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Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Digital Strategy 2023-2026
Outline Implementation Plan
Table of Contents
1
Introduction
2
2
Executive Summary
3
3
Digital Achievements
4
4
Digital Vision & Mission
5
5
Strategic Alignment
6
6
Digital Staff
7
7
Digital Culture
8
8
Digital Engagement
9
9
Baseline & Digital Opportunities
10
A1
Appendix: User Journey
11
A2
Appendix: Digital Maturity
12
A3
Appendix: Delivery Roadmap
13
1
1
Introduction
Dear Colleagues,
I am delighted to introduce the Department’s new Digital Strategy for 2023-2026. This critical strategy is in harmony with the Departments’ IMT Strategy and
outlines our ambition for digital transformation and enhancing our customers’ user experience. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in Ireland,
providing food and raw materials for a growing population. As the world becomes increasingly digitised, it is essential for the industry to embrace technology
and adopt a digital strategy to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. The use of digital technology can lead to a more data-driven approach to
farming, enabling farmers to make better decisions and optimise their resources. This can result in increased yields and reduce waste.
We are mid-way through our current IMT Strategy, and I would like to acknowledge the successes already achieved including increased consultation and input
from Department staff and our customers in design and development of new digital initiatives; new digital platform and virtual assistants introduced for
internal and external customers; enhanced customer online experience implemented across multiple IT systems and a new data platform established to host
accessible and accurate production data.
The purpose of this digital strategy is to provide a framework for the integration of digital technology. It will outline key areas where digital technology can be
applied. Our mission is to deliver the technology and cultural changes needed to embrace digital methods for both Department staff and stakeholders through
innovation, customer engagement and codesign.
The strategy will also provide guidance on how to develop the necessary infrastructure,
polices and partnerships to support the implementation of digital solutions. By adopting
a digital strategy, the Department can unlock the full potential of technology to increase
productivity, efficiency, and sustainability with governance and security at the core of
everything we do. Digital adoption and innovation will be at the heart of our Digital
Strategy and is aligned with Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework and the
National AI Strategy. The results will ensure we can better meet the challenges of the
future.
Louise McKeever, CIO
AI Generated Image from prompt
“Three silver fish on a digital plate”
Executive Summary | Strategy on a Page
Our Ambition
Our Desired Outcomes
Vision
Digitise 90% of DAFM’s customerfacing paper processes by 2030
Create a proficient digital
workforce that makes use of
data and digital tools
Digital
Staff
Staff trained and
proficient in the relevant
Digital skillsets
Custom dashboards
embedded into
divisional processes
Automation
opportunities to be
identified across
divisions
All forms available
digitally and the
preferred option over
paper
Mission
To deliver the technology and
cultural changes needed to embrace
digital methods for both DAFM
staff and stakeholders through
innovation,
customer
engagement
and codesign.
Digital
Culture
Digital
Engagement
Embrace and foster a
Digital First culture
across the Department
Employ customer centric
design through listening to
our stakeholders
Customers engaged as
early as possible in the
design process
One stop shop portal for
all operational services
delivered by the
Department
Our Digital Principles
Data driven decision making &
better access to information
Seek opportunities for process
automation to increase efficiency
Move to paperless by creating an
open, innovative & digital first mindset
Selection & awareness of ecofriendly digital technology
Codesign, adopting continual
collaboration with stakeholders
Digital Channels with enhanced
ways to engage with DAFM
3
Digital Achievements
We have made enormous progress in digital uptake over the last 15 years.
Here are a selection of examples of Digital progress made by DAFM to date.
Staff
Engagement
Codesign ChatBot &
AgriSnap App
Transformation
Earth
Observation
System
Digital
Services Hub
The AgriSnap mobile App allows farmers to take
location-tagged photographs to support their scheme
applications resulting in far fewer on-site inspections.
The Digital Hub has improved efficiencies and reduced
the use of paper. Online Ethics & Conflict of Interest
forms also aid corporate compliance.
The Earth Observation System analytics helps identify
errors in land use and drastically reduces the need for
on-site manual inspections.
