Embedding ethical and responsible AI is part of a new ‘action plan’ for Scottish local government which looks to embrace digital to deliver safe, modern and efficient services for communities.
The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government has released its 2026-28 plan which outlines the ‘practical steps’ it will take to strengthen digital foundations and enable delivery of the ambitions outlined Scotland’s Digital Strategy.
They include contributing to national policy and strategy development where there are digital or data dependencies, design assurance of national digital programmes, digital transformation programme management, and local capability building within Scottish local authorities.
In the 26-page document, the role of AI is also highlighted, stating that one of Digital Office’s key functions will be to ‘raise awareness’ among councils of new technologies like artificial intelligence and internet of things (IoT), and to offer practical advice for accelerated adoption based on government experience’.
Martyn Wallace, chief digital officer at the Digital Office, says: “As we move into 2026–2028 and mark the tenth anniversary of the Digital Office, our focus remains on delivering clear benefits to local authorities and the sector. Our priorities include supporting policy and strategy development, strengthening data foundations, embedding responsible and ethical AI, maturing Microsoft 365, improving common design and technical architecture, enhancing cyber readiness, and building digital skills and confidence across the workforce.
“We will continue to work closely with local authorities and digital leaders to remove barriers, strengthen capacity and enable delivery, so every council can provide high-quality digital services, achieve better outcomes for communities, and ensure every digital investment delivers best value for the sector.”
Colin Birchenall, chief technology officer at the Digital Office, added: “Digital transformation in local government is fundamentally about public service reform – changing how services are designed, delivered and sustained in the face of long‑term pressures. Local authorities are already leading this change locally. The Digital Strategy and Digital Public Services Delivery Plan strengthen the conditions for that reform, providing a shared point of alignment with the Scottish Government and the wider public sector.
“This action plan sets out how the Digital Office will support that ambition in practice. Focusing on leadership, capability building, shared approaches and targeted national activity that helps councils collaborate more effectively and deliver reform at scale where collective action adds clear value.”
Another driver is to enable cost savings, by removing duplication of procurement.
The plan states how it will aim to ‘use collected data, intelligence and outputs from the SOLACE Transformation Programme to identify gaps and opportunities for collaborative procurements and wider common solutions’.