UX Week – Putting user experience in the spotlight

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In July 2021 Welsh Government held its first UX Week, a week of events on the topics of user experience and user centred design.  We know what you’re thinking – what is user experience and why did you want to run a week-long event on it? We asked Azul De Pol, who is part of our UX community in Welsh Government, to write a blog to tell you more…

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Digital Strategy for Wales: Mission 6 – Digital Skills

Post by Huw Morris, Director for Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning

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This is the seventh in a series of blogs outlining the ambitions and plans for our Digital Strategy for Wales. Please see the introductory blog ; Mission 1 ; Mission 2 ; Mission 3 ; Mission 4 ; Mission 5.

Mission 6 – Create a workforce that has the digital skills, capability and confidence to excel in the workplace and in everyday life.

This is the last in our series of blogs about the missions in our digital strategy. But it is by no means the least. Digital skills and competency are vital to all aspects of this strategy, developing people’s confidence to use digital in everyday life, to lead digital transformation across our public services and in improving job prospects. This is why improving digital skills underpins the whole of our strategy.

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Digital Strategy for Wales: Mission 5 – Digital Connectivity

Post by Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport

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This is the sixth in a series of blogs outlining the ambitions and plans for our Digital Strategy for Wales. Further information can be found in the other posts in the series: introductory blog ; Mission 1 ; Mission 2 ; Mission 3 ; Mission 4.

Mission 5: Services are supported by fast and reliable infrastructure

Everywhere we turn, digital technology is driving improvements in almost every aspect of our lives.  Of course, without the underlying infrastructure which connects our computers, devices and online services, there can be no digitisation.

The Covid pandemic has highlighted the need for greater connectivity speeds and broadband access, and as we continue to social distance, we are becoming more dependent on digital services for home working, e-learning, attendance at virtual GP appointments, online events and much more.  Since the start of the pandemic, many more people have needed to access public services online and there has been an increased reliance on the internet for information and advice which has driven the transformation of digital services.

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Digital Strategy for Wales: Mission 4 – Digital Inclusion

Post by Julie James, MS, Minister for Housing and Local Government

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This is the fifth in a series of blogs outlining the ambitions and plans for our Digital Strategy for Wales. Further information can be found in the other posts in the series: introductory blog ; Mission 1 ; Mission 2 ; Mission 3.

Mission 4: equip people with the motivation, access, skills and confidence to engage with an increasingly digital world, based on their needs

I am a passionate, driven, advocate for digital inclusion. The pandemic has highlighted our reliance on digital – whether it has been to access health services, maintain contact with loved ones or carry out routine daily activities such as ordering groceries.

However, for those who are not digitally confident, this greater dependence on digital has emphasised the ever widening digital divide. Digital inclusion is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is essential to be part of a modern society. That is why it underpins all of the missions in our digital strategy.

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Digital Strategy for Wales: Mission 3 – Data and Collaboration

Posted by Glyn Jones, Chief Digital Officer, Welsh Government

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This is the fourth in a series of blogs outlining the ambitions and plans for our Digital Strategy for Wales. Further information can be found in the other posts in the series: introductory blog ; Mission 1 ; Mission 2.

Mission 3 – Data and Collaboration: Services are improved by working together, with data and knowledge being used and shared

When we think about how we can do things better digitally, we often overlook the importance of data. Data underpins everything digital – whether it’s the data we put in, such as the password to access online banking, or the data that comes out, like the weather forecast for the following day.

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Sowing the seeds of digital data collection

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As you’d expect, here in Welsh Government we gather a wide range of data, and one of our longest running surveys is the Welsh Agricultural Survey which has been running since 1867! This is a large survey and every year farmers provide us with lots of information about their land, livestock and the people who work on their Welsh farms.

Things have moved on a lot since 1867 and this year we were able test out whether we could take a more digital approach for collecting this information. Up until this year, farmers would complete paper forms and send them to us to process and bring together the data so that we could analyse it. Whilst this approach is well established, it’s not the most efficient method and also not necessarily the easiest way for farmers to provide us with their information.

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