📕 Background
Dorset Council’s Workplace Digital Champions programme, in partnership with 365Tribe, continues to grow in strength as they enter their fifth year of collaboration. Originally launched as a one-year initiative during the lockdown in April 2019, the programme has evolved into a long-term strategy. Dorset Council recently extended its partnership with 365Tribe for another three years, ensuring the initiative will run until at least 2027. The council remains committed to enhancing the digital skills of its workforce, which in turn improves the digital experience for both residents and visitors.
📈 Measuring Success
Through 365Tribes YourChampions Programme the council has employed various methods to measure the success of the programme, including:
- Feedback from digital champions and colleagues they support
- Monitoring training attendance and views of on-demand resources
- Tracking digital badges earned by champions to showcase their understanding
- Evaluating the retention of champions over time
365Tribes Programme, utilises Microsoft Forms, Lists, automation tools, and Power BI dashboards to analyse the data and continually improve the programme.
🎉Year 4 Results: Over £222,000 Saved in Productivity
In the most recent year, the programme made a significant impact, generating productivity and time savings valued at £222,817.73. This was achieved through the support provided by 260 digital champions, who helped their colleagues adopt and make better use of Microsoft 365 applications in their daily work.
“We are really excited to be starting year 5 of the programme with the expertise and skills from 365Tribe. Our champions will have even more badges to collect including one for Windows 11 which will be a great way to support our Windows 11 rollout across the council. Working collaboratively we ensure materials are tailored to the way Dorset Council work, align with our priorities whist ensuring accessibility is at the forefront of everything we do”
— Delia Carr, User Adoption Lead, Dorset Council
The Workplace Digital Champions Programme has not only delivered significant productivity savings but has also empowered Dorset Council’s champions to gain valuable skills in a wide range of Microsoft 365 and Power Platform apps. These champions have supported their colleagues in key business scenarios, including running smarter meetings with Teams, improving collaboration, efficiently finding and storing information, and using modern file storage solutions. They’ve also helped ensure accessibility across M365, making digital tools more inclusive and effective for everyone. By focusing on practical, real-world applications, the programme has driven both personal development and tangible business benefits.
🏆 Dorset’s digital champions have excelled in their roles, earning 2,684 community badges and accumulating 16,600 mentor points. This indicates that champions offered assistance to their colleagues on more than 3,320 occasions over the last year alone. Additionally, eight champions reached the coveted Diamond and Platinum badge levels, demonstrating exceptional commitment and skill development.
💹 Looking Ahead
With year five underway, Dorset Council aims to continue these savings and efficiencies by focusing on Automation and AI to unlock even greater benefits for the council.
“We’re immensely proud of the impact Dorset Council’s champions are having. Their success in saving over £222,000 last year alone shows the power of digital skills and collaboration. We look forward to continuing this journey with Dorset as they explore new ways to innovate through Automation and AI.”
— Zoe Watson, Co-Founder and Director, 365Tribe
For more information, contact:
- Delia Carr, User Adoption Lead, Dorset Council (delia.carr@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)
- Zoe Watson, Co-Founder and Director, 365Tribe (zoe@365tribe.co.uk)
