Digital or ICT strategy or plan

This guideline examines the structure and provides examples of distinct types of digital or ICT strategies or plans. The nature of the strategy or plan created will be dependent on the planning objectives to be achieved. There are however some recommended or common elements that should be incorporated into most strategy or plan documents. These elements are discussed in this guideline.

An effective digital or ICT strategy or plan provides the organisation with planned approach to adapting to digital disruption and provides a collaborative way of integrating technology strategy into business strategic planning.

Almost all digital or ICT related strategic documents should include some form of roadmap based on a target architecture. Though strategic document may remain relatively static for periods of time, roadmaps may change in response to investment decisions, availability of resources, the performance of initiatives and the impact of these changes on the current and future digital or ICT work plan.

Refer to the Target state architecture and Roadmaps guidelines for more information.

Audience

A practitioner in the context of this guideline can include one or more of the following roles:

• Digital and ICT strategic planners
• Agency and service strategic planners
• Workforce planners
• Enterprise architects
• Information managers
• Marketing and communications specialists.

The contents of a strategic document will depend on the planning objectives to be achieved that were identified in earlier stages of the planning activity. A summary or outline of the proposed content to be included in the strategic document should be discussed and confirmed with the sponsor prior to developing the required strategic document.

Strategic versus operational plans

The Queensland Government Performance Management Framework makes the distinction between strategic plans and operational plans. In simple terms, strategic documents incorporate the ‘why’ and the ‘what’, particularly when digital or ICT strategies have been included.

Operational plans include greater detail regarding the ‘how’, ‘who’ and ‘when’. Strategic plans have a much broader planning horizon, typically around four to five years however strategic plans can be reviewed and refreshed during the planning horizon. In contract, operational plans have a much shorter timeframe and are typically refreshed annually as part of the operational planning cycle.

Hierarchy of business, digital or ICT related strategies or plans

The most common types of digital or ICT strategies or plans are:

• Digital vision plan or strategy
• ICT strategy
• Domain strategy.

The purpose of each of these documents is summarised in table below according to their importance.

Note that the organisation’s overarching business strategy or plan is first in the hierarchy and should be considered in relation to other plan or strategy types in descending order.

Choosing the right type of strategy or plan

Each of the documents in the table above provide a rich strategy or plan to enable services using technology, as the consumer or audience of these documents moves down through the strategic layers from a digital vision through to domain strategies.

There is no single template or recommended approach for these types of documents, however there are elements to a strategy or plan that should be considered. These elements are described in more detail in the following sections.

These documents may also vary in length. For example, an agency with a comprehensive digital vision may represent the ICT strategy as a simple strategy on a page.

Refer to the Resources section of this guideline for samples and guidance on digital or ICT related strategic documents.

While this framework attempts to distinguish between the different types of strategies and plans, the boundaries between them are increasingly blurred. For example, smaller agencies or more mature agencies may decide to integrate the digital vision into the business strategy or plan of the agency.

A digital vision strategy or plan conveys the transformation of services or how using technology to support new business models will enable the strategic direction of the organisation or allow the organisation to take advantage of strategic opportunities.

A digital vision strategy or plan has a whole of organisation view and may even take into consideration industry or marketplace perspectives. It helps organisations to see existing opportunity or risk and shape the overall strategic business direction of the organisation.

Who should author a vision, strategy or plan?

The strategy or plan should be completed by a team of people with experience and knowledge in the following areas:

• understanding the needs of the customers
• the business and its services
• digital channels and solutions
• supporting ICT infrastructure
• design, marketing and communications expertise.

This will ensure an adequate blend of technical, business and marketing expertise required to produce a meaningful and easily understood digital strategic document.

Developing this type of strategy or plan may involve broad representation from both internal and external stakeholders and is typically sponsored by a business representative.

The development of a digital vision strategy or plan is iterative and may need to undergo several rounds of consultation with stakeholders.

It may also be necessary to prepare a presentation highlighting key elements or important points to be conveyed in the strategy or plan to ensure all stakeholders have a collective understanding of the content without the need to read the document in detail if it is still undergoing development.

Elements of a digital vision strategy or plan

The purpose and core elements of a digital vision strategy or plan are summarised below.

Vision statement

A vision statement anchors the content of digital vision document and explains the need for investment in digital capability. The vision statement should provide guidance and inspiration and provide a focus for what is import to customers and the agency. A vision statement should:

• show how digital enablement will help the customer and what value it will provide.
• show the benefit to the agency in terms of efficiencies, quality of services, access to services or benefits to staff.
• link the future business and digital vision
• be simple and memorable (one or two sentences)
• be inspirational.

Service delivery vision

This section describes the transformation of services and may include the perspectives of the public, customers, employees, service partners or industry. It should provide a narrative about how people will access or use services, technology and information in the future in response to changing service models or new opportunities that the agency takes advantage of.

