Affiliations: [a] Department of Management, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, UK | [b] UNU-MERIT, United Nations University, Maastricht University, Boschstraat 24, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Francesco Gualdi, Department of Management, The London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, London, UK. E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Academic literature has mostly discussed digital skills concerning end-users’ capability to access and use single technologies. Against this background, the paper sheds light on a missing element: the digital literacy of those who frame ICT-mediated policies that pursue sustainable development. The paper offers a novel conceptualization of digital skills as the capabilities to understand the socio-technical assemblages that emerge in social contexts after the adoption of ICT-mediated policies. Exploring the case study of the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service, the paper argues that empowering public administrators and civil servants with these digital skills is paramount to design, implement, and manage ICT-mediated policies that aim to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Keywords: Digital skills, Public sector, digital services, Sustainable Development Goals
