Ministers have pledged to create ‘sustainable’ digital public services based on the needs of people and communities rather than organisational structures in a refreshed national Digital Strategy unveiled today.

The Scottish Government released its much-anticipated digital ‘vision’ which digital connects people to opportunities, creates economic growth and delivers improved public services.

Public finance minister Ivan McKee and Councillor Katie Hagmann, resources spokesperson for local government umbrella organisation, jointly launched the strategy, which updates the ‘A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a digital world’ strategy, published in 2021.

In a joint foreword to the new document, they say: “Digital technology has transformed our lives at an unprecedented pace. As we connect with one another online, access services through a screen, learn and develop our careers, and establish and grow our businesses globally, the impact of digital is undeniable.

“This transformation has been propelled further by the rapid acceleration of technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are reshaping how we live, work, and deliver services.”

Mr McKee and Cllr Hagmann will launch the strategy to an audience of around 1,200 people tomorrow at Digital Scotland – Scotland’s annual public sector transformation event, hosted in Edinburgh.

There, they will be joined by senior officials including the Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary, Joe Griffin, Geoff Huggins, the Scottish Government’s Digital Director and Martyn Wallace, Chief Digital Officer at the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government.

Mr McKee and Cllr Hagmann add: “While the aims of the 2021 strategy are still largely valid today, it is evident that the world has changed. This 2025 strategy refresh is our response to that change.

“Nonetheless, the refreshed strategic vision will look familiar in its intent, with commitments for digital to enrich the lives of our people; drive our economy; and transform our public services. The refreshed strategy’s contribution and relevance to
the Public Service Reform agenda cannot be understated.”

New to the strategy, however, is the major focus on ensuring sustainable digital public services are at its core.

The strategy reveals: “Scotland’s Public Service Reform Strategy is focused on creating services that are person-centred, preventative and delivered locally – this means designing around the needs of people and communities rather than organisational structures.

“Digital solutions, informed by quality data, are a key driver of this change, which enables more efficient and sustainable services, improves the experience of people, empowers communities to shape services, and supports early intervention to improve lives.”

Building re-usable solutions with best value across the public sector is key to that aim. In that section of the document, the commitment is to:

• Develop public sector leadership, skills and capability for digital, data, cyber and innovation
• Use data and technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), ethically to protect privacy, build trust, and reduce cyber risk
• Deliver collaborative digital programmes and common digital solutions that improve public service efficiency, transform the user experience, and deliver better outcomes through the delivery of person-centred and preventative services
• Implement a formal governance programme to enable better joint decision-making, strategic alignment and transparency

By 2028, the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government will ensure that all 32 Scottish councils are fully engaged with the enhanced digital maturity process, using an updated assessment tool, the plan states.

“This will allow councils to benchmark their progress, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and prioritise targeted actions through clear improvement plans. These improvements will empower councils to assess their current capacity and capability to drive digital transformation and, where necessary, prioritise improvements, as well as identifying common challenges that might require a sector wide approaches.”

And also by 2028, the Scottish Government will have developed an app that lets users access government services on their phone or computer, just like they do with banking or shopping apps.

In the same timescale, the Scottish Government will deliver a new secure mailbox service and will have moved more correspondence onto digital channels.

The plan states: “As we progress with this initiative, you can expect the launch of the Mycare.scot application (co-created by COSLA and the Digital Health and Care Directorate within the Scottish Government) to which will be piloted from December 2025. This pilot will utilise the Scottish Government’s new secure mailbox service, making it easier for people to interact with health and social care services.”

By 2026, the Scottish Government will deliver a pilot of a new app that will be integrated with other digital components, providing a gateway for people to access personalised public services.

The plan reveals: “This will offer Scottish citizens flexible, accessible, responsive, and personalised services; and will enable them to receive services, notifications, securely store and recall important documents on their mobile device.

“As we work to deliver this, you can expect to see at least one service available by the end of 2026, with a pipeline of Scottish Government and public sector services ready to deliver through this new channel.”

And by 2028, the Scottish Government will also ‘identify and pilot opportunities to use AI in public service operations to deliver efficiencies, such as predicting demand, streamlining administrative tasks, monitoring outcomes for prevention and targeting interventions’. Local government will also develop its own ‘comprehensive policy and strategy frameworks’ that will underpin the use of AI in the public sector. A public sector working group that will facilitate collaboration on AI adoption and ethics in government will also be set up.

To read the Digital Strategy, visit here, and for the accompanying Digital Public Services: Delivery Plan 2025-2028, visit here.