Transformation
Culture
Blended
Working
The pandemic changed the way all of us work and interact.
In DAFM we put in place the technology to enable secure
home-working and accompanying blended working policy.
Digital Uptake of Applications
for DAFM Payment Schemes
Smart Text
Processing
In 2021 DAFM won an innovation award for its use of
intelligent text processing. It is capable of ‘reading’
documents uploaded by farmers & agents.
Benefits
Benefits
Users now have the ability to perform the vast majority
of functions remotely.
Benefits
With the introduction of the CAP 2023 schemes DAFM are
introducing satellite image analysis to aid with the
processing and inspection of applications.
Benefits
The Digital Service Hub provides a central repository for
internal DAFM forms that are completed and processed
through digital workflows.
Benefits
The AgFood.ie chatbot and AgriSnap mobile App are
both examples of where we have employed engagement
and codesign to develop digital solutions.
The system checks that only relevant personal
data has been uploaded and thus reduces data
risks and improves GDPR compliance.
100%
50%
5%
2007
AgFood.ie
launched
16%
2008
2012
Today
Online
applications
increase 3x
Digital overtakes
paper applications
Now every application
for the Basic Payment
Scheme is made online
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4 Digital Vision
Vision
To digitise 90% of DAFMs paper processes by 2030 such
that our customers have the tools and resources needed to
efficiently engage digitally across the agriculture, food and
marine community.
Mission
To deliver the technology and cultural changes
needed to embrace digital methods for both DAFM
staff and stakeholders through innovation, customer
engagement and codesign.
5
Digital Staff
Digital Staff Defined
Our strategy is to create a proficient
digital workforce that makes use of
data, automation and digital tools to
make their working lives easier.
We will employ digital tools to help
our staff collaborate and provide them
with the information needed to make
better, data informed decisions.
Through automation and process
reengineering we will help eliminate
the mundane task/s, accelerate
existing processes & ensure value-add
in the steps where our staff engage.
Process Automation
Providing Staff with Data Analytics
Division
identifies a
need for data
Request made
into to
analytics team
New request
when report
needs updated
Static report
emailed back
to Division
Comms plan to
help inform staff
of available data
Library of data sets
& dashboards,
continuously
expanding
Public
Data
Sets
Partner
Data
Sets
Division
identifies a
need for data
Interactive
dashboard
delivered with
self-serve features
Internal
DAFM
Data
Example Initiatives
Example: Applying for a Licence
During this strategic period we will
invest in process reengineering
including end to end automation.
Automation can bring huge
efficiencies for repeatable, high
volume manual processes allowing
staff to focus on edge cases and
improved stakeholder engagement.
Request made
& Analytics
team help
source the data
Skills &
Training
A ‘bot can ingest a
digital application
form and check the
content for errors
and accuracy.
If all the checks pass
it can extract the
details from the
form and enter them
into the DAFM
licensing system.
It can automatically
notify the applicant
when the status
changes, leaving staff
to focus on complex
applications.
Data Informed
Decisions
Process
Modernisation
Staff trained and proficient in the
relevant Digital skillsets
Custom dashboards embedded into
divisional processes
End to End Automation
opportunities to be identified
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Digital Culture
Digital Culture Defined
Our ambition is to foster a digital first
culture across the department and our
partners.
Our journey will focus on bringing
digital efficiencies through increasing
reuse and harmonising processes
rather than simply digitising existing
silos and functions.
To promote this, we will instigate a
Digital Innovation & Transformation
Board. This will help identify
opportunities across DAFM and
promote digital methods with our
external Partners.
Our digital culture must also be
sustainable. To mitigate climate
change, Ireland and the European
Union (EU) have committed to cutting
carbon emissions by over 50% by
2030 and aim to achieve net-zero
emissions by 2050.
DAFM will be at the forefront of this
with digital solutions to support
sustainable farming, monitoring and
carbon farming & trading.
We will also consider the sustainability
impact of our digital growth in terms of
energy consumption & Green IT.
