Digital Maturity Framework

The framework identifies 17 competencies: the key aspects of digital maturity. It also describes five levels for each of these competencies.

You can use the framework by reading through and recognising where you are as an organisation.

For a record of where you are, and a set of tips for how to improve, everyone should complete the online assessment.

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Attitudes and foundations

These competencies are foundational. As they underpin other competencies, it’s hard to achieve digital maturity without them.

01. Culture

Seeing digital maturity as not just tech-based, but as a part of our foundational ways of working.

Level 1	Sceptical Staff are wary of digital and try to avoid it.
Level 2	Respectful Staff are happy that specialists are dealing with digital.
Level 3	Participative My organisation understands the value of digital and wants to learn more.
Level 4	Inclusive Digital is seen as key to success and incorporated into everything.
Level 5	Fundamental Digital is the principal way to engage supporters and advance our mission.

02. Leadership

Having staff who are positioned and equipped to create and execute digital strategy.

Level 1	Minimal There’s no clear digital leadership at any level.
Level 2	Restricted The digital lead is confined to a mostly tactical role.
Level 3	Supported The digital lead is able to be strategic, when time allows.
Level 4	Elevated At least one senior digital lead exists, and organisation-wide digital leadership is actively invested in.
Level 5	Intrinsic Digital is an integral part of the overall strategy and digital leadership is present at all levels.

03. Budget

Investing in digital technology, skills, people and products.

Level 1	Survival The budget only covers the bare essentials, such as website hosting.
Level 2	Maintenance The budget supports the current setup but doesn’t allow for improvements.
Level 3	Experimenting The budget allows for the testing of new ideas in priority areas.
Level 4	Growth The budget supports increasingly digital ways of thinking and doing.
Level 5	Sustainable A healthy budget for the ongoing evolution of digital operations measurably increases impact.

04. Innovation

Using digital to do things in new, different, better ways.

Level 1	Deprioritised Innovation is not considered important, or is not happening at all.
Level 2	Ad hoc Innovation occasionally happens as part of existing projects.
Level 3	Small-scale There is innovative re-imagining of some aspects of products or services.
Level 4	Coordinated Joined-up innovation is evolving my organisation.
Level 5	Embedded A structured innovation programme is creating transformational change.

People, skills and processes

Digital is as much about people as it’s about technology.

05. Capacity

Having the skills, knowledge and experience to manage digital operations effectively.

Level 1	Responsibility One or more staff look after the website and email. They may not have a digital background or skillset.
Level 2	Expertise Basic digital functions are covered by people with specialist skills and experience.
Level 3	Team There’s a central team of digital specialists, with some digital delivery in other teams.
Level 4	Function There’s a senior digital lead with a team, and growing digital opportunities in other teams.
Level 5	Capability Senior digital leadership exists across the organisation, with effective digital delivery teams.

06. Recruitment

Developing digital capacity by hiring people with relevant digital capabilities and behaviours.

Level 1	Essential There’s a focus on technical skills for the role looking after our digital channels.
Level 2	Specialist Specialist digital skills are included in certain roles that support engagement.
Level 3	Generalist Broad digital skills are required for jobs all around my organisation.
Level 4	Prevalent Strategic digital skills are standardly included in job descriptions.
Level 5	Pervasive New recruits are all digitally capable. All job descriptions include relevant digital skills.

07. Learning

Making quality digital training available for staff, managers and board members.

Level 1	Skill-sharing Digital experts teach others on an ad-hoc basis. The training budget is very small.
Level 2	Building literacy There’s a small budget for basic digital skills in digital expert roles.
Level 3	Centralised There’s training across all teams in my organisation to normalise digital skills.
Level 4	Multi-layered Digital upskilling is a priority for all. Teams understand their role in the digital change.
Level 5	Cultural Learning function leads on the development of digital skills and behaviours at all levels of my organisation.

08. Project management

Using digital tools and techniques to get things done on time and on budget.

Level 1	Inconsistent Project management is done differently for different projects.
Level 2	Basic Some common project management principles are used.
Level 3	Progressing Projects are managed through a structured but often lengthy process.
Level 4	Developing Agile project management principles and practice are used. There is a launch, test and improve approach.
Level 5	Impactful Agile principles of digital project management are consistently used in all projects to improve efficiency and increase impact.

Systems and information

Efficient and effective tech, data and information are crucial elements of digital maturity.

09. Technology

Selecting, developing and maintaining the best tools and systems for the job.

