Digital Transformation Task Force

About  

Understanding digital transformation and knowing how to build the digital capacity of individuals, organisations and networks is not simple. People's understanding of the issues is defined in part by their own digital literacy, confidence and maturity, which for many working in the cultural heritage sector is still low. Added to this, the sector faces other multifaceted and complex challenges. 

The Task Force developed a vision of what digital transformation looks like in the sector in all its different facets, and begin to plan out how to support, enable and measure it.The Task Force also supported Europeana Initiative stakeholders working on the capacity building needed to support the digital transformation of the GLAM sector, bringing stakeholders together to build on the work done in this area so far, respond to the current challenges facing the sector, and to collectively understand and agree on a clear, practical plan of action. This work supported Europeana's mission to 'empower the cultural heritage sector in its digital transformation'.

Culture24 was commissioned by the Europeana Foundation to support the establishment of this Task Force, which consisted of eight members:

• Rob Davies and Vera Kriezi (Europeana Network Association)
• Kerstin Arnold and Chiara Latronico (Europeana Aggregators' Forum)
• Marta Peinador and Susanna Anas (Independent members)
• Ariadna Matas and Sebastiaan ter Burg (Europeana Foundation)

The Task Force took on the task of producing an action plan for adoption across Europeana Initiative stakeholders. Members recognised the need for a united approach and a clear plan of action to help us understand how to harness the potential that digital transformation offers.

Goals

• Guide the development of Europeana’s ‘capacity-building framework’

• Align the Initiative’s visions on digital transformation and the contribution of the capacity-building framework, to drive positive sector change

• Advise on and anticipate sector needs and the best approach to measuring and assessing digital transformation 

• Consider Network needs relating to the formation of a community or working group that could support capacity development

• Help to motivate stakeholders to embrace digital transformation and remove barriers to capacity-building activities.

Outputs

The Digital Transformation Task Force have delivered an action plan for adoption across Europeana Initiative stakeholders that includes: 

• Recommendations for activities to support and guide the sector

• Recommendations for the future of the Task Force and the possibility of a longer term working group to continue to support this work

• Recommendations on the assessment and measurement of digital transformation

• A review of the current definition of digital transformation 

Outcomes

The Digital Transformation Taskforce helped the Europeana Initiative stakeholders to:

• Implement strategies and activities that can meaningfully support digital transformation and digital capacity-building

• Align its expectations on capacity-building

• Raise its ambitions with regards to the quality, depth and accessibility of capacity-building

• Agree on a vision of digital transformation that has an impact for the whole sector

Download the Task Force's outcomes below.