Digital Culture Ambition
The field of occupational therapy has a
concept of doing, being and becoming
in the context of growth
Starting
and improvement. Adapted
here so as to apply to
growing a digital culture,
this model describes
Move from paper
how we want a digital
forms to online
mindset embedded
submissions but the
into DAFM’s culture.
Doing
Transforming
Offer Digital
technologies as
alternatives to most
paper and manual
processes
Ways of working are
designed around digital
delivery and
transformational compared
to traditional operating
models
underlying processes
remain unchanged
Becoming
Underlying
processes move
away from old
operating models to
embrace digital
technologies
The ambition is for
the digital strategy to
take us here
Today we
are here
Digital & Environmental
Working closely with the Sustainable
Energy Authority Of Ireland (SEAI)
and the Office of Public Works
(OPW), DAFM’s Energy Team are
working to promote more sustainable
practices and behaviours across the organisation. This
includes areas such as the use of electronic equipment. In
parallel the IMT branch have adopted Green IT principles
such that energy efficient equipment is preferred.
Example Initiatives
Legacy
Processes
Internal
Processes
New
Processes
Manual/Paper based public facing
processes will be phased-out
Internal processes that require forms will
move to the Digi Hub
New internal and public-facing processes
will be codesigned & digital first
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Digital Engagement
Digital Engagement Defined
Improved digital engagement is an
outcome at the heart of this strategy.
Customer
engagement
through
collaboration and codesign is a key
enabler to help us achieve this outcome.
Digital inclusion is another key outcome
and engagement is critical to this. We
will support our customers such that
they have improved access, skills,
motivation and trust to engage with
DAFM through digital channels.
An example is the use of local kiosks
where we can provide face-to-face
support for those that need it.
Codesign
Social Media
Engage
Our codesign methodology
begins as soon as a new
idea or project is
instigated.
Identify the
Kiosks Surveys
Online
We identify
Customer
the most
Gather
Prototype
Individuals Organisations
relevant
Feedback
customer group
and engage using
digital channels and
face to face workshops
to help us get feedback and
Delivery
deliver digital products and services
that will meet the future needs of our customers. New Digital Services
Gather
Requirements
Workshops Consultations
The
department
uses
social media platforms
Twitter,
Facebook,
LinkedIn and YouTube to
communicate
accurate
and timely information to
citizens. The content is
developed to engage our
audiences in a user
friendly and customer
focused way covering key
policy areas.
Example Initiatives
Our Customers
MyAgFood
Pop-up Kiosks
Develop a new web portal using the
principles of codesign and a user centred
experience including enhanced ChatBot
Support our users’ digital needs by
providing face-to-face engagement at
DAFM venues and selected events
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Baseline & Digital Foundations
Digital Opportunities Summary
In order to baseline the Digital
Strategy Implementation plan there
was an exercise carried out to
examine current customer facing
processes to examine if they were
digital or paper based.
Baseline: Current Customer Facing Processes
Examining the current customer facing processes there is a
clear trend towards digital first processes, with just 3 of the 22
services (14%) launched in the first half of 2023 defaulting to
paper.
DAFM Digital First vs Paper Only Services
100%
14%
90%
80%
70%
47%
42%
60%
60%
50%
The scope included:
- Scheme Applications
- Permit/License Applications
45%
55%
72 of the 132 processes (i.e. 55%)
currently open on the DAFM
website still include some element
of paper based processes.
30%
20%
53%
58%
2021
2022
40%
10%
- Information Access
0%
- Animal Registrations
- Appeal Submissions
86%
40%
2020 & Earlier
Digital First
Digital First
Paper
2023 To Date
Paper
- Bank Forms
- Census Forms
Not every customer is fully digital
so complementary manual or paper
processes are often required.
In order to provide the 2022/23
baseline, the numbers shown here
are
where
DAFM
offer
manual/paper engagement only
and no digital option is provided.
