Welcome to our newsletter, bringing you all the latest from the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government. In this newsletter, we bring you a detailed update on what has been happening across the Digital Partnership throughout the last month and details of upcoming activities.
If you have any queries regarding any of the content within this newsletter, please get in touch.
Cosla Excellence Awards are now open for applications!
The COSLA Excellence Awards, celebrating the very best of Scottish Local Government - are now open for applications!
The Excellence Awards are a fantastic opportunity for councils and their partners to recognise some of the great work, talent and innovation happening across Scottish Local Government.
Timeline for applications:
Applications will close at 5pm on Friday 4th July 2025. The COSLA Excellence Awards prizegiving ceremony for 2025 will take place on Thursday, 13th November at the Fairmont, St Andrews, as part of the COSLA’s Annual Conference.
Council teams can submit applications across 5 categories:
Category 1: Leading Innovation
Category 2: Improving in partnership
Category 3: Tackling inequalities and improving health
Category 4: Strengthening communities and local democracy
Category 5: Building towards a just transition
In addition, there are 4 special categories (to be announced) in which applicants from across the 5 main categories will have a further chance to win an award, nominated by our team of judges from COSLA’s senior leadership and across the public, private and third sector. Find out more about the COSLA Excellence Awards and apply using the link below.
The Digital Office & Scottish Government Partners with Data Literacy Academy to drive societal change across Scotland.
The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Government, through the Scottish Digital Academy have developed a new partnership with the Data Literacy Academy. This programme aims to empower teams with the data skills needed to drive positive societal change across Scotland.
Data is at the heart of effective public services. This programme will equip colleagues, regardless of their role, to understand and use data confidently, moving beyond intuition alone to make informed decisions that benefit our communities. Participants don’t need a technical background; the training is designed to be relevant and accessible for everyone.
By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration, we can leverage data to tackle pressing issues like child poverty and improve service delivery. This partnership will help unlock everyone’s potential, building trust in data and ensuring it's used effectively and ethically to shape better outcomes and policies for Scotland.
We aim to cultivate a culture where data informs action at every level. This programme is a crucial step in leveraging data as a strategic asset, helping us work smarter and more effectively for the people of Scotland. Look out for more information coming soon!
AI Community: Document Upload Request.
Further to two roundtable discussions, where we brought together digital leaders, and AI community members, to discuss Copilot and Magic Notes with a focus on shared learning and collaboration, we are actively seeking your input. We have now added all attendees to the AI community and created the file structure to help support this call to action.
As outlined during the session, we are asking you to share and upload any insights and documentation on the following:
Guidance, DPIAs, Information Governance and Security
Business Case, Cost Management and Procurement Routes
Benefits Realisation, Use Cases and Product Functionality
Training and Upskilling
We have also added folders to share overarching organisation documents on Artificial Intelligence:
AI Strategy
AI Policy
AI DPIAs
We appreciate that some of these documents may not have been developed or are in draft format, however we would like to understand where we have possibilities to co-develop and scale our requirements, taking a proactive approach to the ethical, responsible and consistent approach to the adoption of AI across Local Government.
We encourage all AI community members to participate actively in this initiative. Your contributions are crucial for overcoming implementation challenges and driving the successful adoption of AI solutions.
If you have any questions or experience any technical issues with accessing the AI Community, please contact info@digitaloffice.scot
LocalGov M365 Foundations Programme.
We’re pleased to share that the new Programme Board for LocalGov M365 Foundations will hold its first meeting during week commencing 9 June. This marks a key milestone in progressing the 2025/26 priorities identified through the M365 Landscape Review and council engagement.
The first major workstream, Shared M365 Governance Framework, will begin the following week with a 90-day sprint focused on information governance. The aim is to co-develop and publish a reusable playbook of policies and guidance by September 2025, supporting a consistent and secure approach across councils.
We’re also awaiting the announcement from Crown Commercial Service on the winning reseller for the NFC190 aggregated procurement, which will support our collective efforts to drive M365 savings and cost avoidance.
New Aggregated Microsoft Procurement Opportunity – NFC193 (Spring 2026)
The Digital Office, Scotland Excel and Crown Commercial Services (CCS) have joined forces again to offer councils a new opportunity to renew their Microsoft Enterprise Agreements through aggregated procurements. This initiative enables councils to secure cost-effective Microsoft Licence Solutions Partners by leveraging the collective strength of their shared demand.
Councils have the opportunity to submit their Microsoft licence requirements by 4th July 2025, with the contract anticipated to be awarded by 9th October 2025. This contract will cover enrolments from 31 December 2025 and 1 April 2026. It's important to note that participating in the procurement process imposes no obligation to commit to the successful bidder.
Participating in one of the CCS aggregated procurements is likely to provide you with a saving between 2% to 3.5% on Microsoft reseller (LSP) margins compared to market pricing. If you would like to participate in this initiative, please get in touch at info@digitaloffice.scot
Enhancing Council Preparedness with Table-Top Cyber Exercises.
The Digital Office, in collaboration with the Scottish Government Cyber Coordination Centre (SC3), provide strategic cyber tabletop exercises to local authorities. Tabletop exercises simulate scenarios to help organisations test their response plans, identify gaps, and improve their overall cyber security posture.
We have several new exercises in development and are keen to engage with local authorities interested in learning more about cyber exercising, its benefits, and how it can help your council prepare for and respond to cyber attacks. For more information, please contact David Ritchie.
Inverclyde Awarded Platinum Digital Telecare Implementation Award.
We are delighted to confirm that Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have been awarded the Platinum Digital Telecare Implementation Award in recognition of the recent completion of their analogue to digital telecare transition project.
