Section Divider: Heading intro here.

The Social & Economic Case for Digital

Helen Milner

20 October 2010

slideshare.net/helenmilner

We can support the most vulnerable offline people AND drive the position of digital services as the default

1997: Build it and they will come

30.1m adults use the internet every day BUT 9.2m never use it

Source: ONS 2010

Those on lowest income are less likely to use the internet

Source: ONS 2010

55% of people with no qualifications have never used the internet

Source: ONS 2010

There’s a North-South divide

All UK: 18% never used Source: ONS 2010

Why is this important?What are the social benefits of being online?

Internet users confidence in their ability to find work out-stripped non users by 25%

“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Internet and peoples lives

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

Self Confidence

Overall happiness

Quality of life

Ease of organising social gatherings

Informed on current affairs

Skills to get a new job

Confidence talking to different people on different subjects

Confidence expressingviews to key

decision makers

Connection to family andfriends who aren't local

Informed on local affairs

Internet user Internet non-user

“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

More confident

Happier

Better quality of life

More informed

UK online centres users lives – before and after

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

I do not feel concerned about my levels of qualifications ,training or skills

n=75

I do not feel concerned about my work position

n=51

I do not feel concerned aboutmy health

n=75

I felt part of my local community

I communicated as much as I would have liked

with my family

I communicated as muchas I would like to with friends

"Yes" Before "Yes" After

“Does the internet improve lives?” Freshminds April, 2009

Communicate more

Feel more connected to local community

Feel less concernedabout skills, workand health

And what are economic benefits?

Being able to use a computer and internet commands a salary premium of 3 – 10%

Centre for the Economics of Education, 2007

Direct financial benefit of using broadband in the home £276 per year (lowest income)

Source: SQW Consulting, September 2008

If all UK digitally excluded adults got online and made one digital contact each month, this would save the Government £900 million per year

PwC & Martha Lane Fox

“The Economic Case for Digital Inclusion”

www.raceonline.org/resources

October 2009

A one-off cost of £38 to get someone online then saves £88 per person each year just from them using online public services

To get the last 9.2m online action needs to be both mass and targeted

Mass, centrally coordinated activityExample: Get online week 18-24 October(annual campaign)

› Mass publicity – “free” (newspapers, television, radio, online)

› Mass coordinated marketing packs, online game and taster courses – locally delivered

› Local events – 3,092 events, this week

› 14,384 people got online on Monday, Tuesday & to 5pm on today (the last three and bit days) [October 18-20th 2010]

Mass: 3,500 coordinated UK online centres

› Local centres targeting local communities or specialising on a target group (disability, aged, homeless, parents, unemployed)

› Job centres, youth centres, schools, health centres, buses, community centres, libraries, pubs, mosques, churches, and more

› UK online centres’ users- third have no qualifications, 74% not in paid employment

› Provide: motivation and outreach; supported access; skills development with myguide

Who can easily use your online services? In the 90%s

› Almost everybody aged 16 – 44 yrs

› Almost everybody earning > £20,800

› Almost everybody with a good GCSE

(O Level) or higher qualification

› Almost everybody buying a house

› Almost everybody with dependent children

Who is offline? (has NEVER used the internet)

› 60% of the over 65s have never used the internet

› And 68% of people who are widowed

› 55% of people with no qualifications

› 31% of people earning less than £10,399

› 29% of people from the North East of England

How can the offline use your online services?

› There are 3,500 UK online centres offering (mostly) free support

› Help them move from using online with support to being self supporting

› Use local people to spread the word that it is possible for anyone to use online

› This is possible at a low cost

Online public services are better for all› More convenient for the user – all day

every day availability

› Users can use the online service as slowly or quickly as they need to

› Easy to keep track – print off or save right information, personalised

› Improvements to back office processes

Be an advocate for digital

› Not just about money and cuts (although it does save money)

› Don’t use the offline minority as an excuse

› Do focus on helping the offline to use your digital services

› More people online using better services = improvement in quality of services

Will work only if we bring the vulnerable and excluded online too (either supported or on their own)

“Getting online can help people save money, find a job, access services in a way that works for them, and make connections with each other and with their community”

David Cameron

Friday 18 June 2010

Thank You

hmilner@ufi.com

www.twitter.com/helenmilner

www.ukonlinecentres.com

slideshare.net/helenmilner