Service trends

This section describes the major trends or disruptors that are shape or influence future models of service delivery. This section should highlight the need for changes and reinforce the service vision based on research and industry trends either locally, nationally or worldwide.

Technology trends

This section describes the major technology trends or digital disruptors that are shaping or influencing the future of digital service delivery. This section should highlight the current or emerging technology capability available that is reshaping the way services are delivered.

Strategic alignment

This section of the strategy or plan conveys how the digital vision aligns to the broader business vision or strategic direction of the organisation.

Issues and challenges

This section outlines the current business challenges and issues that provide the drivers for change, including how the impact of those issues and challenges is likely to be addressed or reduced using technology to transform service delivery. This section should clearly establish why a change is needed. This section should demonstrate the impact of identified issues in terms of:

• numbers of customers or members of the public affected
• number of employees affected
• costs or lost revenue
• the types of services impacted
• how other agencies or other jurisdictions have   benefited from adopting similar approaches.

An infographic can be used as a straightforward way of conveying issues and challenge and suggested changes. Any diagrams or infographics used must accessibility guidelines such as alt-text to describe images.

Principles

This section includes the digital or ICT principles identified as part of the visioning workshops. The principles may guide the behaviour of digital technology users, guide decision making related to investments in digital technology or guide the design of digital systems.

Objectives

This section includes the objectives identified in the visioning activities and convey specific and measurable changes that will occur over the lifespan of the planning document. These objectives can be customer and/or service related, process related, information related, workforce-related or technology related. This section may convey the key success factors that are required to fulfil the vision

Strategies or focus areas

This section includes the specific strategies that will enable the transformation of services. This may include details of the capability that will be enabled. It describes the ‘what’ rather than the how, who and when of digital or ICT planning.

This may include:

• online presence for accessing services
• digital marketing
• customer interaction
• security of Online and Internet facing systems
• supplier interaction
• mobile based solutions
• cloud computing.

Enablers

This section describes the major business changes, technology trends and capabilities required to underpin digital service delivery. This section should reinforce the emerging capability required to transform the way business services are delivered including workforce capability changes.

Business outcomes and benefits

This section includes the desired business outcomes for customers, staff, service partners and government. Where possible, key performance indicators should also be included.

Elements of a digital vision strategy or plan

The purpose and core elements of a digital vision strategy or plan are summarised below.

The ICT strategy or plan includes areas of strategic technology capability and how the implementation of various technological capabilities will enable the business or digital vision. It defines the ICT plan of action designed to achieve the ICT related aims of the ICT organisational unit(s) in support the business direction of the agency.

Who should author an ICT strategy or plan?

An ICT strategic plan is usually developed by an agency’s ICT organisational unit and sponsored by the Chief Customer and Digital Officer or Executive in charge of that organisational unit.  The development of an ICT strategy or plan is iterative and my need to undergo several rounds of consultation with stakeholders.

The strategy or plan should be completed by a team of people with experience and knowledge in the following areas:

• understanding the business and its services
• technology solutions
• supporting ICT infrastructure
• design, marketing and communications expertise.

This will ensure the ICT strategy or plan is relevant to an ICT organisation or work area’s business customers.

Elements of an ICT strategic plan

The purpose and core elements of an ICT strategy are summarised below.

A domain strategy or plan conveys how supporting new business models using technology will enable the strategic direction of the organisation or allow the organisation to take advantage of strategic opportunities in a particular area of business, information or technology service.

Elements of a domain strategy or plan

The purpose and core elements of a domain strategy are summarised below.

Strategies or plans that are well presented and appeal to a broad range of consumers and audiences are more broadly accepted and adopted. Practitioners can improve the impact and relatability of their strategic documents by using quotes from customers, business representatives or employees on how the strategic changes will positively impact them .

We recommended practitioners seek help from marketing and communications specialists within their agency to conduct an editorial review and support the overall presentation of strategic documents.

Approval for digital or ICT strategies and plans

Any strategic document used will need to be endorsed by the planning sponsor. Practitioners should also confirm the pathway for approval of strategic documents. This includes lead times and details of any executive forums or committees required to review the document prior to approval. You may need to adjust the communications plan and consultation timeframes to accommodate required approvals.

For agency wide strategies or plans, it may be necessary to seek approval from the executive officers of the agency including the Director General or equivalent. Where a public launch of the strategic document is proposed, Ministerial approval may also be required.

Use the links below to support digital plans:

• Digital WA ICT procurement strategy
• Digital Health Strategic Vision for Queensland 2026
• Queensland Transport Digital Strategic Plan

Use the samples below to better understand ICT strategic plans:

• Sample 1 - ICT strategic plan
• Sample 2 - ICT strategic plan