Policy paper

Action 14: policy teams will use digital tools and techniques to engage with and consult the public

Updated 16 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

This action forms part of the Government Digital Strategy.

Here’s how departments are responding to this action:

The Attorney General’s Office

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

The Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.

Progress during 2013

Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.

Planned activities in 2014

Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.

Progress during 2014

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) provided guidance to staff on the use of digital tools.

Planned activities in 2015

Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.

Cabinet Office

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Cabinet Office has a number of teams engaging with the public through social media and digital collaborative techniques and will do more to ensure it is using digital channels to improve policymaking, communications and engagement. In 2013 it will begin to learn from policy iteration exercises with users of one service area and will begin a series of good practice seminars on using social media.

Progress during 2013

An open policy portal has launched in beta, plus interactive social media channels on open policymaking being used via Linkedin, Demsoc blog, and through the open policy team Twitter account.

This enables Cabinet Office to engage with the public through a wider network of digital channels to improve policymaking, communications and engagement.

Planned activities in 2014

A new Cabinet Office-hosted policy lab will pioneer the use of user-centred design and digital tools in cutting edge policy work across government.

Progress during 2014

Cabinet Office’s Government Innovation Group (GIG) ran targeted activities to increase engagement with wider audiences using social media and GOV.UK channels (Twitter, LinkedIn, quarterly.blog.gov.uk and openpolicy.blog.gov.uk) in support of open policymaking.

It used user-centred design techniques to define and test new models of engagement. For example, Policy Lab worked with Home Office and Surrey and Sussex Police to create an online crime reporting service. GIG also led a cross-departmental initiative to create and test an online policymaking toolkit.

Cabinet Office used online consultation platforms to support public engagement on particular policy matters. For example, in October and November, a digital service was provided as part of a multi-channel approach to gathering ideas for the Northern Futures initiative. Nearly 200 ideas were submitted on the website and over 7,000 people visited the platform.

Planned activities in 2015

GIG will continue to run targeted activities to increase engagement in support of open policymaking. Its online policymaking toolkit will be used to provide guidance to civil servants on both digital and offline tools to help them work in a more open, evidence-based and agile way.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will build on existing successful examples of online, open policymaking so all policy teams are able to use digital tools to support their policy work. By 2013 all BIS policy teams are expected to be listening to audiences online and engaging where appropriate. It will publish case studies of good digital tools and techniques being used to improve policymaking.

Progress during 2013

BIS has published a number of case studies showing how digital tools and techniques have been used in improving policymaking. BIS has also worked with its policy teams to build their skills, enabling them to use a variety of digital tools. There is a dedicated champions’ network of senior leaders who facilitate the spread of digital good practice.

A successful Digital Fortnight was run within the department and brought in experts and practitioners from across government and the private sector to discuss and encourage the adoption of digital services and tools.

Planned activities in 2014

BIS will continue to build digital awareness and skills across the department and its partner organisations. With the support of both the BIS digital leader and the policy Head of Profession, the department will:

• continue to embed the use of digital within policymaking
• identify further opportunities to improve the end-to-end policy process from inception to implementation
• will continue to hold digital surgeries to support staff in using digital tools across the department

Progress during 2014

BIS has increasingly used digital channels to inform policy, using new tools such as Citizen Space to increase reach and response.

Examples include Consumer Rights Reform, where an extensive stakeholder exercise used digital channels such as a microsite blog to consult on an ambitious reform of consumer law. In October, a consultation on regulations around new laws to protect consumers from rogue traders was launched using Twitter and Flickr. BIS’s ‘tweetreach’ now exceeds 1 million accounts.

Midata Innovation Lab was a short project to create an environment where businesses, regulators, consumer groups and government could collaborate to create apps and services by harnessing personal data. Twenty-six organisations joined the lab, donating their time, effort and expertise in return for the insights it would give them. It ran in an agile way, focusing on joint, speedy decision-making and practical deliverables. Five prototype apps were mocked up using dummy data to illustrate future potential. BIS will explore how the lab could be established on a more permanent basis.

Over 50 staff are now engaging online on a regular basis on Twitter, with many more active on LinkedIn and other social media channels.

Planned activities in 2015

BIS will continue to encourage the use of digital in policymaking throughout the department. The Digital Communications and Engagement team will continue to provide weekly digital surgeries, and support and promote the work of senior digital advocates across BIS.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has a strong record in digital engagement work and will build digital skills into the heart of its policy-making process, share best practice across the department and ensure that DCMS officials has the latest digital engagement knowledge. They are looking forward to building expertise and activity in this area, with the advice and guidance of GDS.

