Technical Support for the Implementation of the Digital Competence Development Programme

The aim of the Commission was to support the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MoDA) in the successful implementation of the Digital Competence Development Program. Initiatives undertaken by countries regarded as leaders in the development of digital competencies were examined for this purpose. Moreover, a governance framework and implementation roadmap were created through iterative collaboration with numerous stakeholders.

Context

Poland is currently ranked 24th in DESI Human Capital dimension (DESI 2022). To strengthen and integrate activities aimed at developing digital competences, the MoDA in Poland developed the Digital Competence Development Program (DCDP), which is a complex initiative, financed from national and European sources.  Its objective is to raise digital skills among various groups of users. The DCDP involves various types of educational initiatives and requires constant involvement of stakeholders from central and regional administration, business and non-government organisations. The DCDP directly contributes to the targets of the Digital Decade, in the area of skills. The approval of the DCDP by the Council of Ministers was included as a milestone in the digital transformation component of the Polish Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Support delivered

The project was implemented in three main phases. During the best practices analysis (December 2022 - May 2023), interviews were conducted with representatives of institutions responsible for the development of digital competences in six chosen countries, as well as an in-depth desk research analysis was performed. The delegation of the MoDA took part in two study visits: in Spain (March 2023) and Ireland (April 2023), and a wide range of DCDP stakeholders participated in an online peer exchange (April 2023). In the course of workshop and analytical work (from April to June 2023), a governance framework for the DCDP was developed, which allows for transparent cooperation with key stakeholders. 

The final stage of the project was the development of an implementation roadmap (from June to early 2023), which apart from measurement of each of the DCDP activities, includes instruments that can be used in complementary research. The project was summarized during an international conference in February 2024, which gathered over 80 representatives. Representatives of numerous ministries (Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Ministry of Science and Higher Education), European Commission, educational organizations and non-governmental organizations took part in the various workshops and on-line consultations organised in the framework of the project. 

Results achieved

As a result of the 16-month project, the Beneficiary and the project's stakeholders are equipped with: 

• An extensive review of practices from countries that are recognized as leaders in the development of digital competences, along with an analysis of positive experiences and lessons learned,
• Actionable governance model with a key role of the Ministry of Digital Affairs as a strong leader and owner of this area,
• A precise map for the implementation of the DCDP by 2030 including various research instruments enabling quantitative and qualitative monitoring of the development of digital competences in Poland.

The practical application of the project results may contribute to significant progress in the development of digital competences in Poland, thus clearly contributing to the Digital Decade targets.

Useful links

Gov.pl/cyfryzacja - information about the study visits organised under the TSI project

More about the project

You can read the documents related to the project here: