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6.10 Are you aware of any current or planned digital media services that allow your organisation to do fundamentally new things it could not have done before?

Question intent: The intent of this question was whether DMS were seen by the organisation as providing a fundamentally new means of enabling services that could not have been offered before by the organisation.

Many of the consultees believed that DMS were offering them fundamentally new possibilities for offering services that were either impossible or impracticable before.

Some DMS that were interesting to the organisations consulted, included:

• Distance learning
• New digital broadcasting / point-casting
• " Digital mainstream Scottish TV channel (at early stages of discussion in Exec and proposed Cultural Commission) [will offer] fundamentally new services which we would be able to offer - can't define as mechanisms for producing and commissioning watchable local TV (including news) have not yet been considered, but an example could be uploadable and downloadable independent international daily news in partnership with (a new organisation such as) Independent World Television News to complement local / community news bulletins."
• " Fundamentally new services - I would love to provide an 'audio report' service for public servants."
• " As explained previously the use of streaming to deliver lectures over the Internet."
• " Use audio recording and digital storage to make pod-casts available to students for downloading to their portable media devices such as iPod."
• " The email newsletter has been a phenomenal success."
• " Simple video-conferencing has enabled much better co-ordination between physically remote parts of our organisation, particularly our overseas representatives."
• " Concert-Companion PDA's - Use of local wireless internet to broadcast concert info, e.g. the performance programme or libretto to hand-held devices."
• " Digital media opens out a vast array of opportunities which fundamentally change our charter ... becoming more aligned to personal choice and local flavours of programming."
• New e-commerce
• " The Destination Management System behind our consumer facing web sitewww.visitscotland.com, enables the trade to provide room allocation thereby allowing visitors to book on-line."
• " Mobile phone-ready bar-codes: the ability to send unique bar codes to a mobile phone allowing for paperless ticket sales."
• " The agency is taking forward a major e-procurement project to provide staff with on-line ordering facilities."
• " Online Box Office - allow visitors to book tickets for exhibitions & events online."
• New marketing strategies
• " Delivering marketing campaigns using new media, for example, reaching new markets through appropriate use and targeting of banners, newsletters and viral campaigns."
• " There are also some exciting ideas in audience development coming out of agencies such as arts magnet in the northwest of England, who are I understand trying to offer similar services in Scotland."
• " Interactivity (red button; text; telephone and internet) and personalisation open a number of opportunities for more compelling content, e.g. retain and attract audiences, as well as allowing us to develop new revenue streams such as affinity services, competitions etc."
• New e-learning systems
• " VLE will facilitate 24 hour access to learning and enable remote learning."
• E-fundraising
• " workwithus.org has provided some helpful hints about e-fundraising from their site."
• Novel accreditation schemes
• " Single shared assessment allows joining up of multi agency services assessments to provide more effective and timely delivery of services to target clients."
• " The way we administer the Accreditation scheme for museums has fundamentally changed from the old registration scheme. Applications and assessment are now carried out electronically and integrated closely with MLA."
• Collaborative services
• " Resource Sharing Scotland project is funded by Scottish Library and Information Council to allow the Ayrshire Libraries Forum members to work together to make real access to resources seamless. It will enable the user to find and request resources in a more seamless fashion. It will hopefully enable more cohesive approaches to material selection for a range of library services in a geographic area."
• Multimedia integration
• " …the digital national library. As this develops the ability of digital services to allow the integration of original materials, sound, vision and supporting information can bring our collections to life for new audiences, especially over distances."
• " Electronic Music stands - does away with traditional paper music."
• Accessible technologies
• " We are offering the same services, but making them available in new and for some customers more accessible ways."

Some maintained that DMS only allow for the more efficient execution of things that could be done previously.

The kinds of services that were thought of as novel by the consultees was a wide one indeed, ranging from new marketing strategies to accreditation schemes to e-commerce to new services for personal multimedia devices such as iPods, e.g. pod-casting. The range of answers speaks to a vital spark of creativity in the use of DMS to provide novel services that further organisations' missions.