Progress during 2013

DCMS has been training its staff to assist in policymaking and wider communications with stakeholders, the general public and the press. The department has implemented a revised digital engagement strategy which has seen ministers and policy teams engaging online in forums and question and answer sessions. DCMS have also been using specific online consultation tools to engage with the stakeholders.

Planned activities in 2014

DCMS will promote the use of an open policymaking and is encouraging the use of specific digital tools to embed the used of digital consultations by policymakers. The revised digital engagement strategy will focus on the expansion of best practice. The strategy will also review the current tools available to policy and communications teams, as well as recommending the procurement of a new more user-friendly consultation tool to help them do this.

Progress during 2014

DCMS continued to train its staff in using digital to reach target audiences. The department implemented a revised digital engagement strategy which has seen ministers and policy teams engaging online in Twitter question and answer sessions, tweetathons and innovative social media campaigns. These included #MyTourismJob, #CreateUK and #MuseumsWeek, all of which received high levels of public engagement. DCMS have also been using online consultation tools to engage with citizens.

Planned activities in 2015

DCMS will continue to promote open policymaking, using digital tools to embed digital engagement in the process. The revised digital engagement strategy focused on sharing and increasing use of best practice.

Department for Education

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

The Department for Education (DfE) will initiate a digital literacy programme to improve the skills of staff who will have a new requirement to use digital tools and techniques as part of their work. Broader engagement with the public will be made through social media channels. The department is engaging with GDS and other departments on how to best implement open policy development (ie crowd-source models).

Progress during 2013

DfE’s Digital Transformation Unit worked closely with the department’s Continuous Improvement Team, human resources and internal communications to launch a campaign of digital awareness-raising within the department. This focused on how it could help staff improve their productivity. The department’s social media team worked with relevant policy teams to help them use digital engagement techniques to develop better policies.

Planned activities in 2014

The awareness-raising exercise will increase in 2014 as the department looks to move to a more digital by default model. The Digital Transformation Unit will work with the social media team to identify more policy teams to pilot digital engagement techniques in policymaking.

Progress during 2014

DfE and its agencies launched 3 GOV.UK blogs. In addition DfE created and deployed a number of public-facing tools such as a ‘contact us’ hub and a live chat facility.

Planned activities in 2015

DfE will continue to develop blogs so it can better engage and consult with the public. It will work with policy teams to raise their awareness and understanding of what digital by default means for future policies, and how digital can help them develop their policies.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Excellent digital services start with better policymaking. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will make more use of digital tools (including social media) to support customer insight, policy development and service delivery. These will enhance, but not replace, more traditional non-digital methods of engagement. Defra welcomes the provision of central tools and standards by Cabinet Office to support this.

Progress during 2013

Defra has continued to develop its use of social media to support policy engagement and explanation. Defra’s News and External Communications team recently won the ‘Best Use of Twitter’ award at the UK Social Media Communications Awards.

Planned activities in 2014

Defra will continue to develop its use of digital tools to support customer insight, policy development and service delivery. This is designed to enhance, but not replace, non-digital methods of engagement. Defra will continue to welcome any guidance, examples and tools that Cabinet Office can provide.

Progress during 2014

Defra continued to develop its use of social media to support policy engagement and communicate on its activities. Defra’s News and External Communications team won the ‘Best Use of Twitter’ award at the UK Social Media Communications Awards. A policy week took place in November which raised awareness of digital and policy.

Planned activities in 2015

Defra will continue to develop its use of digital tools to support customer insight, policy development and service delivery.

Department for International Development

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department for International Development (DFID) will review previous consultations and promote the techniques which have been successful across the department, ensuring policy teams have a programme of support and guidance to use them effectively. It will also pilot new ways of gathering feedback from the people directly affected by aid projects.

Progress during 2013

DFID has a long history of open and consultative policymaking, processes which have been commended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Assistance committee.

Alongside established channels to share policymaking and delivery with other government departments (eg stabilisation unit) DFID routinely engages with external partners to develop innovative approaches to delivery.

The department has been developing case studies of good practice to share with MyCivilService to allow others to learn from their experiences and its digital team has supported policymakers in using social media to engage with partners and influence development policies in, for example, Nepal, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

Planned activities in 2014

DFID will continue to develop its case studies of good practice to share with MyCivilService to allow others to learn from its experiences.

