Context

COVID-19 radically shifted the social landscape of Australia and the world. Service delivery and experience creation that traditionally took place face-to-face was rapidly pivoted to online delivery and new ways of engaging and connecting quickly emerged. These shifts catalysed the need to compose an Arc Digital Strategy which will serve as a roadmap for the investment and deployment of technology at in all Arc operations into the future. It reflects the emerging cyber risks of an evermore digitalising world and tactics that can be deployed to de-risk the organisation. 

This composition of this strategy is the result of extensive stakeholder consultation. A working group was empowered to drive the core themes and agenda of the strategy, whilst business-unit level workshops occurred concurrently to align local objectives with the master strategy.

Methodology

This composition of this strategy is the result of extensive stakeholder consultation. A working group was empowered to drive the core themes and agenda of the strategy, whilst business-unit level workshops occurred concurrently to align local objectives with the master strategy.

Supporting Documentation

The Arc Digital Strategy is a vibrant roadmap designed to align with existing strategic plans.

• Arc Strategic Plan: Overarching vision and mission for Arc that is executed through Digital Strategy.
• Arc Wellness Strategy & Operational Plan: Articulates the goals of Arc Wellness to empower UNSW students to be more resilient. Digital Strategy highlights opportunities for scalability.
• UNSW 2025+ Masterplan for UNSW to achieve its goal of being ‘Australia’s leading global university’. Arc Digital Strategy shares best practice student experience ambitions.
• UNSW PVCESE Strategy Vision to engage richly with students across both curricular and co-curricular parts of student life. Arc Digital Strategy aligns with community building and listening principles.
• UNSW Information Technology Strategy: Leverage emerging technologies being scaled by UNSW to maximise the value for students through Arc.

Purpose

The purpose of the Arc Digital Strategy is to align the mission of Arc to create the best student experience with the technological activity of the organisation. Specifically, this Strategy fulfils the 2021 Supporting Pillar to “enable our digital evolution” by providing a roadmap to stronger digital interface with students, more sophisticated internal processes and a clear accessibility mindset. It aims to provide structure and guidance without being excessively prescriptive or limiting. The very nature of digital is its rapidly evolving capabilities, so Arc will use the principles of this strategy to inform future decision making.

Purpose Statement

Arc will be a digitally mature organisation that is reflective of its constituents. We will achieve our ambition to deliver the best student experience through complimentary digital services and experiences that enrich the lives of students.

Digital Model

Leverage the central ownership of platforms by UNSW to maximise value, with additional systems integrated. Consolidate, modernise and optimise the use of digital technology across the organisation.

Digital Values

Arc proudly purports 7 core values which emanate through our people and every thing we do. These values have been aligned to their digital value counterpart to highlight the importance of sophisticated use of technology being in our DNA.

• Have Fun: Use technology as a source of play and connection.
• Embrace & Drive Change: Upgrade, improve and innovate using technology.
• Be Better: Strive for best-practice in digital inclusion.
• Deliver More: Scale operations using digital capabilities.
• Listen: Use data and insights to understand our customers.
• Put Students First: Prioritise student engagement and enrichment.
• Always a Team: Internally strengthen our alignment and collaboration.

Strategic Pillars

The Arc Strategic Plan articulates 3 core pillars over a 3 year horizon, and 3 supporting pillars which are refocused annually to support an agile, student-centric strategy. Both the pillars and supporting pillars are strategically aligned to the Arc Digital Strategy.

Strategic

Have the best clubs and volunteering: Maximise the rate of engagement and level of satisfaction in Arc programming to be the envy of the world.

Committed to the future: Make sound investments that sustain and support the Arc Mission while continuing to create value for students.

Culture and reputation: Deepen our internal collaborations in online environments and build our brand that leverages connections with externals.

Supporting

Enable our digital evolution: Align our digital ambitions and devise an actionable roadmap for implementation.

Be there when you need us: Exist seamlessly on platforms where students will access and get support.

Love uni life: Use COVID-19 as an opportunity to build organisational resilience and plan effective rebuild.

Digital Principles

The below Digital Principles are the agreed guiding concepts that underpin the Digital Strategy. They provide a framework for decision making and suggest the core processes to be considered in its implementation.

Communication & Communities ("Be in the platform")

• Scan an monitor ecosystem for new technology.
• Adapt and deploy to maximise engagement.
• If students are using a new platform, we will be on it.

Internal Technologies ("Upgrade & integrate")

• Retire legacy software.
• Minimise duplication.
• Maximise the use of existing systems.
• Strive for interoperability.

Ownership ("Steering committee by consultation")

• Centralise technology “ownership” despite distributed usership. 
• Take an organisation-wide view of digital technology as part of business to approve all new platform use.

External-Facing Technology ("Connected pieces")

• Laser focus on delightful user experience.
• Strive for interoperability.

Data ("Distributed data literacy")

• Keep impactful records.
• All staff are committed to being insight-driven decision makers.

Security & Privacy ("Integrated governance")

• Strong governance across systems and staff.
• Drive a culture of integrity.
• Invest in strong protections.
• Responsibility is distributed across individuals, managers and university.

Innovation ("Be agile")

• Create a culture of innovation.
• Encourage continuous incremental improvement. 
• Test, try and learn quickly.

Leadership ("Ask the way")

• Consult widely on projects involving digital.
• Focus on buy-in and execution.
• Empower all staff to be involved in decision making.

Digital Maturity Assessment

Underpinning the Arc Digital Strategy is a commitment to continuously improving the digital maturity of the organisation and our people. In order for Arc to achieve its digital ambitions we must nurture the tenets of digital culture and deploy digital technology for maximum benefit. We want digital is part of the DNA of the organisation. Being digitally mature is different to digitising systems, processes, products and activities. Digital maturity is being fit for the world as it exists today, and for the people in it.

The matrix measures 15 Competencies of digital maturity which can be improved tactically over time. Arc is committed to measuring and improving across these metrics: Culture, capacity, technology, leadership, recruitment, data, budget, learning, reporting, innovation, project management, insight, communications, service delivery and internal systems.

Horizons

Arc has articulated its digital ambitions across 3 horizons over 3 years. The working group clustered technological advancement across External operations, Internal processes and Accessible mindsets. These ambitions are not exhaustive and are not designed to preclude staff from additional digital activity. They serve as guide for aligning operations, services and innovations.

• External: Membership, Clubs, Orientation, Volunteering, Sport, Events and Wellness.
• Internal: HR, IT, Finance and Operations.
• Accessible: Language, SES and experience.

Implementation

Once endorsed by Arc Board of Directors, the Arc Digital Strategy will be governed by the Digital Steering Committee who will liaise with Managers and Service Owners in implementation progress.