Rapid Review of Evidence for Basic Digital Skills

In order to help inform the development of the Digital Participation Challenge Fund, the SCVO commissioned UWS to produce a robust summary of recent evidence and learning (over the last 3-4 years) around basic digital skills development in the UK. The Challenge Fund is a small grants scheme designed to facilitate investment in community digital participation in Scotland. The Fund is administered by the SCVO with support from the Scottish Government, the ERDF and BT. The Fund has, to date, delivered three rounds of competitive funding and supported a total of 84 third sector organisations across Scotland, with awards typically ranging from £100 to £10,000. As part of the project brief, UWS were asked to review evidence and learning in relation to following key criteria:

• Statistics and trends on digital inclusion across the UK (looking at issues of confidence and motivation, access and affordability, and basic digital skills)
• Identification of the key issues and barriers facing particular groups of people that relate to digital exclusion
• Learning from recent projects and programmes which have aimed to tackle digital exclusion
• Indications of the economic and social benefits of tackling digital inclusion and building basic digital skills