Progress during 2014

DFID teams were shortlisted for 2 Civil Service Awards: one for communication and achievement of policy relating to the Girl Summit, and the other for the Humanitarian Innovation and Evidence Programme. Several case studies were shared via the Civil Service Quarterly Newsletter, and staff from the communications division participated in the Government Communication Service Comms Exchange sessions, where experience is shared with colleagues from other government departments.

Planned activities in 2015

DFID’s digital specialists will work with colleagues who are establishing a policy profession in DFID. They will ensure digital capability needs are met and staff are aware of best practice in ways digital can support and enhance open policymaking.

Department for Transport

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department for Transport (DfT) will open up the use of social media and collaboration tools for its staff, supporting and encouraging them to use these effectively. This will increase the ways they can listen to people’s views and concerns and enable them to engage, communicate and respond more effectively with a wider group of customers and stakeholders.

Progress during 2013

DfT has implemented a social media policy allowing all staff access to social media tools and channels. A communications campaign has highlighted use of these to encourage further use and learning.

Planned activities in 2014

DfT will encourage the further use and learning of social media tools.

Progress during 2014

All new services were robustly tested with users on a range of browsers and devices to ensure user needs were met.

Planned Activities in 2015

The department’s policy lead will continue to develop the department’s policy profession. The DVLA’s new user testing lab will provide facilities for use by all departmental services.

Department for Work and Pensions

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will introduce a more open approach to policymaking. This includes using digital to engage with a wider range of people during upcoming consultations and embedding digital channels in the everyday policymaking process. This ensures that policies can be continually developed on the basis of the widest range of views possible.

Progress during 2013

DWP has been identifying the relevant experts and how best to engage with them. The department has developed the SMART database, which is a digital tool available to all policy staff to help them identify and engage with the right people. A central team has been created as a centre of excellence to share best practice. It also co-ordinates strategic communications across the department to a wide variety of organisations and individuals, using the most appropriate channel and encouraging two-way engagement.

DWP has been looking at more innovative ways of consulting and communicating with customers and other stakeholders. Within the communications directorate, the social media team has been consolidating, establishing and strengthening the use of social media channels. The team has been working closely with a range of different portfolios to hone and target content to reach wider audiences.

Some policy teams are already making more use of digital tools to improve engagement with stakeholders. For example the Disability Employment Conference was streamed live, had live video links to regional locations and the campaign hashtag trended number 1 in the UK on Twitter.

Planned activities in 2014

DWP will provide further training and development around social media, helping to drive the digital by default agenda and embed core digital skills within the department. It will also give the Civil Service Learning course Digital Engagement for Open Policy Making in January 2014 and will evaluate its impact post-delivery.

DWP has been developing a digital skills training product for policy staff which will include advice on digital tools available to help improve engagement with stakeholders and will be available early in 2014.

Progress during 2014

DWP ran a policy week in November to highlight open policymaking approaches and strengthen policy knowledge and skills within the department. It attended monthly cross-government open policy network meetings.

Planned activities in 2015

DWP will continue to adopt a more open approach to policymaking, and strengthen the open policymaking curriculum throughout the department. It will investigate ways in which it can bring agile methodology and user-centred design into the policymaking process.

Department of Energy and Climate Change

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will ensure that the principle of digital by default extends throughout all of its work, including policymaking and information services. It will therefore develop a digital toolkit for policymakers to ensure they are able to efficiently consult through digital channels.

Progress during 2013

DECC has actively encouraged policy teams to engage with users via digital channels.

Planned activities in 2014

DECC will ensure that the principle of digital by default extends throughout all of its work, including policymaking and information services.

The department will build on successes to date and use case studies to embed knowledge and understanding of the merits of digital engagement throughout the organisation. It will develop a digital toolkit and provide training, support and guidance for policymakers to ensure they are able to efficiently exploit all appropriate methods of digital engagement.

Progress during 2014

DECC has developed a digital toolkit and provides a full intranet package for policymakers to ensure they can use all appropriate methods of digital engagement.

The department has amended project management and policy documentation to prompt consideration of end-user implications.

Planned activities in 2015

DECC will ensure that the principle of digital by default extends throughout its work, including policymaking and information services.

