A Changing Nation: How Scotland Will Thrive in a Digital World Contents
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A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Contents Part Two: A Strong Digital Economy Part Three: Government and Services Part One: People and Place 2 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Foreword Our commitment to work together remains as strong as ever as we work to put this strategy into practice. 3 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Foreword Scotland’s future will be forged in a digital Last year, the Scottish Government and world. It’s a world in which data and digital COSLA made a commitment to work together technologies are transforming every element to deliver this refreshed Digital Strategy for of our nation and our lives – people, place, Scotland, a shared vision of a modern, digital economy and government. and collaborative government, designed around people. We believe this strategy sets In the past year, the coronavirus crisis has This document is a result of that joint working, out a path for us to work changed our way of life fundamentally. Many but its publication is only the beginning. Our of us have worked successfully from home. commitment to work together remains as together to ensure Scotland We’ve come to rely on home shopping, online strong as ever as we work to put this strategy education and new and creative ways of using fulfils its full potential in this into practice – a commitment to change digital technology to keep in touch with family the way we work to ensure services are digital world. and friends. designed to meet the needs of the user, to deliver economic recovery, to meet climate But it has also demonstrated the problems that change targets and to ensure that everyone come from digital exclusion. It has reminded in Scotland has the skills, connectivity and us all that whilst technology can transform devices required to fully participate in our lives for the better, its essential that we ensure digital nation. Ivan McKee MSP, that no one is left behind. Minister for Trade Innovation and Public Finance The speed of digital transformation around the For those of us in Government, be that world will only increase. But we are confident national or local, the crisis has highlighted that the measures set out in the document both the importance of collaboration and will allow Scotland to more than keep pace the role that data and digital technology can with change, facing the challenges and Councillor Gail MacGregor, play in enabling this to happen. We have seen opportunities it brings. We believe this strategy COSLA Resources Spokesperson just how much can be achieved by working sets out a path for us to work together to together, as individuals and organisations ensure Scotland fulfils its full potential in this across traditional boundaries. digital world. 4 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Introduction The way in which we respond to the impact of technology is one of the greatest public policy challenges of our age. 5 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Introduction We live in a digital world. It’s changing the adoption of digital thinking, the way we lead way we work, do business, entertain, shop organisations and how we embrace the culture and keep in touch with our family and friends. and processes of the digital age. An approach It’s transforming our expectations of public to doing business which is user centred services and requires Government to change and process (rather than silo) focussed. A the way it works to meet these expectations. way of working which maximises the value of networks. A recognition that the pace of Digital technology is already a source of change is accelerating and action to equip incredible opportunity – to open new markets, all of us to embrace this change and take work in new ways, personalise services, advantage of the opportunities it presents. innovate and scale rapidly, tackle climate change and make links across the globe. It For Scotland to thrive in this digital world, shapes the way in which we meet national our response must embrace three key priorities such as economic recovery, climate opportunities: designing and implementing change, decarbonisation, wellbeing and social technology in a secure, efficient and user renewal. It can provide global opportunities centred way, realising the potential of data for Scottish businesses and talent to build to improve services, increase efficiency and on their technological expertise. It also deliver better outcomes, and transforming our brings huge new challenges - around privacy, culture and the way we work through digital regulation, competition, media fragmentation, thinking, with its emphasis on openness, security, rights and social inclusion. The networking and agility. way in which we respond to the impact of technology is one of the greatest public policy Back in 2017, we set out a vision to ensure challenges of our age. that Scotland is recognised throughout the world as a vibrant, inclusive, greener, open The digital agenda goes beyond the adoption and outward-looking digital nation.1 This of the latest digital technology. It’s about the vision is now even more compelling. However, 6 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Introduction the context in which it will be delivered has operating online. Looking forward, we must changed dramatically. embed cyber resilience into the design of Scotland’s future digital services, as we ensure The pandemic, and our response to it, has that the digital services we build for the future shown that the public sector needs to be able are trustworthy and resilient. to act at speed to deliver new services and bring data together to innovate, provide insight EU-Exit has, of course, compounded and enable effective decision making. the challenges we face. Scotland has enjoyed many benefits of EU membership. It has shown us the importance of working Close collaboration with our EU partners as part of an ecosystem of organisations and access to the digital single market and individual talent in every sector of the promoted innovation, growth and the economy, to get the right support, to the right exchange of ideas across borders. We now people, in the right ways. need to find new ways of ensuring that Scotland remains an attractive destination It’s focussed attention on the importance of for talent and investment, and enabling both wellbeing, given more of us the confidence to our digital technologies sector and wider use and benefit from digital technology, and economy to succeed in an increasingly made it more obvious that exclusion from interdependent world. the digital world can increase our sense of isolation and limit our life chances. We held a consultation on an earlier draft of this document between September and It has also highlighted the security challenges December 2020, receiving more than 200 as more organisations and people work, learn responses from every sector of society. and communicate online. Cyber resilience is We were hugely encouraged by the support key to operational resilience and business we received, with almost every response continuity, as well as our capacity to grow endorsing the vision and agreeing on the need and flourish as we adapt to the demands of for collaboration and innovation to deliver it. 7 | Digital Scotland | A Changing Nation: How Scotland will Thrive in a Digital World Introduction This document is intended to set out the We can and must build a digital Scotland in overarching digital vision; but separate which: strategies and/or action plans may be required • we are open, ethical and working with in specific policy areas. Digital strategy others to meet new moral, environmental, updates which take account of the radically regulatory and security concerns; changed environment are underway or have • green thinking is incorporated into all our taken place across government, including in digital solutions, so we can contribute to health and social care and in planning. These meet our statutory commitments to be a will align to and describe further sector- net zero society by 2045; specific actions to deliver our vision. • geography, background or ability is not a barrier to getting online and benefiting The consultation has shown that while it may from digital technology, and we capitalise be too early to understand the full extent of the on the potential of digital technology to economic and social shock of the pandemic, sustain and invigorate rural and island it has redefined our perceptions of “normal”. communities; Scottish Government and Scottish Local • wellbeing is both safeguarded and Government therefore cannot, and will not, enhanced through the greater use of digital seek to simply return to previous notions of technology; ‘business as usual’. Together, we will rethink • security and resilience are at the core of all the way we work and support a country that our digital developments; balances and sustains economic, social and • our children are prepared for the workplace environmental wellbeing in a secure and of the future, and training and skills resilient way. We will build a country that has development are available for the existing a distinct vision of its place in the digital world workforce; and embraces the potential of data and digital • our businesses embrace the economic technology to deliver the outcomes of the opportunities of data, technology,