6.10.1 Improvements in existing services
The priority for many smaller organisations (or distributed organisations with a small central support staff), was to 'do what they do but better'. Even larger organisations were focused chiefly on the improvement of existing services; with many not yet clear about how they would be able to provide completely new services using digital media. Although some organisations felt that the priority would always be to improve the way in which they undertook their core work, others felt that they were at a stage where they had completed the implementation of enabling systems and that they were facing a period where innovation might now be possible.

• " The priority is to ensure that the quality of service is as good as it can be."

It was clear that innovative thinking may not be a priority for services that get bogged down in day-to-day issues with ICT. It was difficult for them to see the big picture and all the possible alternatives.

Key improvements to existing services included:

• Speed and efficiency of communication
• The ability to target users
• Streamlining processes ( e.g. grant applications)
• Integration with physical services, for example complementing onsite visits with relevant preparatory or follow-up activities. However, visitor-focused organisations were clear that they aimed to enhance, not replace onsite visits.

Content providers also felt that their digital services enabled users to experience more flexibility and user-determined exploration in the use of resources. Overall there was evidence that ICT enabled organisations to work much more efficiently than before. One organisation felt strongly that there was a need to integrate internal and external services in order to demonstrate transparency and accountability to the public. Although other organisations did not state this as strongly, they did cite instances where previously undisclosed documents were being shared with the public.

6.10.2 Types of new service
Some organisations, however, were able to provide examples of ways in which the use of digital media had allowed them to develop new services. These included:

• 'Learning by stealth' - embedding learning activities in games
• Interaction with users
• Providing exhibitions 24/7
• Providing surrogates of otherwise inaccessible material
• Allowing people to 'pursue curiosity'
• Using a national resource directly, not simply indirectly
• Provision of secure services to users - security priority for confidential transactions.
• Provision of application forms online, digital signatures, administrative documentation.
• Video-streaming to provide remote access to theatre productions.
• E-newsletters to specific audiences.
• Glasgow: Sounds of a Music Capital: www.seeglasgow.com/itour (iPod-based city tour).
• Digital image bank, disclosing internal resources more readily to potential users.

One organisation, however, asserted that " images and text are not content"; highlighting the need for meaning, either through context, packages or interpretation in order to establish new services which would be useful.

6.10.3 Specific examples of new services
Some specific examples of new services were provided; these included:

• 'Heads Together', a digital community developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland for head teachers. This provided communication forum for peers, allowing them to develop a community of practice. Resources included professional activities, sharing documents and examples of best practice e.g. policy documents.
• Scottish Enterprise had developed an online funding application system providing a trusted, secure means for university developers to share knowledge with potential funders, thereby closing the gap in the chain of innovation and allowing them to move to proof-of-concept without jeopardising their IPR.

Other initiatives from Learning and Teaching Scotland included:

• Providing a forum for software reviews by and for teachers.
• The creation of activity-based curriculum resources such as 'OilSpill' where a simulated oil spill, provided the stimulus for students to speak with experts, log on for 5 weeks of activities integrated with the curriculum and facilitate contributions from students including activities, models and essays.

6.10.4 How successful have new services been?

6.10.4.1 Areas of success
A general comment from one organisation was supported by many other large organisations:

• " We are doing much, much better than four years ago, have improved substantially on two years ago, and now feel that the organisation is on track and moving at a more appropriate pace."

High levels of expectation were now in evidence, both externally and internally for ICT-related services. Organisations cited excellent take-up of educational activities where these have been integrated into curriculum and teachers engaged. Other indicators included:

• National Library website use increasing 50% - 80% per year.
• Tourism - " very successful" in targeting specific business audiences.
• Scran - 300% increase in use of material over the last year.

6.10.4.2 Areas of concern
Internally, organisations currently without Intranets recognised the need to establish one in order to create a central digital meeting point, especially for mobile and distributed staff.

Externally, there was concern that while some users were media-literate there were user groups where media-literacy had yet to be developed. A number of organisations supported a claim that: sometimes " …physical mail-outs are still the only really reliable means of catching people's attention."