DECC will build on its successes and use case studies to embed knowledge and understanding of digital engagement throughout the organisation. Much of this will be executed through the Consumer First programme. ##Department of Health

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Department of Health (DH) will use digital tools and techniques to engage with and consult the public by:

• creating a new minimum digital standard for all formal consultations
• using stakeholder and influencer mapping, social media monitoring, crowd-sourcing ideas and opinion, and online metrics to inform policy development, engage different audiences and evaluate effectiveness
• developing a toolkit to help policymakers identify the most appropriate digital tools and techniques for each stage of the policy cycle

Progress during 2013

This has been a priority for DH as a policymaking department and the digital team has partnered with the Policy Improvement team to act on this commitment.

An alpha of a digital toolkit for policy officials was launched at Civil Service Live in July 2013 and has undergone thorough user testing within DH. New policies and guidance have been developed based on feedback.

Although not yet fully consistent across DH, digital is seen as a fundamental part of open policymaking and there are many excellent case studies of digital engagement within the policymaking process, most recently work on the Vulnerable Older People plan and the G8 Dementia Summit.

Planned activities in 2014

DH will move to a new set of policy standards, underpinned by digital. The department will launch an updated version of the digital toolkit for policy officials, produced in collaboration with the Policy Improvement team, by April 2014.

DH has widened the scope of the work on consultations to develop a minimum standard for consultations that makes digital central to the process rather than a minimum standard for the end digital product. This solution will include automated text analysis to help analyse consultation responses.

Progress during 2014

DH has been one of the departments leading the digital-first approach to policymaking. The digital team worked with the department’s Policy Improvement Team to embed the use of digital tools and techniques by policy officials. This helped deliver more open, inclusive and transparent policymaking, supported by digitally-gathered and analysed evidence.

In September, DH redesigned and re-launched PolicyKit, the definitive online policy-making resource for DH policy professionals.

DH began the discovery phase of a project to review methods for communicating, engaging and gathering responses to consultations with the public. It worked with FCO and Cabinet Office Open Policy Making team to develop automated ways to analyse unstructured data and natural language in consultation responses. It piloted a range of tools with consultation teams within DH to test their effectiveness against traditional (manual) methods of analysis and evaluation.

DH’s digital team was nominated for a Civil Service Award for bringing transparency and community engagement to the G8 Dementia Summit in December 2013.

Planned activities in 2015

DH will complete evaluation of online consultation platforms and agree a way forward with policy professionals, as well as continue its work to increase access to qualitative and quantitative data for policymakers and analysts.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will make full use of digital to enhance open policy formulation and transparency, including through the appointment of an open policy lead. That person will oversee work across FCO to promote more open policy formulation and share best practice. That open policy official will also work with FCO’s transparency steering group to look at the possibilities for releasing more FCO policy reporting online.

Progress during 2013

FCO has introduced a ‘Core Policy Skills – Digital Diplomacy’ course geared at explaining to policy officers how they can use digital tools to enhance their work. FCO also held an event at its recent leadership conference on how digital tools can be used to enhance foreign policy work.

FCO has also republished its open data strategy to outline how it intends to improve openness and continuously improve the quality of the information/data released, promote open government and accountability internationally and engage more consistently with its stakeholders.

Planned activities in 2014

FCO’s digital transformation unit will look at further opportunities to use digital tools to improve how it conducts foreign policy.

Progress during 2014

FCO’s digital transformation unit worked on using digital tools to improve how it conducts foreign policy. This included hackathons, online consultations, and a number of pilots (eg looking at online election monitoring and analysing ambassadors’ Twitter networks). It also developed and began rolling out a new training curriculum for FCO staff, which includes how digital tools can help every stage of the policy cycle.

Planned activities in 2015

FCO’s digital transformation unit will continue to pilot opportunities for using digital tools to enhance policy work. This will include:

• more work with technology industries
• looking at new tools that can help policy officers
• working with the Government Innovation Group on data science opportunities

HM Revenue and Customs

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

HMRC will train policymakers to understand and use a wider range of digital channels. They will use these to engage and consult with the public on a daily basis around areas of policy development, up to and including formal consultations. HMRC will include in its business plans for 2013 to 2014 ways to listen to and understand conversations in social media and use the insight to inform the policymaking process.

Progress during 2013

HMRC has outlined how it will electronically communicate with customer groups, using collaborative tools as well as secure messaging, which it will test as part of its exemplar services. The department has held workshops with HM Treasury colleagues to discuss digital implications in policymaking.

Planned activities in 2014

As part of HMRC’s capability development plan it will implement the relevant training and development for policymakers.

Progress during 2014

HMRC helped shape training products for senior civil servants and policy specialists. A social media pilot planned for summer 2014 didn’t happen due to supplier availability and funding constraints. Instead there was a Twitter pilot in November 2014.

