and impact.

The examples cited here are drawn from work conducted by Jisc and partners spanning several years. Key projects include the Change Agents’ Network (Jisc, 2016a) and Jisc's co-design approach. The Professional Programme for Subject Learning Coaches (Quality Improvement Agency and Learning Skills Improvement Service, 2003–2010), which engaged over 6000 practitioners from the further education and skills sector, is also cited.

After the introductory sections to this chapter, Part 1 explores examples that show different models of partnership and collaboration, Part 2 introduces the concept of organisational digital capability and why this is important, and Part 3 suggests that peer coaching is a means of fulfilling the personal and organisational aspects of partnership and collaboration.

What do we mean when we talk about digital capabilities?

The simplest and yet most encompassing definition of what we understand by the term digital capabilities is ‘the capabilities which fit someone for living, learning and working in a digital society’ (Jisc, 2014). This neatly encapsulates the three important elements of society, employment and education while accommodating the fluidity of the everchanging technological environment. Crucially, it also signposts that the route to developing digital capabilities is likely to be a personal journey. There is no magic point at which someone will be easily identifiable as ‘digitally capable’ – there are too many variables to consider to make this feasible, including how confident each individual feels about their capabilities, their perceptions, self-assessment and evolving practices.

There are several frameworks that unpick digital capabilities further. Some, like the European Commission's Digital Competence Framework (2017) and Go ON UK's Basic Digital Skills Framework (2015) focus on citizenship. Others have been specifically developed for educational audiences and incorporate study and work-related goals. In addition to personal or citizenship goals. These have usually been developed and refined in collaboration with practitioners and sector representatives. Two frameworks designed specifically for higher and further education in the UK and Ireland are the Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework for Individuals and the All Aboard Project.