Get in touch
Every situation is slightly different, so let's start off with a 30-min (free) chat.
What I do
Here's a flavour of the kinds of things I've worked on recently:
- Helping the Gates Foundation-funded SEBI-L team through a Theory of Change as part of their 10-year strategy
- Guiding educational bodies including Skills Development Scotland and the Awards Network towards a national system of Verifiable Credentials
- Creating an AI Literacies framework for the Responsible Innovation Centre for Public Media Futures based at the BBC
- Devising a series of principles for Friends of the Earth around AI sustainability
- Authoring a report for the Irish Technological University sector on the future of digital and micro credentials
In addition to this, I regularly speak at conferences and appear on podcasts, with recordings of these featuring on my Speaking page.
I recently completed a postgraduate qualification in Systems Thinking in Practice through the Open University so I'm keen to bring what I've learned from that into my work around levels of abstraction, boundary negotiation, and leverage points.
Testimonials
Doug and I go way back to the early days of Open Badges. His 15+ years in this space means he brings not just expertise, but institutional memory and perspective that's invaluable as the digital credentials field evolves.
I appreciate that Doug operates at multiple levels simultaneously. He understands technology deeply, and he's equally comfortable navigating community dynamics and organizational change. Whether he's presenting, writing reports on micro-credentials, or facilitating strategic planning sessions, he stays grounded in human-centered approaches and open practices.
Doug combines deep technical knowledge, facilitation skills, community-building expertise, and collaborative instinct. I'm grateful for everything he's contributed to the DCC and to digital credentials more broadly.
— Kerri Lemoie, PhD (Director, Digital Credentials Consortium)
More testimonials
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Doug Belshaw across several badging workshops as part of the N-TUTORR programme. Doug brings exceptional clarity of thought, deep expertise in digital literacies, and a collaborative spirit that elevates every session he’s part of. He’s equally at ease shaping big-picture strategy as he is engaging participants in practical, hands-on learning. Any team would benefit from Doug’s insight, integrity, and sheer commitment to meaningful professional development.
— Ken McCarthy (Head of Centre for Academic Practice at South East Technological University)
I had the pleasure of working with Doug on an away day bringing together multiple stakeholders with potentially different interests with a view to establishing consent on how to work together in the future. His work on pre-planning was timely and efficient, yet effective. I know from past experience that the day itself could have been a huge challenge but went really smoothly, mostly down to the sociocratic processes put in place by Doug and his colleague Aaron. This is testament to the energy, enthusiasm and preparation that went into it.
— Nathan Brown (Director at Co-op Culture)
Always really switched on. A sane voice around all things educational technology and standards and much more - always look forward to working in Doug related space.
— Joe Wilson (Quality Assurance Specialist TQER)
I took some mentoring sessions with Doug. I wasn’t expecting much because I thought I knew my service pretty well. I was wrong, Doug unearthed a lot for me to think about. I’ll be back for more.I took some mentoring sessions with Doug. I wasn’t expecting much because I thought I knew my service pretty well. I was wrong, Doug unearthed a lot for me to think about. I’ll be back for more.
— Mark Conroy (Drupal consultant)