Planned activities in 2015

HMRC will use the new training products for policy specialists, when they become available, to increase capability.

HM Treasury

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

HMT will make greater use of the GDS consultation tools matrix to find tools that are suitable for the department. It will also use channels such as Twitter and Facebook to help canvas opinions from those affected by its policies.

Progress during 2013

The HMT board has signed off a new engagement strategy.

Planned activities in 2014

HMT’s new engagement strategy will be piloted and rolled out across government departments. It will harness both the relatively high levels of digital literacy in the department and the increasing popularity of its online channels to improve the way it consults and engages. It will support officials to bring the tools they use in their everyday lives into the workplace to help them listen and consult, while managing the risks around proprietary and IT issues.

Progress during 2014

HMT piloted its engagement programme by using new digital channels and methods, such as surveys and more use of social media channels to consult with a wider audience. The digital team has been aided by the introduction of new IT equipment across the department, which gives greater access to digital channels.

Work still needs to done to build on and improve how the department engages and the new head of digital will continue this work in 2015. Treasury teams began using agile team structures within policymaking

Planned activities in 2015

HMT’s new head of digital will lead work to improve how the department engages with users.

Home Office

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Home Office will apply digital tools and techniques as a means to support the wider goal of open policymaking. Home Office will seek to learn from best practice within the department and across government, and to support development of the necessary skills to implement digital engagement.

Progress during 2013

Home Office has begun promoting the use of digital tools to engage with the public and has internally published a ‘Home Office Guide to Open Engagement and Consultation’.

Planned activities in 2014

Home Office policy profession will develop a digital knowledge management tool which will provide shared access for policy reference materials.

Progress during 2014

The Home Office policy profession and central digital team started closer joint working. The ‘Home Office Guide to Open Engagement and Consultation’ continued to encourage the use of digital tools to engage with the public. Home Office took part in the Cabinet Office Policy Lab initiative, and it is collaborating with Ministry of Justice on the provision of ‘TrackMyCrime’ to all police forces.

Planned activities in 2015

The Home Office digital team will continue to work closely with policy colleagues to encourage the use of digital tools wherever possible to support open policymaking. It will also build mutual understanding of both the possibilities and limitations of digital service delivery.

Ministry of Defence

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

The Directorate of Media and Communication (DMC) will involve a wider base of users more in debate and policymaking through the adoption of social media tools. DMC has developed guidelines and processes on the appropriate use and exploitation of social media, together with a communications campaign to ensure that members of the department do not misuse such media.

Progress during 2013

MOD launched a new internal awareness campaign to create better awareness of responsible use of social media. A Z-card and accompanying leaflet was produced together with the re-launch of the ‘Think Before you Share’ social media campaign.

Planned activities in 2014

MOD will continue to encourage and develop responsible and effective use of social media across the department.

Progress during 2014

MOD developed internal guidance on the use of enterprise social media.

MOD’s Armed Forces Covenant team used Facebook to consult with users and help shape their future service.

Planned activities in 2015

The digital team will continue to improve digital support to its defence policy teams.

Ministry of Justice

Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) will open up policymaking and engagement by giving more access to social media and encouraging its effective use. It will make full use of digital technology to become more transparent, make data more accessible and improve performance, accountability and service.

Progress during 2013

MOJ conducted a range of open policymaking exercises in 2013, employing a number of different tools and techniques. The department established an open policymaking group to provide co-ordination and guidance, so that the benefits of open policymaking are fully realised.

Planned activities in 2014

MOJ will continue to use open policymaking with stakeholders and the general public. It will also continue to drive forward the openness and transparency agenda, looking at new and informative ways to provide data.

Progress during 2014

MOJ launched its Open Policy Making Hub of Expertise, bringing together different areas of business to add value to policymaking processes. It aims to put user needs at the heart of MOJ’s work, and to make the policymaking process more open, transparent and collaborative.

MOJ’s digital services team engaged directly with the public through a variety of digital tools. Zendesk was used to integrate feedback across prison visit bookings, civil claims and Court finder services. The Lasting Power of Attorney team put a feedback process in place for users to provide their views directly to the team.

Planned activities in 2015

MOJ Digital Services will break down barriers between policy, operations and digital services to ensure that user needs are at the heart of MOJ’s work.

MOJ Digital Services will support open policymaking in MOJ, to ensure that user needs are used to inform policymaking.