As noted above there is concern that the success or otherwise of digital media services is not being properly evaluated and that given that " …it is not possible simply to make a collection available online and expect people to use it", too few projects had a built-in user impact element.

6.11 How is it ensured that your organisation's managers and other responsible staff have the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding of digital media to enable the creation of digital media services?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether organisations ensured the skills of their staff so that the staff could develop new and creative DMS.

The range of answers included:

• Training through a combination of the personal and professional interest of staff.
• Working closely with users.
• Relationships with professional and trade contacts.
• Ad-hoc training.
• Identifying internal contacts and giving them training / staff encouraged to pursue professional development opportunities.
• Provision of a training budget.
• Recruit expertise.
• Most managers are required to have expertise.
• Networking with other organisations including international ones.
• Part-time MSc.
• Knowledge management.
• Staff development after career reviews.
• eGov and technology briefings.
• Peer-to-peer communication.
• Use of international forums to learn best-practice ( ICA, National Archives of Scotland).
• Regular internal meetings and brainstorming sessions.

Some identified the need to carry out an ICT skills review. Some had no idea how they currently went about this.

There is a split between those organisations that are strongly technology-based as opposed to those who have technology as a powerful enabler of their traditional remits. That is, those newer more technology-savvy organisations tend to recruit specific talent, whereas some of the more established and larger organisations tend to look to retraining existing staff in the new technologies (but certainly not to the exclusion of hiring informed talent).

6.12 Has your organisation used digital media as a means to support and manage its current services in a more efficient way?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether the organisation believed it was using DMS to support its current processes and services more efficiently.

Almost all of the consultees believed that DMS were offering the potential to offer existing services in a more efficient way. Indeed, this is the main thrust of e-government initiatives at local authorities at present, where the 'e' stands for efficiency and not electronic (and not all efficiency gains are electronically mediated).

Much efficiency in-house has already been realised though the establishment of LANs and networked PCs earlier in this decade or the last one (the 1990's), as observed by one consultee: " The introduction of the companies first networked PCs in 2001 was a revelation!"

The next big improvement in efficiencies as far as external parties were concerned was the establishment of informative websites, also largely in the last decade or the start of this one.

The efficiencies nowadays come from:

• Interoperability
• Integration of systems
• More dynamic systems
• user focussed information solutions

Specific examples of efficiency-related systems include:

• More dynamic systems
• Partnering with others
• " We also believe that we can make strides in increased collaboration on projects with distant partners, through new video conferencing technologies."
• " We are partners in a co-operative organisation which allow us to share catalogue records cheaply and efficiently when cataloguing our collections, and for the creation of digital content."

• Interviewing staff
• " We recently used video conferencing in our recruitment process for interviewing a candidate based in Canada. We may use it in future to video conference in speakers, etc. for our panels or web-casting."

• Integration of systems, the paper-less offices and office productivity:
• " ICT is at the heart of our organisation. All information recorded by RCAHMS from field survey or from archive cataloguing is incorporated in the RCAHMS database. This is made available to the public through Canmore. Photography is now mainly digital and air photography is incorporated into the GIS."
• " We were able to design and build a new corporate HQ three years ago based on principles of flexible working, e.g. hot-desking, enabled by new digital technologies."
• " We have also used SNAP survey software and online submissions to speed up the collation of research on a number of subjects."
• " Mobile and hot-desking."
• " We are promoting and taking registrations for the big international voluntary arts conference we are running later this year mainly through online means."
• " Yes, we have recently computerised our book-keeping system."
• " A good example is the time taken to produce a copy of a Will, which has dropped from 3 days to about 3 seconds!"
• " Online forum for remote staff to engage with Hub staff."
• " Communication with our membership has become much more efficient through the use of email."
• " Distribution of SMSee is now largely electronic as well as in hard copy. Press releases are also distributed electronically"
• " Mainstreaming ICT to improve performance in museums is a key element of our National ICT strategy. Indirectly, we have helped to improve efficiency in the sector more generally, for example through targeted 100% grants for ICT equipment in small technologically-poor museums. As a consequence of improvements in ICT provision in the sector, museums are moving more towards electronic communications. For example, during our most recent consultation exercise only five museums requested hard copies of the supporting documents, the remainder using the electronic copies provided."
• E-commerce
• On-line shop ( CD sales) and on-line booking (via box offices).
• Self-service
• " Library Service - experimental self-issue terminals."
• " We are in the process of optimising the allocation of our human resources by offering as many " routine" services and information packages on a self-serve basis for volume clients via our web presence and other digital channels."
• " …many enquiries are initially covered by a visit to the website."
• " The newsletter has proven time and time again to be a very effective way of getting information out to the sector."
• " By developing on-line information and date services which support much of our core business, we are offering users the facility to answer their enquiries without having to wait for the organisation to respond directly to them. This in turn is a saving in time for both customer and [our] staff."

