Digital

  • Foundations first – realising the potential of open data

    27th September 2023 by

    A blog by Louise Meikleham, Senior Data Policy Officer in Digital Directorate’s Data Division, explores data’s role in Scotland’s Open Government Action Plan. Data is all around us. From fitness to finance, holidays to health, it’s everywhere. As individuals we use it all the time to make decisions. But we’re not just consumers, we produce...

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  • Data Maturity programme update

    11th July 2023 by

    Providing a Data Transformation Framework (DTF) that will meet all the data improvement needs that an organisation might want to address is a challenging proposition. To help with the early stages of developing the DTF, we wanted an approach that would provide focus, identifying shared needs and creating support that was useful straight away.

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  • Data maturity information sessions for public sector organisations

    9th June 2023 by

    Many public sector organisations know they want to use their data more effectively, but are unsure where to start. It can feel too difficult to tackle but if it’s not addressed, over time, it can become a large issue that impacts on wider business outcomes. The Data Maturity programme we run with the Scottish public sector can help organisations understand what they want to achieve with data, where they are now, and how to set achievable outcomes.

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  • Independent Expert Group delivers Unlocking the Value of Data report

    10th May 2023 by

    I write this blog post at the end of the week in which the Independent Expert Group (IEG) on Unlocking the Value of Data (UVOD) delivered our final report to the Scottish Government. The IEG has been in existence for just over a year, and comprises a multi-stakeholder group of experts from different domains and disciplines united by our interest in public sector personal data and how it can be accessed by the private sector.

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  • Digital Inclusion Symposium in Scotland: Thriving in a digital world

    3rd May 2023 by

    The symposium provided an opportunity for Scotland to showcase its digital inclusion work such as the Connecting Scotland programme and highlighted its ambitions in developing Scotland as an ethical digital nation. 

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  • Unlocking the Value of Data for Equality

    26th April 2023 by

    Guest blog by Carol Young, Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights My organisation, the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), welcomed the chance to be involved in Scottish Government’s work on Unlocking the Value of Public Sector Data for Public Benefit. Through membership of the Independent Expert Group (IEG), I was able to bring...

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  • Update from the pilot Public Engagement Panel – exploring data ethics for public sector data.

    23rd March 2023 by

    In my last blog, I introduced the pilot Data and Intelligence Public Engagement Panel organised by the Scottish Government, Research Data Scotland, Sciencewise and Ipsos Scotland. In the Scottish Government we are working to ensure that Scotland fulfils its potential in the constantly evolving digital world. This engagement pilot focused directly on data ethics in line with the vision for Scotland to become an Ethical Digital Nation, and the recommendations will feed directly into the Digital Health and Social Care’s Data Strategy.

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  • Exploring public sector personal data benefit sharing

    7th December 2022 by

    How can the public sector share personal data with the private sector in publicly trusted ways, to unlock the public benefit of this data? We performed a literature review to enable the Scottish Government to identify (I) relevant approaches to benefit and costs sharing and (II) intellectual property rights or royalties schemes regarding the use of public sector personal data with or by the private sector both in the UK and internationally

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  • A digital identity service for Scotland – the road ahead

    15th November 2022 by

    You can hear more about our progress and future plans by joining our online event on 16 November (14:00-16:00). Registration for ‘A digital identity service for Scotland’ is now open – and everyone is welcome.

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  • Definitions and debates on the path to unlocking the value of public sector data

    14th November 2022 by

    Seemingly simple concepts can disguise hidden complexities, and this has proven true as the Group has discussed what we might mean by 'public sector personal data'. As a citizen and user of Scottish public services, you leave a digital footprint. When you visit a doctor, claim for a benefit, or travel on a public road, data can be collected with legitimate purpose. You leave an electronic echo of your presence.

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