Digital Foundations
Moving towards a digital first organisation we will need the
necessary technology and appropriate governance structures to
be put in place. These will include
- Further Adoption of Data Warehouse & OpenShift Platforms
Example Initiatives
Advanced
API
Integration
Advanced API integration between
existing and new application to enable
efficient operations and automation
- Creation of a Digital Innovation & Transformation board
- Evaluate Enhanced tooling for Digital Forms creation
- Enhanced API Integration & Process Automation
Governance
Establishment of Digital Innovation &
Transformation Board to identify Digital
First opportunities across DAFM
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Appendix 1: Delivery Roadmap
Short Term
Digital Architecture Foundations: Data Warehouse, Digital Forms, Enhanced API Integration
Digital
Foundations
Digital Governance Structures Established
2026 +
Medium Term
2027 Strategy Refresh
Strategy Mid-term Review
Technology Platforms Implemented To Support Process Automation
Continual Assessment of Digital Transformation Opportunities
Pilot Virtual Training System For Field Staff
Digital
Identify & Pilot Process Automation For Internal Manual Processes
Staff
Library Of Reusable Data Sets & Dashboards
Data Analytics Dashboards Implemented Across Divisions For Data-led Decision Making
Removal Of All Paper Processes And Move To Digital Workflow
Digital
Culture
Benchmarking Against Other Government Departments
Continuous Move to Green IT & Sustainable Technology
Digital
Engagement
Enhance Formal Consultation And Engagement Process With The Agri-food Community
Launch A New Departmental Open Data Platform: Opendata.Agriculture.Gov.Ie
Develop Digitisation Roadmap
Increase the Uptake of Digital & Data Technologies Through Further Engagement & Codesign
MyAgFood Digital Portal & Mobile App Launched For Farmers & Agents
Digitisation of Current Processes
Digital First for all new Processes
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Appendix 2: Strategic Alignment
The DAFM Digital Strategy has not been developed in isolation. Alignment has been sought from across DAFM, the agriculture sector, the
Government of Ireland and wider afield. These include:
Theme 2, Digital First – A
2030 ambition is for a
‘Digital First’ Civil Service
which delivers 90% of
applicable services that
are consumed online via
accessible, integrated and
customer-driven solutions.
The digital strategy is also underpinned by DAFM’s technology
principles that help ensure that
any initiatives offer business
value and customer benefits:
Through
Connecting
Government 2030, the
coming years will be about
building upon our strong
foundations and creating a
trusted,
human-driven,
intuitive and inclusive
world-leading
digital
government service.
Ireland will play a key role
in Europe in advancing the
new digital decade – the
goal of which is the
successful digital transformation of Europe by
2030 and for the Union to
be digitally sovereign in an
open and inter-connected
world.
▪
Continuous collaboration with our
stakeholders
▪
User centred design
Mission 4 – An Innovative,
Competitive and Resilient
Agri-Food Sector, Driven
by Technology and Talent.
This includes developing
dynamic knowledge exchange
practices
and
enhancing the use of
technology and data.
To pursue digital policies
that empower people and
businesses to seize a
human
centred,
sustainable
and
more
prosperous digital future.
▪
Tell us once data capture
▪
Technology Reuse over build or buy
▪
Simplicity over complexity
▪
Prefer Green IT
▪
Standardised user experience
6
Appendix 3: Agent User Journey
Using DAFM’s
MyAgFood system I can
easily filter to find which
of my clients will be
interested in this scheme
Drystock example shown
I can also message
these farmers and send
them info on the
updated scheme
Interesting!
DAFM have announced
updated information
about the new scheme
The MyAgFood
App has some
updated messages
from my Agent. I’ll
take a look and
give him a call.
Making the
Application
Good to see you Jim.
Let’s apply for this new
scheme but first I can see
that the pre-approved
capital grants window
closes soon. Let’s get that
sorted first.
Can I make an
appointment
to come in?
Hi Jim. You took a look at
that info, great. Yes, I
agree it’s worth
progressing an application
for this new scheme
If that suits, else
we can progress
everything online
No, all digital now Jim.
We can complete the
entire process right now.
Any paper forms we
need to send off?
Good progress on scheme
applications. All of my
clients have already been
notified of status. Just 1 or 2
farmers I need to contact…
Hi Joe. Can I just get
you to check your
land parcel details.
You can use your
MyAgFood App.
That looks
accurate.
Thanks for the
update!
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