Digital Transformation Service: highlights report - 2020 to 2021

What we have done so far

Use data and insights to remove blockers to digital transformation

In 2020/21, we have:

• Collected data about common blockers, risks and lessons learned across the public sector – so we can use these insights to deliver services more efficiently in 2021/22
• Gathered user insights to mature our service, so we can support the public sector to enable digital transformation in 2021/22
• Developed an understanding of user needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic – which we’ll continue to share and use to deliver services in 2021/22

Embed user-led service design

In 2020/21, we have:

• Helped organisations design user-centred services – by focussing on people, not technology
• Developed digital capability across the public sector through on-the-job training, recruitment support, work shadowing, and coaching
• Helped build teams, that can sustainably maintain live services and reduce dependency on external support
• Promoted best practice by sharing guidance and standards with organisations across the public sector

Share common tools, platforms and enable digital systems to work together

In 2020/21, we have:

• Supported organisations to use and transfer to new content management systems and benefit from common security, accessibility and design standards
• Encouraged the re-use of tools and technology within the public sector, in line with Scotland’s Digital Strategy
• Provided expertise and professional support to major corporate digital programmes, including Cloud, Publishing, Payments and Identity
• Identified and delivered tools and templates for organisations requiring digital support in the public sector

Encourage cross-sector collaboration

In 2020/21, we have:

• Established a Transformation Action Group to govern the Digital Transformation Service, made up of representatives from across Scottish Government, to share insights and promote collaboration
• Supported organisations to work with and learn from range of stakeholders as part of their transformation journey, including the third and private sectors
• Built a robust sign-posting offering to connect organisations with the advice, guidance and resources they need to support them on their transformation journey
• Referred organisations to the ‘Once for Scotland Collaboration Panel’ to identify if there are opportunities to join up and deliver common requirements in a collaborative way

Drive innovation and new ways of working

In 2020/21, we have:

• Brought private and public sector expertise together, to explore options for sharing corporate knowledge sharing across the public sector
• Embedded agile methodology and ways of working across the public sector, so we can deliver services in a user focused, iterative way
• Enabled projects to adapt quickly in response to COVID-19, supporting rapid delivery to meet a new set of needs created by the pandemic
• Utilised ‘design sprints’ to support organisations to quickly define, sketch and prototype digital transformation options within 5 days

Enable economies of scale and efficiencies

In 2020/21, we have:

• Developed a prioritisation and triage process so that time and investment is used for highest impact in accordance with Scotland’s Digital Strategy
• Helped organisations get the benefits of a short focused discovery phase to understand the problem before committing to a costly long-term programme of work
• Encouraged the re-use and sharing of common platforms so that organisations can deliver more efficiently
• Improved project efficiency by sharing knowledge and lessons learned from across public sector organisations

DTS - delivery in numbers

• 51 business areas supported across the public sector
• 19 discoveries delivered
• 8 Alphas delivered
• 1 Beta delivered
• 3 Digital strategies delivered
• 3 Challenge and Support Independent Advisory Panels delivered
• 17 people provided to sit on 34 boards
• 52% of requests received have come from outside The Scottish Government