Digital Office for Scottish Local Government

Background

The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, established in 2016, serves as the central entity driving digital transformation across Scotland's local authorities. Hosted by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) in Edinburgh, the Digital Office operates with a mission to enhance service delivery, improve outcomes, and achieve efficiencies through the strategic use of technology. By aligning with the National Digital Strategy for Scotland, the Office translates strategic actions into collective, scalable initiatives, adopting a "Once for Scotland" approach to digital transformation.

Key Strategic Focus

The Digital Office concentrates on several strategic objectives:

• Digital Skills Development: Enhancing the digital capabilities of local government staff to effectively navigate and utilize technology.

• Collaborative Procurement: Facilitating joint procurement initiatives to achieve cost savings and operational efficiencies.

• Cybersecurity Enhancement: Implementing robust security measures to protect digital assets and ensure data integrity.

• Data Strategy Implementation: Developing and executing data strategies to improve decision-making and service delivery.

• Digital Telecare Services: Advancing telecare solutions to support health and social care services.

These focus areas are designed to harness technology's full potential, driving service delivery improvements and operational efficiencies across Scotland's local authorities.

Financials and Funding

The Digital Office operates as a collaborative partnership, with funding primarily sourced from council subscriptions. This model enables the Office to undertake various initiatives aimed at accelerating digital transformation within local government. By pooling resources, the Office can deliver collective benefits, such as cost savings from aggregated procurements and shared digital services.

Pipeline Development

Key initiatives in the Digital Office's pipeline include:

• Digital Skills Capability Matrix: Developing a framework to assess and enhance digital skills across local authorities.

• Shared Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) Platform: Collaborating with 17 early adopter telecare services to establish a shared platform that accelerates the transition to digital telecare.

• Managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) Framework: Developing a framework to provide councils with robust and cost-effective cybersecurity solutions.

These initiatives are at various stages of development, with anticipated milestones including the completion of the SOC framework by Spring 2024.

Technological Platform and Innovation

The Digital Office leverages several proprietary technologies and methodologies to drive innovation:

• Digital Maturity Assessments: Conducting assessments to provide insights into councils' digital capabilities and identify areas for improvement.

• Data Maturity Model: Co-creating a model with the Scottish Government to assist in identifying best practices and gaps, supporting better use of operational data.

• Digital Telecare Data Standards: Developing standards to ensure interoperability and integration of telecare services with other health and care systems.

These tools and frameworks enable the Office to implement scalable and effective digital solutions across local government.

Leadership Team

The Digital Office is led by a team of experienced professionals:

• Martyn Wallace: Chief Digital Officer, overseeing the strategic direction and implementation of digital initiatives.

• David Ritchie: Chief Information Security Officer, responsible for cybersecurity strategies and frameworks.

• Colin Birchenall: Chief Technology Officer, leading technological innovation and development.

This leadership team brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and technology management, driving the Office's mission forward.

Leadership Changes

In April 2021, SOLACE appointed Thomas Glen as the new Chair of the Digital Office, succeeding Lorraine McMillan, who retired. This change brought fresh perspectives to the Office's strategic direction.

Competitor Profile

Market Insights and Dynamics

The digital transformation landscape within Scottish local government is characterized by a growing emphasis on collaborative initiatives, data-driven decision-making, and enhanced cybersecurity measures. The market is evolving to address challenges such as digital skills gaps, legacy systems, and the need for citizen-centric service design.

Competitor Analysis

While the Digital Office operates as a unique collaborative entity, other organizations contribute to digital transformation within Scottish local government:

• Improvement Service: Provides support and resources to local authorities for service improvement and digital transformation.

• Scotland Excel: Focuses on procurement excellence, collaborating with the Digital Office on initiatives like the SOC framework.

• Scottish Digital Academy: Offers training and development programs to enhance digital skills within the public sector.

These organizations complement the Digital Office's efforts, collectively advancing the digital agenda across Scotland's local authorities.

Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships

The Digital Office has established significant partnerships to strengthen its initiatives:

• Scottish Digital Academy: Collaborating to identify and address digital skills gaps, co-developing training programs in areas like cybersecurity and data literacy.

• Scotland Excel: Partnering on collaborative procurement initiatives, including the development of a SOC framework to enhance cybersecurity across councils.

• CACI: Securing access to demographic and financial data products to inform policy and planning decisions across councils.

These partnerships enhance the Office's capacity to deliver impactful digital transformation projects.

Operational Insights

The Digital Office's collaborative approach positions it uniquely within the market, enabling it to leverage collective resources and expertise. Its focus on shared solutions, such as the Shared ARC Platform and aggregated procurements, provides distinct competitive advantages by reducing duplication and achieving economies of scale.

Strategic Opportunities and Future Directions

Looking ahead, the Digital Office aims to:

• Expand Digital Skills Training: Broaden training programs to address emerging technologies and methodologies.

• Enhance Data Utilization: Implement advanced data analytics to inform policy and service design.

• Strengthen Cybersecurity Measures: Deploy the SOC framework to provide comprehensive security monitoring and response capabilities.

By building on its current strengths and partnerships, the Digital Office is well-positioned to drive further digital transformation across Scottish local government.

Contact Information

For more information, visit the Digital Office's official website.

The Digital Office is hosted at COSLA in Edinburgh, with staff working remotely across Scotland.