Inverclyde HSCP works with partners Bield Response 24 (BR24), their Alarm Receiving Centre, to provide their telecare service to the residents of Inverclyde. This service goes to 2,076 people in the community, and they have successfully transitioned from analogue to digital across the entire estate.
David Gould, Chair of the Inverclyde Integrated Joint Board (IJB), said: “This is a fantastic milestone and one which everyone working in the digital telecare team should be very proud of.
Telecare is a vital service for older adults and vulnerable people in our community so that they can easily call for help.
Not only have all service users successfully moved over to digital telecare, there have been no serious issues or call failures for more than two months which shows it is working. Congratulations to all involved on this award."
Explore this month's new additions to the Resource Centre!
Take a moment to explore the brand new resources we have added to the Resource Centre this month! Not signed up yet? Register now to unlock full access and stay up to date with the latest resources.
Please note: you must be logged in to the Resource Centre for the below links to work and take you directly to the resources.
This annual report was presented to SOLACE and provides a comprehensive overview of the work of The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government during the Financial Year 2024 - 2025. It outlines the responsibilities of the Digital Office, as directed by local government, key accomplishments, benefits to Scottish local authorities, and sets out proposed strategic priorities for 2025-2026.
Local Government Digital Assurance: Summary Checklist & Gateways.
The Assurance Checklist outlines a series of digital assurance checks available to Scottish Local Government Digital projects. The assurance lists draw on and are compatible with UK Government Programme Office guidelines and Scottish Government Digital Assurance Frameworks. The checklist is intended for national projects or those involving a subset of the Local Government Digital Partnership. Additionally, in-house council projects can utilise the checklist for internal project assurance.
5G Innovation Region Series: Glasgow City Webinar Recording.
On Tuesday 27th May, we hosted our fourth webinar in our 5G innovation Region Series with CENSIS spotlighting Glasgow City Region and their Smart and Connected Social Places Programme! The Smart and Connected Social Places Programme, led by Glasgow City Region and funded through the UK Government’s 5G Innovation Regions initiative, is delivering advanced wireless innovation focused on tackling real-world challenges in social housing and health & social care. Catch up on the recording in the Resource Centre now!
Data Literacy Pillar Messaging & Summary Insights.
Alex Calderbank, Customer Success Manager, Data Literacy Academy provides an update on the Digital Literacy Academy training for Local Authorities and summary insights. This includes the pillar messages identified from the Change Management workshop, Leadership 1:1 interviews and Media Day. The Data for Business and Data for Business Pro cohorts kicked off this month and learners are highly engaged.
David Murdoch of Argyll & Bute Council, Simon Roberts of Improvement Service, Ewan Walker of Perth & Kinross Council and William Cunningham of North Lanarkshire Council highlight how we can improve what we do in Local Government by considering data as an asset to make informed decisions and build our understanding incrementally. This is the first video in our unlocking the potential data series, stay tuned for more!
Our Chief Information Security Officer has drafted a paper on AI Transcription Bots, which outlines the legal, ethical and security implications of bots and provides some guidance on what you should consider and a technical control which can reduce the risk, for now. The draft is currently under review by SOLAR to assess legal considerations related to the use of AI Transcription Bots. Although the paper is still in draft form, we welcome early feedback. If you’d like to review and comment on the current version, please contact David Ritchie.
Upcoming Events.
Visitor Levy Forum: 4th June 2025
Following the introduction of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, local authorities across Scotland are starting to develop local visitor levy schemes.
The Digital Office and COSLA have established an online digital community to provide a forum for local authority officers to discuss best practice, challenges, and key issues raised as schemes are being developed. Alongside regular meetings, this includes an online platform for Digital Office, COSLA, and local authority officers to share information outside of meetings.
These meetings take place on a monthly basis via Teams and are open to officers from all local authorities. The next meeting of the Group will take place on Wednesday 4th June. Sign up to join the next meeting and Viva Engage Community using the form below.
Microsoft Change Agents Programme: 16th & 17th June 2025.
There's still time to take part in the Microsoft Change Agents Programme – a national training course designed to help staff lead and support digital change using the Microsoft 365 tools you already have.
The next two-day cohort will run virtually on 16th and 17th June 2025, and may be particularly valuable for Digital Champions or staff involved in change and adoption work across your Microsoft estate. There are currently 90 spaces available.
What to expect:
Practical tips for delivering change
An introduction to automation and AI
A deeper understanding of tools already available to you
Access to a peer network across the UK
The sessions are interactive and designed for non-technical users who are curious, enjoy helping others, and are keen to learn something new.
The power of CHI to shape the future of Health and Social Care: 17th July 2025.
Join experts from COSLA, the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, and Public Health Scotland as they explore the transformative potential of the Community Health Index (CHI) Number in local government services. With the CHI in Local Government project now entering its Discovery Phase, this session will highlight how CHI can:
Deliver better outcomes for people accessing services
Reduce duplication and streamline processes
Minimise the need for individuals to repeat their information
Increase capacity in a stretched system
Ensure frontline staff have the right information at the right time
IT Coordinator - AI & Automation: Perth & Kinross Council.
At the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, we’re passionate about driving digital transformation across Scotland’s councils. We’re thrilled to share an exciting opportunity at Perth and Kinross Council for an IT Coordinator - AI & Automation.
This brand-new role will lead innovative AI and automation projects, playing a pivotal part in the Council’s Digital Strategy to deliver smarter, more efficient services. Perth and Kinross Council is investing significantly in AI and automation, making this an ideal opportunity for a tech enthusiast to make a lasting impact.
Chris Wright, co-lead of our AI Community and the National Power Platform community, is championing this initiative, ensuring it aligns with cutting-edge practices and community goals.
Know someone perfect for this role? Please share this opportunity with your network and help us find the right talent to join this transformative journey. Visit the job advert for full details. Applications close 12th June 2025.
