Feature

Developing your digital strategy: thoughts from three executive leaders

At Digifest 2025, we brought together a panel of three leaders in education to discuss the digital transformation journey in higher education.

Delegates attend a talk at Digifest 2025

The panel focused on digital strategy, and how a clear plan of action is a key element of digital transformation.

Members of the panel agreed that the strategy should start with – and focus on – people, culture, skills and collaboration, rather than the technology itself.

The contributors to the panel were:

  • Paul Sinnock, Director of IT Services, University of Kent
  • Sarah Lethbridge, Pro-dean of external engagement, Cardiff University
  • Nick Skelton, Consultant in digital HE, Jisc

The impact of digital transformation

Paul, Sarah and Nick agreed that digital transformation can have significant benefits for institutions, students and teachers. The key is to look at the process as a journey rather than a destination, as even taking the first step can have long-lasting effects.

Sarah said:

“We can really shape our digital plans for the short to medium-term and then that opens up the dialogue about the longer-term, and helps to set out a much more rigorous digital strategy. Cardiff University is in a period of major transition; it’s exciting to offer our learning to new audiences across the globe, and digital is a key foundation of that approach.”

Paul said:

“It’s important to understand you don’t have to do the whole thing in one go - it’s a journey. Throughout the programme, we’ve been able to bring in people within the teams to understand the process. The conversations we set up have since spawned internal conversations and we’ve been able to take those forward.”

Making the business case

Having the complete picture from a range of stakeholders will help to gain consensus and put forward the case for change and transformation.

Paul said:

“I think having an external view, that fresh sector thinking, and applying that to some of our own ideas actually reinforced our thoughts and how to go about doing our work.”

Sarah said:

“It was important to build a foundation for flexibility before we layered digital learning on top of that foundation. The consultancy really galvanised everything in a succinct way and provided that external credibility which was more compelling for the team than my weekly updates.”

Nick added:

“One of the things we’re really keen on, when we work with commissioners and associates, is the team-based approach. We hold fortnightly project meetings, taking action, keeping the momentum going.”

Gaining an objective perspective

When developing a digital strategy, it’s important to take a step back and assess the most pressing requirements. An external provider helps institutions gain an objective and comprehensive picture.

Sarah said:

“It was great to work with Jisc to get that external perspective, to help me assimilate all of the different problems we were experiencing – helping us embracing flexibility, but also some suggestions and recommendations about what we could do for the future, and that all fed into the wider digital strategy at Cardiff.”

Paul agreed:

“At Kent, we needed to rethink what we wanted our digital strategy to look like, and how we were going to bring our colleagues on that journey with us in a new model. We needed to partner with someone to help us take those first steps. So we reached out to Jisc.”

He added:

“We looked at two phases. One was our long-term strategy and setting out that roadmap. But before that, the first part was considering our challenges right now.”

Nick explains how Jisc can help:

“It’s about bringing people together, having that conversation, listening... and that’s really the skill of a consultant. To come in, to take stock, to bring people together from different parts of the organisation and thinking about people, culture and the student journey, igniting conversations within the organisation.”

Be honest and transparent at every step

Engaging an external consultant like Jisc requires close collaboration, which makes frank and open communication extremely important.

Sarah said:

“We had fantastic communication throughout the whole engagement of the project. I became confident very quickly that everything was going to be okay, that we were going to be listened to and that things were going to be delivered on time. It was a very professional, excellently communicated engagement.”

Nick said:

“The key for me is to build trust and empathy. Be clear about what good looks like, and what you’re hoping to get out of it. But also, be open and honest about the problems.

“It’s quite common when I go and work with an institution that it can take a little bit of time until what is really going on comes to the surface. The quicker that happens, the more confident I feel that we’re going to do a good piece of work.”

Paul added:

“From an institutional perspective, you have to find the time and have the right people in the project. It’s a partnership, so you have to be honest about the challenges you’re facing, structure the piece of work and really commit to it.”

Advice for anyone thinking of engaging Jisc

Clarity, honesty and taking the long-term view. Are there any other pointers that the panel would give people thinking of engaging an external agency?

Paul said:

“Have a real think about what you want to achieve. Be clear on the outcomes and understand that it’s a journey. Don’t try and look for the final outcome, it’s about making those steps towards positive transformation, using the skill set and knowledge that Jisc bring of the sector and how that can help inform the outcomes.”

Sarah said:

“One thing I’d add is to maybe not be as precise with the brief. Allow the consultancy a bit of space to surprise you and give you new nuggets of information.”

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