Jisc Launches Digital Maturity Assessment

Participating institutions will receive an organisational overview as well as sector-wide benchmarking 

Jisc today launches a new digital maturity assessment designed to support higher education providers navigating a growing number of complex challenges from the rapid emergence of AI and entrenched technical legacy to evolving teaching and learning practices and changing student requirements.  

The assessment provides a structured, evidence-based approach for institutions to evaluate their current organisational digital capabilities, establish a baseline for transformation, and identify priorities for future investment. It has been developed in alignment with the recommendations of the Universities UK (UUK) Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce, supporting more informed, evidence-based decision-making across the sector.  

Higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to do more with less. At the same time, new technologies are reshaping how universities operate. Developing a clear understanding of organisational digital maturity is essential to making informed, strategic decisions. Jisc’s assessment enables institutions to move beyond isolated initiatives and take a coherent, organisation‑wide approach to digital transformation. 

Participating institutions will gain access to anonymised sector benchmark data in September, alongside a briefing paper offering insights into digital maturity and transformation across UK higher education.  

The digital maturity assessment will be open throughout May and June and consists of 24 carefully selected questions drawn from Jisc’s wider framework and maturity model for digital transformation in higher education. It is self-paced, can be completed collaboratively, and is designed to work within existing governance and leadership structures. 

By completing the assessment, institutions will be able to:  

• Establish a baseline of your organisation’s digital maturity  
• Identify strengths, gaps and risks across key areas of university activity  
• Prioritise investment and action in the context of financial pressure, legacy systems and emerging technologies such as generative AI  
• Support informed, evidence-based conversations at executive and governing body level  
• Develop a shared understanding of terminology   
• Benchmark your organisation against anonymised sector data 

The digital maturity assessment will be explored in a session at UUK’s University Transformation and Efficiency Summit, taking place in London today.  

Heidi Fraser-Krauss, Chief executive, Jisc comments:

“Digital transformation is not a challenge any institution can solve in isolation. By combining organisational self‑assessment with anonymised sector‑wide insights, this assessment gives universities a powerful opportunity to fully understand their digital capability, learn from peers, and make more confident, evidence‑based decisions. It enables the sector to move beyond fragmented initiatives and build a shared picture of digital maturity that can inform investment, collaboration and long‑term resilience across UK higher education.” 

Professor Georgina Andrews, Vice-chancellor, Bath Spa University, adds: 

“Jisc’s Maturity Model for Digital Transformation has been instrumental in supporting a more visible and holistic approach to digital transformation at Bath Spa University, helping to establish a clear baseline of maturity and generate valuable, actionable insights. The launch of the sector digital maturity assessment will provide an effective and practical tool for assessing digital maturity, and we would strongly encourage its adoption across the wider sector.” 

The assessment complements and can be used alongside Jisc’s data maturity model and the AI maturity model as well as other sector frameworks and models such as the Higher Education Business Capability Model and the Organisational Efficiency Maturity Assessment (OEMA) developed by SUMS and Association of heads of university administration (AHUA).

Sector leaders are invited to participate in the assessment throughout May and June.