In terms of efficiencies, none of the consultees mentioned how such efficiencies were being monitored. Many of the efficiencies relate to common efficiency drivers of ICT systems, for example, having to produce only an e-mail for an announcement or new policy as opposed to having to print it.

However, some were achieving efficiencies through partnering and sharing services. This is a potentially huge source of efficiencies for the TCS sector for the future.

6.13 Do you believe that your organisation has as much control over the quality ( e.g. of content published through a content management system) of the digital media services it offers in comparison to its traditional service offering ( e.g. of content published to a magazine)?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether the control of the quality of services now being offered via DMS was effective.

Many of the consultees claim to be controlling the quality of DMS their organisations offer.

Quality of authority

• " I think we have more control but not as much authority. If we publish a news release, review or comment about our work on our website it lacks the endorsement needed for it to be authoritative (there are steps that can be taken to subvert this perception). However, if we publish the work of others on our site we may be able to confer authority on it."

Quality of copy

• " We don't have many printed materials as our service is mostly accessed via web and email and our information is constantly being updated so printed materials become obsolete quickly."
• " In the same way as the traditional methods."
• " The biggest issue in the development of content management systems is that the system itself can provide quality checking."
• " The content of a magazine is edited and controlled. We need to ensure that any future digital media strategy and development looks at providing central core services which can provide this quality support."
• " We are still developing our way forward with digital content. We do intend to have management models in place for QA and are aiming for a distributed contribution and management model operating under specific policies. QA procedures will be defined and embedded."
• " That's the challenge just now - ownership and monitoring tends to reside with the few rather than all which can lead to fluctuations in quality."
• " I think the quality has improved because of the devolution of web content management to departmental level … and also the speed by which material can be updated and refreshed - very difficult with the old print-based communications."
• " Internal monitoring panel."
• " Control comes via managing many of the referred to digital media services in-house rather than outsourcing such responsibilities. This often proves more cost-effective and economical."
• " Not straightforward as the issue of quality has to be linked to fitness for purpose."
• " We have agreed publishing protocols in place across the organisation for the delivery of both hard copy and electronic media. This ensures a standard approach."

Surprisingly, few mentioned (only two) a CMS-mediated publishing workflow for website quality control. Scottish Museums also mentioned a workflow for a CMS. There they follow the usual model of having several content authors and only a couple editors (information Manager and Information Officer) who quality-assure the content before publication. Scottish Library and Information Council have even gone so far as to look to enshrine the topic of quality assurance in their future digital media strategy, so strongly do they feel the importance of this topic.

Some have realised the needs for new QA specific to DMS and are in the process of developing these. Many thought a more distributed contribution and management model would produce the highest quality product, as opposed to more channelled processes.

Some have a single-source content process now, and so checking copy only happens once for the traditional as well as digital services.

Also, many pointed to the speed with which mistakes can be rectified in the digital domain; that is, this characteristic has tended to increase quality over old paper-based publications.

