Digital Maturity Framework

The framework identifies fifteen 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, or by printing it out and using it in a workshop, giving people sticky dots to vote with.

For a record of where you are, and a set of tips for how to improve, we recommend doing the online assessment.

Digital maturity competencies

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

01. Culture
Sceptical
Staff are wary of digital and try to avoid it.
Respectful
Staff are happy that specialists are dealing with digital.
Participative
The organisation understands the value of digital and wants to learn more.
Inclusive
Digital is seen as key to success and incorporated into everything.
Evangelical
Digital is the principal way to engage supporters and achieve the mission.
02. Leadership
Minimal
There’s no clear digital leadership at any level.
Restricted
The digital lead is confined to a mostly tactical role.
Supported
The digital lead is encouraged to be strategic, when time allows.
Elevated
A senior digital lead exists, and digital leadership is actively invested in.
Intrinsic
Digital is an integral part of the overall strategy and digital leadership is present at all levels.
03. Budget
Survival
The budget only covers the bare essentials, such as website hosting.
Maintenance
The budget supports the current setup but doesn’t allow for improvements.
Experimenting
The budget allows for the testing of new ideas in priority areas.
Growth
The budget supports increasingly digital ways of thinking and doing.
Sustainable
A healthy budget for the ongoing evolution of digital operations increases impact.
04. Innovation
Deprioritised
Innovation is not considered important, or is not happening at all.
Ad hoc
Innovation occasionally happens as part of existing projects.
Small-scale
There is innovative re-imagining of some aspects of products or services.
Coordinated
Joined-up innovation is evolving the organisation.
Embedded
A structured innovation programme is creating transformational change.
05. Capacity
Responsibility
One person looks after the website and email. They may not have a digital background or skillset.
Expertise
Basic digital functions are covered by people with specialist skills and experience.
Team
There’s a central team of digital specialists, with some digital delivery in other teams.
Function
There’s a senior digital lead and a team, with growing digital opportunities in other teams.
Capability
Senior digital leadership exists across the organisation with effective delivery teams.
06. Recruitment
Essential
There’s a focus on technical skills for the role looking after the website.
Specialist
Specialist digital skills are included in certain roles that support engagement.
Generalist
Broad digital skills are required for jobs all around the organisation.
Prevalent
Strategic digital skills are standardly included in job descriptions.
Pervasive
New recruits are all digitally capable. All job descriptions include relevant digital skills.
07. Learning
Skill-sharing
Digital experts teach others on an ad-hoc basis. The training budget is very small.
Building literacy
There’s a small budget for basic digital skills in digital expert roles.
Centralised
Organisation-wide training is normalising digital skills.
Multi-layered
Digital upskilling is a priority for all. Teams understand their role in the digital change.
Cultural
Learning function leads on the development of digital skills and behaviours at all levels of the organisation.
08. Project management
Inconsistent
Project management is done differently for different projects.
Basic
Some common project management principles are used.
Progressing
Projects are managed through a structured but often lengthy process.
Developing
Agile project management principles and practice are used. There is a launch, test and improve approach.
Impactful
Agile principles of digital project management are consistently used in all projects to improve efficiency and increase impact.
09. Technology
Primitive
Systems are limited in scope and aren’t integrated. They may be insecure.
Outdated
Systems aren’t keeping up with the needs of the organisation.
Keeping up
Systems are stable and enable basic operations.
Effective
Tools and systems are delivering improvements in effectiveness.
Leading edge
Interconnected tools and systems provide a smooth, effective internal and external user experience.
10. Data
Chaotic
Data in the organisation is scattered and largely about offline activity.
Understood
Data is seen as important for the organisation. Quality and use is improving in some areas.
Developing
There’s a clear policy for data management. Data is integrated and analysed.
Literate
Quality, integrated data is used across much of the organisation.
Driven
Live data is used across the organisation to shape decisions and performance.
11. Reporting
Sporadic
KPIs exist, but progress is measured in an ad-hoc way.
Tactical
Relevant KPIs are set and reported against, but the lessons aren’t always used.
Aggregated
Performance data is collected and joined up, but is hard to access.
Integrated
Holistic performance data is quickly and easily accessible.
Real-time
Holistic performance data is always available and is used strategically.
12. Insight
Gathering
Insights are gathered but are used inconsistently.
Understanding
Insights from more than one source are combined to build understanding.
Analysing
Knowledge about who people are is combined with behavioural insights.
Acting on
Insights are used to shape planning and delivery.
Learning from
All work is grounded in rich, up-to-date insight. Work is improved upon iteratively.
13. Communications
Unspecific
Digital is used as a device to promote non-digital communications.
Consultative
Digital advice is sought when judged it’s needed.
Inclusive
Digital is involved from the outset in communications planning.
Strategic
Communications are designed to be digital by default.
Transformational
Digital is used to create adaptable, integrated communications.
14. Service delivery
Basic
Information is shared online. Traditional offline services are signposted from the website.
Supplementary
There is some experimentation with service delivery using digital channels.
Equal
Digital services are seen as being as important as traditional offline services.
Insight-driven
The provision of online services is based on research and testing.
Innovative
Online services are iterative and integrated. They are delivering previously untapped reach and impact.
15. Internal systems
Inefficient
There is no will or budget to digitise systems or processes.
Inconsistent
Some digital tools are available but their use is erratic.

Discretional
Good digital tools are available, with onboarding and support on request.
Effective
There is investment in digital tools that improve the working lives of staff.
Efficient
A comprehensive suite of connected digital tools, with proactive support for staff is in use.

01. Culture

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
The 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
Evangelical
Digital is the principal way to engage supporters and achieve the mission.

02. Leadership

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 encouraged to be strategic, when time allows.
Level 4
Elevated
A senior digital lead exists, and 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

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 increases impact.

04. Innovation

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 the organisation.
Level 5
Embedded
A structured innovation programme is creating transformational change.

05. Capacity

Level 1
Responsibility
One person looks 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 and a team, with growing digital opportunities in other teams.
Level 5
Capability
Senior digital leadership exists across the organisation with effective delivery teams.

06. Recruitment

Level 1
Essential
There’s a focus on technical skills for the role looking after the website.
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 the 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

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
Organisation-wide training is normalising 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 the organisation.

08. Project management

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.

09. Technology

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 the organisation.
Level 3
Keeping up
Systems are stable and enable basic operations.
Level 4
Effective
Tools and systems are delivering improvements in effectiveness.
Level 5
Leading edge
Interconnected tools and systems provide a smooth, effective internal and external user experience.

10. Data

Level 1
Chaotic
Data in the organisation is scattered and largely about offline activity.
Level 2
Understood
Data is seen as important for the 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 the organisation.
Level 5
Driven
Live data is used across the organisation to shape decisions and performance.

11. Reporting

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

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.

13. Communications

Level 1
Unspecific
Digital is used as a device to promote non-digital communications.
Level 2
Consultative
Digital advice is sought 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. Service delivery

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.

15. Internal systems

Level 1
Inefficient
There is no will or budget to digitise systems or processes.
Level 2
Inconsistent
Some digital tools are available but their use is erratic.
Level 3

Discretional
Good 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, with proactive support for staff is in use.