Digital Inclusion in Australia: The Williams Way

I’ve had a busy month working on matters digital in Australia. I’ve just completed a digital strategy for RDA Mid North Coast. We think it’s the first regional digital strategy in Australia. I have attached a link.
I’ve also just completed a report on digital inclusion sponsored by Huawei. It’s partly a record of the Digital Inclusion I chaired in Canberra in late August and partly an action plan for digital inclusion interventions. Have a look at them.

I am now leading the Arup team working on Moreland Council’s digital strategy. That’s in Melbourne and is a first wave test site for the roll out of the National Broadband Network. A really interesting place where more than 50% of the population were born outside Australia.

I’d be interested in your views on the strategy work I’ve been doing. I think the NBN can have substantial impacts, not least on the design and delivery of public services, if the public sector can get its act together. I see a big need role for local government to take a leadership role in developing strategies and taking action to ensure that local communities can exploit the opportunities. Local government can also lead the way by digitising its own services, by involving citizens in online conversations and relationships and by ensuring that there is a significant local effort around digital inclusion. A commitment to open data and open government is a must in this process.

I’m a rubbish consultant by the way, because I give away all my best ideas free here…