Quality of content is paramount for most organisations within the sector, particularly for content providers such as BBC, Museums, Libraries and Educators. Organisations have tackled this issue in a number of ways as follows:

6.13.1 Organisational and technical measures
Editorial procedures were in place to some extent in all the organisations interviewed. The nature of these procedures included the following approaches:

• " Rigid control using the web team."
• Use of tracking spreadsheets and Content Management Systems to manage pre-production of digital assets and content publication as appropriate.
• Improving metadata to make resources more accessible.
• Content contributed from across the organisation but centrally edited.
• Testing submissions, in-house improvement of submissions.
• Rejection of content of insufficient quality.
• Corporate communications team having a clear view of all messages going out to the public and business users.
• Constant review of service provision, particularly hardware for performance.

Some organisations felt that direct input to websites should be restricted to highly formatted material ( e.g. events information) in order to preserve the branding and quality of content made available to external users. Others felt it was important to avoid publishing time-sensitive information if there is a possibility of it not being updated in a timely manner.

6.13.2 Specialist skills
A large proportion of the organisations consulted felt that while all relevant staff should have a voice but there should be consistency of presentation and 'voice'. For many, this translated to ownership of the site by Communications staff. Other measures involving specialist skills included:

• Employing professional writers and proofing by experts.
• Copyright checked by appropriately skilled staff.
• Clear to-publication procedures managed by workflow.
• Ensuring good staff are recruited; using focus groups to engage users.
• Rethinking the role of subject-specialists with knowledge to share - increasing interpretation and representation of content.
• Recruitment of legal skills to check some content provision.
• Signposting to other content - using knowledge skills to avoid duplication.
• Use of a large publishing team with appropriate professional skills.

6.13.3 Partnerships
Some organisations had established partnerships with others ( e.g.LT Scotland) in order to determine users' requirements and to assure that a range of needs are met with appropriately mediated content.

6.14 Has your organisation had to comply with any governmental policies or frameworks?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether the DMS being developed by (subject) organisations were complying with government policies on DMS.

The results speak to quite a lot of difference on this issue, partially down to the few non-public sector organisations taking part in the audit. Charities are not required to comply with any government policies, even on the DPA.

Yes:

• " Readability"
• " The tourism Framework for Action asked for the development of an industry website - that is why we developedwww.scotexchange.net."
• " As a charity we operate best practices with regard to the Data Protection Act but are not currently required to register. As part of our website overhaul we will include a large text only site based on disability standards."
• " Had to comply with Modernising Government initiatives. Joint working with GROS and RoS is very much in line with this initiative."
• " Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information, general Copyright & Intellectual Property guidelines."
• " [We] do adhere to e GIF framework as a matter of best practice."
• " At a technical level [we are] working to comply with e GIF. [We are] required to contribute to Scottish Enterprise priorities."
• " Not on an organisational basis, but the sector will have had to meet governmental policies / frameworks."
• " In online the DCMS - or Graf - report as well as various OFCOM policies."
• " Accessibility, e.g.BOBBY is the one that affects us most."
• " Just the general e-government policies as far as I am aware."
• " All the government policies and frameworks apply to [us] as an NDPB."
• " We are in the process of addressing accessibility guidelines. This has been done for some smaller sites we are responsible for."
• " e- GIF; OSIAF; Accessibility; metadata standards, e.g. Dublin Core."
• " e GIF compliant, eGov, OSIAF Standards. OSIAF Rep in place."
• " W3C for access to websites."
• " Electronic records and Document Management requirements. Freedom of Information Regulations - timescales for response to enquiries etc. Data Protection Act, Aarhus Convention E- GIF / e- GMS."
• " Accessibility."

The majority did believe they had to comply with government information standards / frameworks. But a sizeable minority either didn't know or were sure they didn't comply with government policies / frameworks on DMS. Given the amount of effort expended in recent years on establishing standards and frameworks for DMS in the public sector, it was surprising that there was not a greater recognition of these in the organisations we consulted.

Many of the local authorise mentioned OSIAF as well as e GIF.

