DigComp 3.0, within the new European digital competences framework with the team from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

The fifth version of the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp 3.0), published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), was presented last November. DigComp is a key instrument of the Strategic Programme for the European Digital Decade and of the Union of Skills, supporting European and national efforts to address the digital skills gap and foster citizens’ inclusion.

We had the opportunity to discuss it in an interview with Romina Cachia and Judith Cosgrove, Scientific Team Leader and Scientific Project Officer, respectively, at the Joint Research Centre (JRC). We explored the methods used to draft the new version of DigComp, the approach adopted to integrate artificial intelligence competences, the link with European policies, and the possible applications of the framework in public policies, with particular attention to the Italian context and the needs of public administration.

The development path and methodology

DigComp 3.0 represents a significant evolution compared with previous versions, both in breadth and in depth: for example, 362 competence statements and 523 learning outcomes are mapped. What methodological path did the Joint Research Centre follow to develop this new version? In particular, which empirical evidence, stakeholder consultations or field-testing activities most influenced the final design choices?

The most important contribution made by the JRC in drafting the new version of DigComp was to provide solid scientific foundations in support of European policies on digital competences and digital transformation. The framework was not conceived as a simple editorial update, but it is based on research and consultation activities, designed to be useful, coherent and usable across different contexts of public policy design and implementation.

DigComp is a project launched in 2013, and this version, DigComp 3.0, represents the fifth edition of the framework. The new version was developed through a combination of in-depth analysis of the scientific literature and policy documents, extensive consultations, and review moments with experts and stakeholders aimed at ensuring the effective applicability of the final result.

The work was organised into several phases: an initial scoping activity starting from DigComp 2.2, the identification of priority areas to be explored further, an intense phase of discussion with experts from different backgrounds, the actual drafting of the new framework, and finally a validation workshop held in Seville, which was useful to verify that the overall approach was truly fit for purpose.

One significant element that emerged during the process was the need to balance the requirement to keep the general structure of the framework stable with the introduction of new aspects. It was therefore decided to retain the overall structure while updating the content and significantly increasing the level of detail and operational usefulness. The team also simplified and clarified the proficiency levels (that is, the ability of individuals to complete increasingly complex tasks in digital environments), proposing a shift from eight to four levels and accompanying this development with a mapping that would allow long-standing users of the framework to connect the two systems.

The priorities and the cross-cutting integration of artificial intelligence

One of the main innovations of DigComp 3.0 is that it considers artificial intelligence competences as a cross-cutting dimension across all other competences, rather than as an independent specialist competence. What was the rationale behind this choice, and how was it translated operationally into the definition of competences and learning outcomes? Which risks was it intended to avoid, and what benefits is this approach expected to offer citizens?

Among the aspects considered priorities in the updating work were artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, disinformation, digital rights, well-being in the digital environment, and the need to keep the framework aligned with the most relevant transformations in the technological and social context.

Building on previous work (DigComp 2.2) and on feedback from experts and stakeholders, the framework chooses to treat artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting dimension rather than as a separate axis. The underlying reason is that DigComp remains, first and foremost, a framework on digital competences and must remain technologically neutral. Introducing artificial intelligence as a separate component would have risked making the framework too closely tied to a single technology and therefore more exposed to obsolescence.

For this reason, artificial intelligence has been integrated throughout the different areas of the framework through a system of references and markers that makes it possible to identify the competences in which artificial intelligence is implicit or explicit. The JRC has also carried out alignment work with the broader European work on AI literacy, including in connection with the draft AI Literacy Framework developed by the European Commission together with the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).

Digital inclusion and the objectives of the Digital Decade

DigComp 3.0 fits within the objectives of the Digital Decade, in a context where a significant share of the European population still has limited or no digital competences. How can the new framework concretely affect citizens’ everyday lives, and which elements make DigComp 3.0 a truly inclusive and people-centred tool?

DigComp 3.0 holds a prominent place in European policies on digital competences precisely because it offers a structured reference for addressing the skills gap and promoting digital inclusion. The recent improvement recorded at European level in the indicator relating to basic digital competences is an important signal, but there is still much work to be done with regard to the overall objective of achieving basic digital competences across Europe.

The framework is relevant to many people for at least three reasons. First, it helps people use digital tools with greater awareness, security and autonomy in everyday life, at work and in learning. Second, it supports employability, because it makes it possible to align the competences required by the labour market more effectively with technological evolution. Third, it strengthens active citizenship by fostering the ability to participate online, exercise critical thinking, manage one’s digital identity and interact safely in digital contexts.

In a historical phase characterised by rapid change and great uncertainty, the most solid way to keep a framework like DigComp relevant is to anchor it to values and principles. In this regard, the framework was drafted with particular attention to the 2023 European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, considered an important point of reference for maintaining a human-centric approach.

The framework in public administration

The framework is conceived as a reference for public policies, educational design and skills assessment. Which areas should public administrations consider as priorities in applying DigComp 3.0 (education, adult learning, digital public services, employment or other areas)? Are operational guidelines or support tools envisaged to facilitate its adoption?

In recent years, the digital transformation of public administrations has become an increasingly central issue at European level. Among the factors contributing to this acceleration are, for example, the regulatory framework on interoperability and the growing attention paid to European digital identity.

Concrete uses of DigComp in support of the digital transformation of public administrations have already emerged, with recent examples in Italy, Spain and Romania as well. At the same time, DigComp is a general and cross-cutting framework: precisely for this reason, its value fully emerges when it is adapted to a specific context.

DigComp can be used as a kit of components to be combined and adapted flexibly. Depending on the context, some areas can be strengthened, supplemented with additional elements or selected in a more targeted way. There is therefore no single adaptation model that is valid for everyone; the method depends on the objectives pursued and on the level of digital maturity of the organization or territory.

Dissemination and promotion of the new DigComp

This step is particularly relevant for the Italian context, where a very high share of municipalities are small in size (around 85% of Italian municipalities have fewer than 10.000 inhabitants); an element that makes the contextualisation of the framework even more important, especially in pathways aimed at smaller local authorities. For DigComp 3.0 to become a genuinely shared new European tool, it is essential that it be widely known and used. What communication, capacity-building and awareness-raising actions are planned to promote the framework among citizens, educators, public bodies and businesses, and how is its long-term impact intended to be measured?

With regard to dissemination, the JRC’s main task remains that of building the scientific foundation of the framework. Dissemination, although important, is also supported through collaboration with a broad network of institutional actors and multiplying stakeholders. Presentation events and discussion moments have been promoted in various European contexts, in addition to the fact that DigComp is now referenced in various policy documents and initiatives. This helps it gradually enter national and local processes as well, although each country is encouraged to adapt it according to its own administrative, cultural and educational structure.

Also strategic is the role of the community built over time around DigComp, now mature and growing, within which adaptation, translation and experimentation work on the framework is very active. Its functioning is highly collaborative and bottom-up: the JRC supports and accompanies, but leaves room for the community to develop concrete initiatives and solutions.

The framework has already exceeded 12.000 downloads at this point (two months after publication). Although simple, this figure confirms the strong interest that DigComp continues to arouse at European level among institutions, trainers, administrations, professional communities and organisations working in the field of digital competences.