Level 1	Primitive Systems are limited in scope and aren’t integrated. They may be insecure.
Level 2	Outdated Systems aren’t keeping up with the needs of my organisation.
Level 3	Keeping up Systems are stable and enable basic operations.
Level 4	Effective Tools and systems are delivering regular improvements in effectiveness.
Level 5	Leading edge Interconnected tools and systems provide a smooth, effective internal and external user experience.

10. Data

Collecting, storing and managing information in a responsible and respectful way.

Level 1	Chaotic Data in my organisation is scattered and largely about offline activity.
Level 2	Understood Data is seen as important for my organisation. Quality and use is improving in some areas.
Level 3	Developing There’s a clear policy for data management. Data is integrated and analysed.
Level 4	Literate Quality, integrated data is used across much of my organisation.
Level 5	Driven Live data is used across my organisation to shape decisions and performance.

11. Reporting

Deciding what to measure and how, and making sense of and sharing the data.

Level 1	Sporadic KPIs exist, but progress is measured in an ad-hoc way.
Level 2	Tactical Relevant KPIs are set and reported against, but the lessons aren’t always used.
Level 3	Aggregated Performance data is collected and joined up, but is hard to access.
Level 4	Integrated Holistic performance data is quickly and easily accessible.
Level 5	Real-time Holistic performance data is always available and is used strategically.

12. Insight

Developing an understanding of our supporters, members, users and/or beneficiaries.

Level 1	Gathering Insights are gathered but are used inconsistently.
Level 2	Understanding Insights from more than one source are combined to build understanding.
Level 3	Analysing Knowledge about who people are is combined with behavioural insights.
Level 4	Acting on Insights are used to shape planning and delivery.
Level 5	Learning from All work is grounded in rich, up-to-date insight. Work is improved upon iteratively.

Outputs and experiences

Internally and externally, the outputs and the user experiences have a crucial effect on digital maturity.

13. Communications

Being creative, consistent and coherent across digital channels and touch points.

Level 1	Unspecific Digital is used as a device to promote non-digital communications.
Level 2	Consultative Digital advice is sought by non-digital staff, when judged it’s needed.
Level 3	Inclusive Digital is involved from the outset in communications planning.
Level 4	Strategic Communications are designed to be digital by default.
Level 5	Transformational Digital is used to create adaptable, integrated communications.

14. Collaboration

Working together across teams to create joined up user experiences.

Level 1	Siloed Teams plan and work separately. Clashes are discovered at the point of implementation.
Level 2	Coordinated Teams share their separate plans. Teams rarely significantly change their plans to accommodate others.
Level 3	Planned Teams make plans and work together based on their objectives for the year.
Level 4	Integrated There's an ongoing organisation-wide planning process to ensure consistency, efficiency and effectiveness.
Level 5	Audience-first Work starts with audience insights in order to best deliver to my organisation's strategy and objectives.

15. Optimisation

Responding and adapting appropriately to insights and data in real time.

Level 1	Non-existent My organisation evaluates projects at the end. Lessons are not always used for new projects.
Level 2	Ad-based Some optimisation is done (for example of social ads or forms by an external agency). Some of these insights are used in planning.
Level 3	Journey-based Every bit of an audience journey is optimised – messaging, content, layout – in order to increase conversions.
Level 4	Product-based My organisation continuously looks at data in order to optimise every part of a product in order to provide good user experience, simplify and/or automate processes and increase conversions.
Level 5	Organisation-based My organisation regularly looks at dashboards in order to measure progress of strategy and tweak/adjust/change on the go in order to improve the outcomes.

16. Internal systems

Having digital tools and processes that enable staff to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.

Level 1	Inefficient There is no will or budget to digitise internal systems or processes.
Level 2	Inconsistent Some internal digital tools are available but their use is erratic.
Level 3	Discretional Good internal digital tools are available, with onboarding and support on request.
Level 4	Effective There is investment in digital tools that improve the working lives of staff.
Level 5	Efficient A comprehensive suite of connected digital tools is in use, with proactive support for staff.

17. Service delivery

Providing responsive online services for reach and efficiency

Level 1	Basic Information is shared online. Traditional offline services are signposted from the website.
Level 2	Supplementary There is some experimentation with service delivery using digital channels.
Level 3	Equal Digital services are seen as being as important as traditional offline services.
Level 4	Insight-driven The provision of online services is based on research and testing.
Level 5	Innovative Online services are iterative and integrated. They are delivering previously untapped reach and impact.