6.15 Has your organisation been inspired to think of using digital media services due to sectoral or governmental initiatives?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether organisations were inspired to develop DMS due to government initiatives or not.

For any nascent DMS, this was a very interesting and relevant question.

We were asking whether or not the consultees' organisations were inspired to develop DMS by any initiative or policy emanating from government. This was to do with the services themselves, as opposed to uptake of the infrastructure and technology.

Half said they had been and half said they had not been inspired to develop new DMS through government initiatives.

• " Inspiration rarely comes from initiatives but from users. Funding inspires compliance to standards."
• " Broadband - inspired to look further into this by SAC initiative - secured sponsored provision."
• " eGov as a whole, Northern Peripheries Project, NOF digitisation Projects."
• " People's Network, E-Government"
• " National Cultural Strategy, Scottish Cultural Portal Information Skills on line."
• " The onset of e-government has and will impact on the nature of records which all archives / records mangers have to deal with. However; there were insufficient details / resources given to provide the underpinning infrastructure to preserve digital archives."
• " We got an e-business audit through the EQUAL programme working withwww.workwithus.orgpartnership which helped us look at some aspects of our presentation."
• " Digital media are at the heart of our development and we are leaders within our sector; current government initiative facilitates rather than inspire our e-developments."
• " We are very much part of the 'Modernising Government' initiative."
• " General awareness of 21st century government unit and open Scotland have been a backdrop to our activities."
• " Modernising Government Funding Rounds 1-3, Lead by Scottish Executive"
• " All these projects are carried out in the spirit of the Modernising Government agenda and then Joined up Government initiatives."
• " Original inspiration was Stevenson report than the original NGfL publications around 1999."
• " e-Government, Efficient Government."
• " Digital switchover. Spectrum management. Radio licensing."
• " Digital inclusion."

As can be seen, the range of policies, frameworks and initiatives quoted are large. Only a couple of organisations really felt inspired to develop DMS as a result of government intervention. Most felt government initiatives facilitated rather than inspired the development of DMS.

6.16 Does your organisation carry out user requirements research to ensure that any developed digital media services do in fact satisfy an existing need in users?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether organisations were capturing the needs of users in the development of their DMS.

Essentially the huge majority of consultees are claiming to capture user-requirements before they develop their DMS. Whether this simply means at an early stage of project feasibility some stakeholders are consulted by the marketing or communications department or whether they mean users are being involved throughout the design and build stages is unknown.

The range of methods employed to ascertain user requirements and needs was wide:

