Digital Participation: A National Framework for Local Action

Foreword

Digital technology is transforming our society and changing the way we live - how we buy goods and services, how we build and maintain friendships and how we communicate with people and organisations in our local communities and across the world.

It provides Scottish businesses of all sizes, with the opportunity to develop new markets and creates new and exciting ways to deliver healthcare, access learning and engage people in our democracy. Businesses, the public sector and third sector organisations now have an opportunity to embrace digital technology and transform how they trade, serve and prosper in the years ahead.

As a country, we want to embrace the digital age. We want to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to share in the benefits that new technology can bring. We want to tap into the potential of such technologies to challenge and break down inequalities by opening up new possibilities in healthcare, education and economic development. We want to ensure that Sir Tim Berners-Lee's famous declaration that "this is for everyone" is recognised around the world as the cornerstone of our digital nation.

This document sets out our determination to build upon the outstanding progress we are making already in developing world class digital connectivity. It describes our determination to create a national movement for change that encourages people and businesses to make the most of digital connectivity, get online and enjoy the benefits that the internet can bring.

Success will depend upon our ability to work in partnership with organisations across all sectors of our economy to bring about the changes we seek. It will see a new national campaign, an innovative partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to take the digital message out to some of our most digitally excluded communities, a new Digital Participation Charter that channels the enthusiasm and expertise of its signatories to those areas where it can really make a difference, a network of trainers and training centres and a range of projects that will demonstrate the case for getting online.

Our world is a digital world. Scotland has the skills, resources and ambition to become a world class digital country. This will take all of our combined efforts and I believe that this paper charts the course that will ensure that a world class Digital Scotland is a Scotland for everyone.

Fiona Hyslop, MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs