Digital Transformation Resource Guide

The resource guide currently consists of five tools to assist government organizations in developing their
digital strategies. Tools include:

1) Digital Maturity Assessment Tool (Excel)

2) Digital Transformation Prioritization Tool (Excel)
3) Digital Strategy Template (Powerpoint)
4) Digital Strategy Implementation Plan Template (Word)
5) Organizational Change Management overview and template (Powerpoint)

This resource guide provides guidance on the development and format of digital strategies for Texas
state government. The tools identified in the resource guide are intended to provide resources that can
make the process of developing a digital strategy efficient and effective.

What is a digital strategy?

A digital strategy is about building a plan for transforming agency services to make better use of
automated technologies. This is more than just putting forms online and enabling more online
payments. It is not about doing the same things we currently do cheaper and faster. It is about business
model innovation that challenges the status quo. It is about reimagining current functions and processes
to transform services for citizens. As your organization works toward building a digital strategy, think
about how this strategy can lead your organization from the traditional to the transformational end of
the digital maturity spectrum.

A digital strategy or plan is the articulation of an organizations vision, goals and purpose for engaging
constituents with digital solutions and technologies. It articulates the opportunities and challenges
related to digital activities, the governance and management arrangements and risk management
issues. It lays out a plan of action that will maximize the business benefits of digital initiatives for the
organization.

Characteristics of a Digital Strategy

Effective digital strategies generally consider:

• Customer’s needs and expectations are the over-riding consideration in deciding what services
to provide, how to provide those services and through what channels.
• Empowers staff to think and act digitally, to be innovative and to seek ways to transform
business processes and services to a digital format.
• Generates buy-in from staff and executives by explaining why a digital strategy is important,
how important it is, and what the benefits are.
• Articulates the aspirations and expectations of the organization for its engagement with the
digital world and for putting the customer at the heart of everything it does.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 1

 • Provides the ground rules and framework for imagining, creating, managing, delivering and
monitoring digital services and digital channels.
• Identifies and addresses the factors critical to the success of digital activities to minimize the
risks and maximize the benefits.
• Provides the criteria to prioritize digital activities so resources and energies are directed and
planned appropriately.
• Articulates and describes the characteristics of a digital culture so the organization can assess
the nature and scope of the effort required to adopt.
• Reduces the risks of engaging with the digital world and of failing to meet the needs and
expectations of customers.
• Proof of value to demonstrate benefits and achieve executive leadership support

Steps to building a Digital Strategy for your Agency

1) Complete the maturity assessment tool – it will help your agency understand the current level
of digital maturity and identify what you are doing well and where improvements can be made.
2) Complete the prioritization tool – it will assist your agency in determining what digital projects
you should undertake first.
3) Complete the Digital Strategy template – this will assist in articulating the digital transformation
vision for your agency, how the agency plans to achieve it, and what activities will need to be
undertaken to realize the benefits of digital technology in the future.
4) Complete the implementation plan template – this can be used to map out the activities for the
following years.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 2

Additional Information on how to use the tools:

Maturity Model Assessment

The tool presents five pillars of digital maturity (Governance and Leadership, People and Culture,
Capacity and capability, Innovation and Technology) and divides each pillar into 5 levels of maturity –
Minimal to Transformed. Under each level are the characteristics that would be expected for an
organization that is at the level of digital maturity.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 3

 Digital Strategy Template

This template is a guide and can be amended to fit the organization.

The strategy should be completed by a team of

people in the organization with experience in
customer needs, management, business
operations, digital channels, marketing,
communications and IT staff supporting
How – identify the key
Why – this is the technologies and infrastructure.
success factors and
rational for the
actions that must be
digital strategy.
addressed in order to
Include why digital
fulfill the vision. These
transformation is
will be high level and
important.
might require additional
consultation with
What – identify the key stakeholders and
characteristics of the customers.
organization’s digital strategy
and provide a brief explanation
of each. These are the key pillars
and principles that provide the Benefits – these are the
criteria to assess the direction of desired outcomes for
digital channels and service customers and the
delivery. There should be an organization. These can
emphasis on the customer and become the KPI’s so where
on transformation of the feasible set targets of
business. timeframe and results.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 4

 Digital Transformation Prioritization Tool

The purpose of this tool is to reduce the risk of undertaking digital transformation projects that are not
likely to succeed because they are too difficult to undertake or fail to have real benefits to customers.
The tool will help you to prioritize the roll-out of potential digital projects by considering how each
project rates against four key categories of criteria that include:

- Mandatory criteria
- Benefits
- Ease of execution
- Risk
Any number of projects can be
included in the calculation. If it is
obvious that a project will not meet
a mandatory requirement, do not
Mandatory requirements are
include it in this list, but record it in a
those that must be met by a
‘to be considered’ list.
project. A, NO, rating for any
mandatory requirement renders
it ineligible for consideration (this
is indicated by FAIL appearing in
the score line.
Benefits refer to the short and long
term advantages and positive impact
the project is estimated to have on
The cost rating (high, medium, constituents, businesses,
low) is an estimate only and communities and the government
should be considered relative organization.
to that which you would
expect for a similar project.

Ease of execution refers to those

aspects that impact on how quickly
Risk refers to the degree of danger to the
and easily the project can be
organization of one or more aspects of
initiated, developed and delivered.
the project failing, causing internal
How much effort is required by the
disruption, or the project not being
organization to make this happen.
popular with a public audience.

A score is generated for each project based on the

weightings (1-3) you assign to each criteria. The score
data then generates a prioritization matrix scatter
diagram that provides a visual representation of the
merits and risks of the projects.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 5

 Digital Strategy Implementation Plan

The purpose of this tool is to help map out a high-level implementation plan for your digital strategy.
Identify high-level actions and goals related to developing, implementing, and reviewing progress on the
rollout of the digital strategy over a two-year period. The tool is in a Word format, but it can be changed
to whatever works for your agency.

This schedule is set up so

These are the key areas of there is a more granular
activity that will differ picture of the rollout in
from agency to agency. the first 12 months. This
Year 1 Year 2 can be adjusted to reflect
12-18 18-24 what works for your
0-3mths 3-6mths 6-9mths 9-12 mths
mths mths organization.

Digital E.g. Drafted

E.g.
Strategy Signed off

Governance E.g. Attain

level 3 on
and Maturity
leadership Matrix

E.g. Attain
People and
Review/report

Review/report

Review/report
level 2 on
culture Maturity
Matrix

Capacity and
capability

Innovation

Technology

Other…

Other…

Suggested timeframe for conducting

a review of the strategy and status
of the rollout.

Texas Department of Information Resources | dir.texas.gov | #DIRisIT | @TexasDIR Page 6