In our VUCA world—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous—technology has irrevocably transformed how we live, work, and interact with our institutions. Digital tools have shifted from convenient luxuries to essential lifelines, mediating our access to education, healthcare, employment, and government services. This digital revolution promises unprecedented efficiency and accessibility, yet beneath the glossy surface of innovation lies a troubling reality: millions of citizens stand on the wrong side of a widening digital divide, watching as the train of progress accelerates away without them.
As governments worldwide aggressively pursue digitalization strategies to modernize public services and drive economic growth, a profound disconnect has emerged between these ambitious transformation agendas and the actual readiness of populations to embrace and utilize these technologies. This digital readiness gap represents one of the most significant challenges of our time—while governments race toward digital futures, substantial portions of their citizenry lack the access, skills, and confidence needed to participate in this new digital society.
Government digital initiatives often assume a baseline of digital literacy and access that simply doesn’t exist for substantial portions of the population. When e-government services become the primary or exclusive channel for citizen-state interactions, those without adequate digital capabilities find themselves increasingly marginalized—unable to access essential services, benefits, or information. The very digital tools designed to increase accessibility paradoxically deepen inequality when implemented without corresponding investments in digital inclusion. As governments digitize tax filing, healthcare systems, education, and social services, the consequences of this readiness gap grow increasingly severe.
The Digital Inclusion Pyramid
To address this challenge effectively, we need a comprehensive framework for understanding the journey from digital exclusion to digital leadership. The Digital Inclusion Pyramid provides precisely this structured approach, illuminating the path governments must help citizens navigate.
Level 0: No Digital Access At the foundation lies complete digital exclusion—regions without internet infrastructure and individuals without access to digital devices. This reality affects approximately 37% of the world’s population, representing 2.9 billion people who have never used the internet. When governments implement digital-only services, these individuals are effectively rendered invisible to the state.
Level 1: Basic Digital Awareness This critical first step toward inclusion represents individuals with minimal exposure to digital technologies, potentially accessing shared community resources. While these citizens may be aware of digital government services, they lack the means to access them independently, requiring intermediaries or alternative access channels.
Level 2: Limited Digital Access Individuals at this level experience occasional connectivity through public Wi-Fi and basic digital devices. They may be able to access government digital services sporadically but face significant barriers to consistent engagement. The intermittent nature of their access makes reliance on digital government services precarious at best.
The Government Service Threshold
Level 3: Essential Digital Services This level represents what should be considered the minimum threshold for effective participation in digital government initiatives. With regular internet connectivity and personal device ownership, individuals can reliably access and navigate e-government platforms. Crucially, this is the first level at which citizens can reasonably be expected to engage with digital government services without significant barriers.
Level 4: Digital Literacy and Safety Beyond basic access, this level emphasizes the critical skills needed to navigate digital government services safely and effectively. Citizens at this level can not only access services but do so with an understanding of digital security, privacy implications, and the ability to evaluate the legitimacy of government communications—essential skills in an era of sophisticated phishing and misinformation.
The Heights of Digital Citizenship
Level 5: Advanced Digital Participation At this advanced level, citizens become active participants in digital governance—providing feedback on services, engaging in public consultations, and contributing to open government initiatives. They transition from passive service recipients to engaged digital citizens who help shape the very digital systems they use.
Level 6: Digital Innovation and Leadership The pyramid’s apex represents those who drive digital transformation in public services through civic tech initiatives, public-private partnerships, and digital advocacy. These digital leaders help governments innovate and improve their digital offerings, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement and inclusion
The Government Imperative: Bridging the Gap
The existence of this pyramid highlights a critical responsibility for governments: they must actively work to move citizens up these levels of digital inclusion to match the sophistication of their digital service offerings. This requires a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple dimensions:
Infrastructure Development: Governments must invest in universal broadband access, public Wi-Fi networks, and community technology centres to address the foundational access gap. Without this physical infrastructure, all other digital inclusion efforts will fall short.
Device Accessibility Programs: Subsidized device programs, device lending libraries through public institutions, and refurbished technology initiatives can help overcome the hardware barriers that keep many citizens at the lower levels of the pyramid.
Digital Literacy Education: Governments must integrate digital skills training into formal education systems while also providing accessible adult education opportunities through libraries, community centers, and online platforms. These programs should address not just basic operational skills but also critical thinking, privacy awareness, and security practices.
Inclusive Design Mandates: Government digital services must be designed with all users in mind, including older adults, people with disabilities, and those with limited digital experience. This means implementing rigorous accessibility standards, intuitive interfaces, and multiple language options.
Transitional Support Systems: As services digitize, governments must maintain alternative access channels—phone support, in-person assistance, and paper options—while simultaneously helping citizens transition to digital channels through guided support and clear instructions.
Measuring Progress: Beyond Binary Metrics
To effectively address the digital readiness gap, governments must move beyond binary metrics of digital inclusion (connected vs. unconnected) to more nuanced assessments based on the Digital Inclusion Pyramid. This means tracking not just access statistics but also measuring skills, confidence, and meaningful usage patterns across different demographic groups.
Such comprehensive measurement allows for targeted interventions that address the specific barriers preventing citizens from advancing to higher levels of digital inclusion. It also enables governments to ensure that digital transformation efforts move in tandem with digital inclusion initiatives, preventing the gap from widening further.
The Economic and Social Imperative
Investing in digital inclusion isn’t merely a social responsibility—it’s an economic necessity and governance imperative. When citizens can fully participate in digital government services, administrative costs decrease, service delivery improves, and citizen satisfaction increases. Moreover, digitally included populations are better positioned to participate in the broader digital economy, driving innovation and economic growth.
The cost of inaction is equally compelling. As government services increasingly move online, the digitally excluded face mounting barriers to accessing essential services, benefits, and information. This exclusion compounds existing inequalities and undermines the very efficiency gains that digital transformation promises.
A Call to Action: Aligning Digital Transformation with Digital Inclusion
As we look toward the future, governments must recognize that successful digital transformation depends on corresponding investments in digital inclusion. The Digital Inclusion Pyramid offers a framework for understanding this journey and identifying where targeted interventions are needed.
For policymakers, this means ensuring that digital inclusion initiatives receive funding and attention proportional to digital transformation efforts. For public service designers, it means creating systems that accommodate citizens at various levels of the pyramid while helping them advance. For digital government leaders, it means measuring success not just by the sophistication of digital offerings but by how accessible those offerings are to all citizens.
The path from digital exclusion to digital citizenship is not just a technological progression—it’s a journey toward a more equitable, efficient, and engaged society. By actively working to advance citizens up the Digital Inclusion Pyramid, governments can ensure that digital transformation fulfils its promise of better governance for all, not just for the digitally privileged.
The question is no longer whether governments should digitize—that transformation is well underway. The critical question now is whether they will commit to bringing all citizens along on this digital journey, ensuring that no one is left behind as public services enter the digital age.
This section is written based on the scale developed for Business Start-Up: The Basics, which is under publication at Routledge.
