Gloucestershire County Council sought to understand its current position on digital connectivity – including both infrastructure and adoption. We used FarrPoint’s DCRI framework to evaluate these connectivity metrics, highlighting key areas of strength and challenges across the region.
FarrPoint conducted a strategic review assessing Gloucestershire’s digital connectivity performance using its Digital Connectivity Readiness Index (DCRI) framework. The review identified strengths and gaps in infrastructure and digital adoption, linking this to the current strategic policy narrative across the region. Based upon this assessment, FarrPoint delivered a series of actionable recommendations to drive improvements in digital connectivity, economic growth, and social wellbeing.
Conducing FarrPoint's DCRI assessment has enabled Gloucestershire to provide the County Council with a robust starting point to reflect upon where we should direct our focus within our new Digital Strategy. The assessment provides a really useful aid to start conversations with stakeholders and councillors
The challenge was to identify specific themes where the county excelled and where it faced significant barriers, particularly in rural connectivity and digital skills development. This required an analysis of various metrics to create a clear, actionable roadmap for improving both connectivity and community engagement in digital technologies.
FarrPoint provided a comprehensive report summarising the analysis of Gloucestershire’s digital connectivity performance, including on infrastructure and adoption metrics. The review resulted in tailored recommendations for improving infrastructure, addressing digital exclusion, and fostering innovation, particularly in the county’s growing digital economy and cyber sector.
The findings and recommendations from this study can now be used as an evidence base for the next Gloucestershire Digital Strategy.
Undertaking the Digital Connectivity Readiness Assessment and defining the DCRI score is the first stage in a 5-step plan that public bodies can take to understand the strengths and challenges within their region and to enable them to create a digital strategy and implementation plan.
We created these DCRI benchmark metrics for the individual UK nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and also internationally for the G7.
If you are interested in finding out what the Digital Connectivity Index is for your area or learning about our services, please get in touch.
Connectivity is important. It drives business and society, bringing communities and commerce together. That's why we use our insight and experience to connect people and business.