• " Training feedback, web-stats, focus groups, direct user feedback, innovation sessions and user need analysis."
• " Audience questionnaires."
• " A research is planned for later this year / through questionnaires / focus groups."
• " An annual survey of users of ScotExchange. Consumer research has been undertaken and is planned on the main consumer web site. A staff survey of The Hub intranet site."
• " This general conducted on a project by project evaluation basis; both through formal and informal feedback. It is also being looked at in our current marketing review."
• " Focus groups, partnership - but we don't do this consistently."
• " Formal consultation with users (and non-users)."
• " Where funding permits or specifications of project or consultancy require."
• " Focus groups of users and online surveys."
• " Regular email follow-ups to clients who have used our service - this is to be automated soon. We will be conducting a web evaluation exercise in October."
• " Questionnaires online and in reader services. Feedback from users. This is very limited and we would like to do more."
• " We act on user feedback about our web site and other electronic delivery mechanisms. Any subsequent changes to [our] web site will also be accompanied by stakeholder consultation. User needs are also a central priority in our National ICT strategy. As a result, we have commissioned research into user needs on behalf of the museum sector in Scotland. On example is through the Strategic Change Fund project What Clicks:http://www.scottishmuseums.org.uk/membersservices/SCF/SCF13.asp. We have also recently commissioned a user impact study of online museum digitisation projects. This has produced a great deal of information about user needs, and has also helped us to formulate guidance for museums on measuring the impact of digitisation projects on their users."
• " This is the intention for our digital developments - [we have] a customer focus underpinning all its services developments."
• " Previous sectoral projects have included user group. The new project has built in user involvement in planning from an earlier stage, audience development and user feed-back sessions."
• " Surveys, statistical tracking and focus group work."
• " We do surveys of our email newsletter subscribers to get feedback."
• " A new Marketing Division carries a regular programme of market research including focus groups, user satisfaction surveys and omnibus research to gain demographically and geographically weighted research on the total population. This has included usability labs on our website and a national survey to identify public priorities for our digitisation programme."
• " Regular surveys among internal and external users. Opportunities for action resulting from these surveys are given very high priority by Scottish Enterprise management at all levels."
• " …all website and email service developments and changes are subject to market research and we offer the facility (and encourage) customer feedback. Online ticket booking developments are inline with Arts marketing audience research."
• " IT User Groups Citizen Panel via posted questionnaire Virtual Citizen's Panel (online) Public Interactions at various levels."
• " Regular customer surveys which query most effective channels for communicating with customers."
• " As part of this project we had a SCAN User Group including members who were representative of genealogists, local historians, professional researchers, and education and academic sectors. This group has been used to discuss the digital media services and has helped shape the current and future direction."
• " [We have] an ongoing programme of customer survey work - looking at current and emerging customer requirements and how these can best be delivered. As part of this work we have consulted users on the question of on-line services."
• " No specific targeted research along these lines although we do monitor use of multicast services. Digital media such as internet streaming offer means by which a greater understanding of audience media consumption patterns and the manner in which they have developed, e.g. radio listening over internet in office environment."
• " We have an extensive customer feedback process in addition to formal customer audit programs."
• " Online questionnaires for the website. User feedback forms for the onsite system. User testing (including accessibility) for websites."

6.16.1 Issues
Although a number of organisations had undertaken market research and user consultation, it was notable that there was little if any evidence of collaboration in this area. Although individual organisations were targeting specific audiences which may differ across the sector, there is presumably some scope for a collaborative approach to market research. A national library organisation had bought into existing Omnibus market research to engage with non-users of service; this is an approach which could be relevant to other organisations.

A national broadcaster was targeting a wide range of audiences, but had specifically identified the need to develop non-male audiences (75% of online audiences were currently male, as identified in self-selecting surveys) in particular, they had identified the under-representation of mothers engaged with childcare and family activities.

There is some concern that too few projects have a built-in user impact element allowing organisations to evaluate how successful a particular project may have been. Research has been conducted nationally ( e.g. in the museums sector) but individual organisations often do not take this up as part of project developments.

6.16.2 Initiatives
Some organisations had begun to use popup surveys to indicate user numbers and to develop user profiles; however, there is some concern at the self-selecting nature of this approach.

Some organisations were very clear about their existing target audiences ( e.g. helping establish arts-based micro-businesses within the creative industries) prior to the advent of digital media services and had been able to transfer this focus to their online activities. However, for some organisations with broader remits had found it more difficult to focus on specific markets. " Accessible to everyone who can benefit from collections, services and expertise" ; " Informal and formal learners" were typical responses to the question. A national library organisation was not alone in planning to undertake comprehensive market research in the near future.

For some organisations there was a clear desire to broaden audiences generally, through the raising of the organisation's profile online. Other organisations had begun to target specific audiences ( e.g. the deliberate targeting of older users by a national broadcaster).

6.17 Who does your organisation target as priority audiences for its traditional services and offerings?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether DMS were targeted at existing audiences for traditional services or whether new audiences were being targeted.

Largely, the audiences identified by the organisations were as to be expected. However, several of the organisations mentioned other audiences also such as:

• Life-long learners
• Socially excluded groups

Some also mentioned having changed their audiences from the traditional to targeting those groups classed as under-represented by the Scottish Executive.

It is interesting to note that the advent of DMS has forced some organisations to think about the nature of their existing audiences. As DMS opens up wider audiences and brings existing audiences much closer it has forced many to conduct much more work in audience development and marketing. This has helped them develop services that people really want.

