Digital strategy for Scotland: sustainable digital public services - delivery plan 2025-2028

4. Public Sector Workforce and Capability

To deliver targeted, personalised and preventative public services that are designed around the needs of those who use them, our workforce must be confident in embracing new ways of working, using emerging technology, and applying data-informed insights.

The Digital Capability Advisory Group (co-chaired by the Scottish Government and the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government) aims to realise this by sharing knowledge across organisations and strengthening collaboration to improve digital and data capability across the public sector.

The Scottish Digital Academy, acting as the public sector centre of excellence for digital capability, will further efforts through the development of an integrated service offer designed to develop the skills to deliver modern, secure, user-centred services, adopt common digital solutions, and strengthen leadership capability.

Summary of deliverables 2025-2028

To be delivered jointly

4.1 Developing digital skills across the public sector

To be delivered by the Scottish Government

4.2 Strengthening digital skills and supporting common solutions

To be delivered by Local Government

4.3 Digital skills through the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government

4. Public Sector Workforce and Capability: deliverables

Joint deliverables

4.1 Developing digital skills across the public sector

By 2028, the public sector will adopt a shared approach to using Open Educational Resources (OER) to support digital skills and Agile ways of working. These freely available learning materials will help organisations avoid duplicating effort and reduce training costs. By sharing resources, teams across different organisations can work together more effectively, build skills faster, and ensure a consistent approach to learning. OER also promotes fairness and transparency, making knowledge and best practice available to everyone. This helps create a more skilled and flexible workforce, while ensuring public money is spent wisely. To support this, learning materials will use clear, neutral language that works across different organisations.

As we work to deliver this, you can expect to see:

• easier access to training in the public sector, with high-quality learning available to everyone, regardless of role or organisation. Shared materials will help set common standards and reduce duplication, making learning more efficient and cost-effective
• targeted support for data skills in the public sector, including better understanding of data use and management, and practical ways to respond to new technologies like AI

Sponsor: Yor Turner (Chief Operating Officer for Digital, Scottish Government) and Martyn Wallace (Chief Digital Officer, Digital Office for Local Government).

Scottish Government deliverables

The following are part of ‘Scotland’s Public Service Reform Strategy – Delivering for Scotland (June 2025)’:

4.2 Strengthening digital skills and supporting common solutions

The Scottish Government will accelerate efforts to build a digitally confident public sector workforce through the Scottish Digital Academy. A key focus will be on leadership and transformation, helping leaders gain the skills they need to guide change, build strong digital teams, and deliver better services using shared digital solutions. Support will also be provided for organisations to grow their digital, data, and technology capabilities. This includes working with key stakeholders to deliver greater standardisation of job profiles that can be aligned across organisations, to help attract and develop talent.

As we work to deliver this, you can expect to see:

• a capability toolkit to help public sector organisations assess their readiness for digital transformation
• an updated professional learning offer designed to help public sector leaders lead change effectively
• new leadership and transformation prospectuses, outlining key learning pathways and development opportunities
• a national model for professional learning, setting a clear standard for digital skills development and procurement across the public sector
• a set of standardised job profiles for roles in digital and data, helping to build clarity and consistency in recruitment and career development

Sponsor: Yor Turner (Chief Operating Officer for Digital, Scottish Government)

Local Government deliverables

4.3 Digital skills through the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government

By 2028, COSLA, in partnership with the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, will streamline the delivery and accessibility of professional learning across all Local Authorities. The goal is to unify and centralise digital skills development by leveraging modern learning platforms, conducting digital maturity assessments, and developing a robust leadership ecosystem through coaching and mentoring.

As we work to deliver this, you can expect to see:

• Stronger links to digital health and care training platforms
• increased resource sharing between Local Authorities and NHS Scotland
• expanded opportunities for leadership development and engagement

Sponsor: Martyn Wallace (Chief Digital Officer, Digital Office for Scottish Local Government)

What does delivery mean for people in Scotland?

A digitally skilled public sector work force is vital to ensure we design and deliver services which are beneficial to people across Scotland. Therefore, skills development will be more focused and targeted on where it is most needed. For those who work in the Scottish public sector, leaders and delivery teams will be able to acquire the skills they need to evaluate, design, build and maintain secure and resilient digital public services, to better serve our citizens.

Public sector workforce and capability: beyond 2028

It is vital to understand what types of professional learning and training are being procured across the public sector, and at what value. By doing so, we can reduce duplication, pool effort, and strengthen collaborative procurement at scale. This will save money and, more importantly, create opportunities for greater impact.

Beyond 2028 we will develop and refine a common approach to procurement across the public sector. This will enable a clearer understanding of where industry and third-party expertise can best support the development of digital skills and capability.