A parents’ portal transforming school communications, online natural environment licensing tools protecting species and a virtual reality guide for police recruits will be recognised next week at an annual awards ceremony.
The three entries are vying to be crowned the best of Scottish public sector innovation at the yearly ScotlandIs Digital Technology Awards in Glasgow next week.
The Improvement Service – which works with local councils on developing new and innovative services – launched its parentsportal.scot mobile app in August 2023 to transform the way parents interact with their child’s school.
Acting as an extension of the established web-based platform, the app delivers real-time access to school-related information, streamlining communication between parents, schools, and local authorities across Scotland.
Since launch, it has been used by 20 local authorities (62% of Scotland’s total) and over 1,500 schools (60% of schools), with more than 200,000 parents actively using the platform.
Calba, agile coaching, training and delivery specialists, worked in partnership with NatureScot to develop online licencing services to protect Scotland’s nature and increase biodiversity.
Its species licensing service allows members of the public to apply online, many of whom come from non-digital professions such as deer stalkers, foresters and farmers.
And Police Scotland’s innovation team, along with the force’s recruitment team, have delivered a UK policing ‘first’ with the launch of their virtual ‘day in a life’ police officer experience.
Delivered through virtual reality headsets, the immersive and informational experience guides potential recruits though a day in the life of a probationary Police Officer scenario.
All three are finalists in the Public Sector Innovation award category, sponsored by Futurescot, at the Digital Technology Awards, organised by trade body ScotlandIS, next Thursday, March 20 in Glasgow.
Reaction
The success of parentsportal.scot is evident in its growing adoption and tangible benefits. By simplifying administrative tasks, improving communication, and enhancing parental engagement, the platform is reshaping digital interactions in education, making school-parent communication more efficient and accessible than ever.
“We are thrilled to support schools and parents through the parentsportal.scot mobile app,” said Andrew Campbell, head of digital public services, Improvement Service. “This innovative platform is revolutionising school-parent communication, making it more efficient and accessible. By streamlining administrative tasks and enhancing parental engagement, we are proud to contribute to a more connected and informed educational community.”
To date, the Calba/NatureScot OLS Agile Delivery team have delivered 12 online services across Deer, Gulls, Traps, Standard Forestry Operations (Badgers) and Red Grouse. All services have been developed following the principles of the Digital Scotland Services Standard.
Robbie Kernahan, director of green Economy, NatureScot, said: “Our partnership with Calba has been hugely productive. In terms of outcomes, over half of our license applications are now processed online with over 95% customer satisfaction, which is a huge success. We’re also seeing about a 75% efficiency improvement in licence processing.”
Stephen McAinsh, founder of Calba, added: “We’re proud to have partnered with NatureScot and contributed to this success, whilst also up-skilling and helping build NatureScot’s agile and digital capabilities.”
Police Scotland’s innovation team worked alongside two VR industry providers, and the recruitment team, to plan, script and record a 10-minute user journey covering multiple aspects of day-to-day Policing. The design of the experience was further enhanced with key pauses and overlays providing thought provoking questions and information at key parts – for example when confronted with a violent or angry individual.
Chief inspector Alan Mulholland said: “Recruits got a first taste of the digital frontline in mid-January and feedback from them has been overwhelmingly positive. Senior police officers and staff have also spoke favourably of the VR experience and the potential applications in other areas of policing.”
Lesley-Anne Gourlay, Police Scotland’s innovation team manager, added: “We’re a small team, however our ambition in seeking out, sharing, and creating innovative policing practices is anything but small. The team worked incredibly hard on this project and it’s great to hear the positive feedback from users and colleagues.”
Futurescot is sponsoring the Public Sector