Whilst I was at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), we were on a mission to
foster an environment that empowered our people to adopt a digital-first mindset. It
was (and is) a journey that is not just about embracing technology, but about
revolutionising the way we work to deliver exceptional customer experiences now and in
the future. And its a journey that required every single employee across the department
to be on board together. A few weeks into my new role and I can see how we have to do
the same sort of thing in my new role, it made me reflect back on what we did at DWP in
this area to understand if it was a ‘thing’ that could be repeatable or was unique to that
role and organisation. I thought the best way to try to gain this insight was to try to
document what the work was that got done on Digital First Mindset as that would help
me get others views on the repeatable nature of this work.
So here goes…
Across the department in and out of digital we had some amazing examples of digital
solutions being delivered to make DWP more efficient, more productive and more
accurate. Our drive to define a digital-first mindset was to bring together the best
practices we could see in the Universal Credit teams, the Service Modernisation
Programme, the health transformation experiences and the way digital delivered for
these huge pieces of work over significant periods of time. We wanted to take this
amazing learning and apply the operational need and their experiences and break down
the silos so we have a way forward together, always. The objective was as much about
hearts as it was about minds, it was a point in time that needed a wide engagement for
success to be embedded in all that we did.
We spent a great deal of time in the last 12 months making sure that when digital
colleagues refer to the department they talk about OUR business and that we created a
digital mindset of being here to help solve the problems that our business had.

What we did to build the engagement;

 Surveyed the entire department to build an understanding of what our colleagues
thought a Digital Mindset was at DWP.
 Ran the responses to this survey through a private language model to get ‘the
best’ definition allowing for geography, roll, length of service and self-defined
interest in digital.
 Linked the definitions to a ‘Technology Atlas’ to facilitate changes and
innovations being applied ‘live’ to the mindset definitions that had been sourced,
the idea being this definition becomes a live symbol that evolves and grows as
technology changes and advances.
 Building engagement in what the process meant that a wide range of colleagues
up and down the country could see the benefit of engaging with digital and doing
that first when there was a problem to be solved.

 Created sponsorship and ownership of the Digital First Mindset outside of the
Digital team, it is an organisation ‘thing’ and not a digital product.


So, why are DWP on this journey? The answer lies in the rapidly changing landscape of
digital transformation. The pace of change is accelerating, and organisations that fail to
adapt risk being left behind or delivering services that are not fit for purpose. For a
department that delivers services to citizens often in the most difficult times in their lives,
this isn’t an option for them. We weren’t looking at this to simply keep up with the times;
it was about being at the forefront of innovation to deliver the best possible services to
the customers who need it the most. I was struck by a recent reflection shared with me:
“digital organisations have never transformed so quickly as they have over the last year
with AI, and it will never transform as slowly as it has in the last year again.” It was a
sobering reminder of the importance of embracing digital transformation and the need to
prioritise it.


The Path to Transformation


DWP has been on a continuous journey to embrace digital capabilities, enhancing their
services to make them more efficient, effective, and customer centric. We made
significant progress, but there is still more work to be done. Our approach to
transformation was not just about embracing technology, but about revolutionising the
way we worked to deliver exceptional customer experiences, which has been coined in
other organisations as being ‘Digital First.’ This is not a phrase that applies to the digital
element of the department, it is a phrase we wanted to apply to ‘just how we do stuff
here.’
In July this year, we set out to understand where we were on the “Digital First” journey
and where we needed to focus to continue transforming. We took a crowdsourcing
approach, opening a two-way conversation through research interviews and surveys to
shape the future approach of the department. This involved gathering insights from
colleagues across the department to inform the strategy and ensure that it is aligned
with the needs and aspirations of our staff.


Crowdsourcing across Department


We had a great response to our crowdsourcing approach, with over 2,000 colleagues
participating. We used a crowdsourcing approach, combining research interviews and
surveys to gather insights from colleagues across the department. This involved
conducting in-depth research interviews with colleagues to gather qualitative insights,
conducting online surveys to gather quantitative data from a larger sample size, and
using artificial intelligence and data modelling to identify trends and patterns in the data.

Our research highlighted several key findings, including:
• 67% of respondents have a positive view of the term "digital"
• 63% of respondents highlighted the need for more training to feel confident with
digital tools

• Communication is crucial, with many respondents stressing the importance of
clear communication about Digital First
• Inclusive design is essential, with the majority of respondents reiterating that
services DWP provides should be designed with the needs of all customers in
mind
• Respondents reinforced the need of a shared collaborative mindset which is
underpinned by a culture of continuous improvement and innovation


Our research showed us that setting out to be a “Digital First” organisation alone was
not enough; we needed to enable every single employee to adopt a digital-first mindset,
requiring a fundamental shift in the way we worked. This involved creating a culture that
supports and encourages innovation, an appropriate risk appetite, and continuous
improvement with delivery at the centre of every step.


For DWP, this research reinforced that our people are the driving force behind our digital
transformation journey. The success of our transformation won’t just be down to
introducing new and shiny technical capabilities. It will be transformed by our employees
being empowered to adapt and embrace change. By empowering our employees to
adopt a digital-first mindset, we can unlock their full potential and deliver exceptional
customer experiences.


Most importantly the research got us our first draft definition:
“A “Digital First Mindset” is being empowered to see the opportunity in every challenge,
drive change, and believe digital can can make a difference. It is all about making things
better for our customers, working together as an organisation, and always improving
services to meet changing needs and expectations.”


As a first draft colleagues who had been involved in the survey loved it, they could see
their words represented in it and commented that it felt like a route to always think about
the solution to problems in a different way.
As the organisation embarks on this next step of its digital transformation journey, they
are committed to prioritising the development of their people, focusing on the skills and
knowledge needed to thrive in a digital landscape. This includes investing in training
and development programs that equip their employees with the skills they need to
succeed, such as agile methodologies, human-centred design, design thinking, and soft
skills in innovation, risk-taking, and continuous improvement.


DWP has to ensure that their services are designed with the needs of all customers in
mind, by incorporating inclusive design principles and user-centred approaches. To
support our employees in feeling confident with digital tools, they committed to provide
comprehensive training and support, including coaching, mentoring, and online
resources.

As a leadership team they were committed to keeping the organisation definition of
Digital First up to date. Linking the words to a Technology Atlas, a solution that predicts
the evolution of technology over the years to come. Making this connection from crowd
sourced definition to technology of the future means that now they have the definition
that can continue to evolve based on the changes in how technology delivers and what
technology can do in a way that keeps the entire department engaged in what
technologists and transformation professionals are doing now and next.
I can see that it won’t be easy, of course. There will be challenges along the way, and
there will be times when I am sure they will feel uncertain or anxious. But as we
complete 2024 they are committed to seeing this journey through, together, and are
excited to see the impact it will have for colleagues, customers, and the entire
organisation.


As an external now looking into DWP I can still see how this approach is revolutionary, I
now need to work out is it applicable to other organisations or was it a novel solution
required for an organisation of the size complexity of DWP.