6.18 Does your organisation use digital media services to advertise its non-digital media or traditional offerings or services?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether DMS were being used by the organisation to advertise its existing services.

Almost all consultees are using DMS to advertise their existing services and offerings. This can be explained by the ubiquity nowadays of the informative website.

Some more novel DMS were also being used to advertise traditional services, including: e-flyers and e-kiosks.

• " Website for grant scheme and vacancies"
• " Web-site, email communications and on-line shop are all used to promote traditional services."
• " Our consumer web site promotes Scotland offering visitors the opportunity to research and book their visit to Scotland. We sent out e-newsletters; e-blasts and viral campaigns promoting Scotland. We place banners and links on other web sites to link back to particular pages and offers on our web sites."
• " Website (ours) Email List (ours) E-listing (others) Websites / web-listings (others) Downloadable content ( PDF / streaming media). Though I am not sure we have traditional offerings or services as you may mean. But we advertise our non-web based work through digital media outlets. We have also used digital media services to advertise positions though the whole process is not fully digital."
• " Website; e-newsletter; internal POI."
• " Website. Also, the online catalogue gives customers access, allowing them to select material they wish to see when they visit in person."
• " Our web site; email lists; electronic papers and journals."
• " Through the web site advertising our services Online catalogue to the RCAHMS archive."
• " Via the web site we provide information about who we are; what we do; along with contact details for relevant members of staff. We also provide facilities for online visitors to order hard copy publications via the web site. We provide information on museums in Scotland; including contact details; short descriptions of services and location information. We also use digital media services to promote the non-digital offerings of our membership and other partner organisations (training; events and so on)."
• " Digital signage."
• " The archives sector uses digital media to advertise contents of collections, providing how to guides, and supplying copies of digital images of archival documents."
• " Relevant website page, e-mail newsletter, use of CDROMs for specific pieces of information or rewards for completing research! We also use other email newsletters and websites."
• " Website and email (and online advertising / email advertising through external sites / partners) e-flyers graphic design for posters, flyers, magazines, programmes etc."
• " The website contains details of access to our buildings, the search rooms and the services someone will find there."
• " Website - Publicity of events and activities, publications catalogue, downloadable information sheets, information about sites and species."
• " By reference to the offering or service from the digital medium, e.g. see repairs handbook or list of facilities etc in City Handbook."
• " Website and email (and online advertising / email advertising through external sites / partners) " e-flyers, graphic design for posters, flyers, magazines, programmes etc"
• " On website, HTML newsletter & onsite kiosks."

6.19 Does your organisation use digital media services to advertise its digital media offerings or services?

Question intent: The intent of this question was to ascertain whether the organisation advertised its DMS over DMS themselves.

In relation to the previous question, fewer organisations are advertising their DMS via DMS, which is perhaps a little surprising.

• " Links from National Archives of Scotland website to Scotland's People and other smaller websites."
• " Through our web site we provide access to news and other online services, e.g. contact details for museums in Scotland, and also advertise other digital media offerings like CD- ROMs that we have developed. Press releases are also provided electronically."
• " Through public exhibitions with heavy digital media content; including interactivity and digital signage."
• " Via our various web presences. We also make regular use of offline media such as CD- ROMs or DVDs to showcase messages; particularly internationally."
• " Online advertising / email advertising through external sites / partners."
• " There is an online strategy that attempts to pull all this together by cross referencing."
• " We have taken Google ads and email newsletters to those registering with us."
• " In Radio, for example, our web site contains information on how to access virgin radio from all digital platforms."

A variety of digital marketing strategies was being followed here, with some having bought Google advertisements, many having extensive digital signposting / links from others' websites, etc.

It was clear that some organisations were beginning to develop digital media services to extend their existing activities. For example some organisations were keen to use services to connect people, e.g. Their Past, Your Future, a project to connect WW2 veterans with schools at http://www.scotlandswar.info /, the aim of such projects being partly to change the way people regarded ICT. E-communications were being used to develop audiences, a monthly newsletter to the tourism industry from Visit Scotland being a case in point.

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