Transforming public services
The digital world is constantly evolving and our task is to ensure that Scotland's digital public services are high-quality, ever improving and meeting the needs of the people who live here.
In March 2021, alongside the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, launched an updated Digital Strategy for Scotland.
In line with the strategy, the vision underpinning our ambitions is of a modern public sector, open to collaboration, transformation, and accessing shared, high quality digital platforms designed around people. Organisations in the sector that embrace the vision should strive for continuous improvement as they progress on their respective digital journeys.
Transformation services
We provide a range of services in support of the vision, helping Scotland’s public sector organisations to:
- identify more efficient and more collaborative ways of working and move to a shared modern infrastructure of technology systems, networks and components, reusing platforms and tools across the sector as a key feature of public service reform
- deliver user-centred, efficient and effective public-facing services in line with best practice by following the Digital Scotland Service Standard
- take service approaches based on users’ needs and ‘life events’ (not on how the public sector is structured), following the Scottish Approach to Service Design
Digital transformation service
The service promotes those policies and practices, providing a wide range of information and access to services through a Digital Support Hub (DSH). This is a one-stop platform giving free help and advice to organisations and others on building better online services for the people of Scotland.
Digital publishing service
The Digital Scotland Design System supports both mygov.scot, a place to publish information about and access to public services in Scotland, and gov.scot.
Cloud First programme
This programme supports the drive of public organisations in Scotland to realise the benefits of using cloud services. The Cloud Platform Service helps accelerate adoption of Cloud technology.
Applications to join the Cloud Platform Service open from April 2023. This includes access to:
- a pay as you go service with cost optimisation
- identity and access management
- security management
- a secure service in line with Scottish Government and industry standards
- existing contracts and discounts
The Cloud First group has published further guidance on the programme.
The Payments Platform
The Payments Platform is developing a standard online solution for reuse across the public sector. This long-term, co-creation project, involving many partners, is redefining how payments are made across the Scottish public sector. In a key milestone at the end of 2021, the first payment was made successfully to an individual's bank account using the platform’s payments service.
The Digital Identity Scotland (DIS) Programme
The programme is developing a voluntary single-sign on system for the public to access online services. The project is working closely with users to understand their needs, build their confidence and improve access through a safe, secure, reusable and easy approach. DIS seeks to bring consistency across multiple public service bodies, transforming user access and reducing the amount of information that needs to be submitted and stored.
Digital Usability and Accessibility support and expert guidance
This guidance is provided to public sector organisations to help them fulfil their legal duties so everyone can access online content and services with equivalent user experiences for disabled people.
The Digital Commercial Service
This service aims to transform how digital projects are procured and managed, and guides partners and clients in effective ways of engaging the market.
Once for Scotland
This group of public sector partners whose members collaborate to develop systems and services that can be shared. This reduces costs and enables resources to be focused on front-line services. Find out more on the Digital Support Hub.
CivTech
CivTech is a Scottish Government Accelerator programme that brings people from the public, private and third sectors together to build things that make the world a better place.
CivTech takes real problems faced by government departments, public sector organisations and charities, and invites anyone with a brilliant idea to work hand-in-hand with them to create the solution. Find out more on CivTech Scotland.