Open Government action plan 2021 to 2025 - commitment 3: data and digital commitment

Progress to December 2024

Commitment 3: data and digital commitment

Objective

Open up data relevant to other open government themes, such as key climate change datasets used by government for modelling and reporting, data on public transport and public sector expenditure.

Milestone

Milestone: Continue to support the Fiscal Transparency Programme, climate change policy and other areas relevant to the open government themes to encourage open data reuse and share best practice on data standards, FAIR and open data principles.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Improve our understanding of the technological solutions for deliberation, to support the Scottish Government Participation Framework and to inform potential future applications to expand participation around public good uses of public data and AI.

Progress and next steps

In October, the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS) presented to the Better Data Community, highlighting how their partnership is improving access to area-wide emissions data to support net-zero transitions at the local level. SCIS, a collaboration between the Improvement Service and Edinburgh Climate Institute, working with the Sustainable Scotland Network, Scottish Cities Alliance, national and local government, uses the ClimateView platform to store standardised inventory data and visualise the impact of interventions in mitigating emissions.

Providing a common platform and language for areas such as energy, housing and transport that extends across localities, will provide transparency and empower informed decision making by local authorities and the public in climate action.

We will continue to link with the SCIS team to capture best practice and share knowledge as the ClimateView platform is populated with existing inventory and intervention data, and as activities move towards sharing the dashboard with the public and external stakeholders.

We are exploring the potential of a short project on the availability of open grants data, specifically focused on community wealth building. Discussions have taken place with internal and external stakeholders, and we are refining the scope using the Open Data Institute’s Open Standards for Data Canvas.

Working with a community data user, we have found that the 360 Giving standard is not well understood or applied in Scotland. By publishing grant data more consistently we could offer clearer insights into how funds flow through communities and ecosystems. This would help identify gaps, improve application processes and better equip communities to navigate the grant system to benefit local areas.

Our work to improve our understanding of the technological solutions for deliberation is focusing on the CivTech project 10.7 to explore how technology can help us deliver high-quality, scalable, public participation in decision-making, inspiring trust around ethical data use and sharing, AI, and wider public good activities. Progress in the recent period includes:

• CivTech Exploration phase took place between the 11 and 30 November. Applicants had the opportunity to talk to six policy owners about their public engagement needs, receive feedback from the Scottish Collective Intelligence Community and work with the Sponsor team to update and refine their proposals
• Sift 3 is currently underway to select a single Applicant for the CivTech Accelerator phase. Results will be known by 6 December
• The Accelerator phase will start in January 2025. During this stage, the Applicant will work alongside the CivTech and Sponsor teams to develop a minimum viable product
• The Sponsor team are liaising with several UK and international organisations that are expressing interest in the CivTech process and our approach to civic technology for SG’s participation needs

Next steps

• understand and capture good practice from the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service’s work to improve the openness of data on emissions and the impact of mitigations
• continue to explore the potential of data on community wealth building and open grant data
• start the CivTech Accelerator phase with the selected applicant

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Run a CivTech challenge to evaluate if technology can make public sector data easy to find, assess outcomes and set out the way forward.

Milestones

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Develop a considered approach to dataset sourcing and management for Find.Data.Gov.Scot to improve the discoverability of identified datasets, and by November 2025, add 10 more data sources to Find.Data.Gov.Scot.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Deliver an improved user feedback channel and run workshops with data producers and consumers to identify missing areas, address data quality issues and promote use. Investigate whether Find.Data.Gov.Scot can be linked to the UK Data Marketplace Government Data Catalogue.

Progress and next steps

The partners for the Find.Data.Gov.Scot data discovery search engine are in the final stages of agreeing the terms of use that will enable the next stage of its deployment. This is an essential part of ensuring the long-term viability of Civ-Tech projects and will set out and define how the product will be used for different user groups. The platform will continue to be developed iteratively throughout its lifetime and the process of gathering user feedback on the tool and the datasets identified is ongoing.

We are starting conversations with UK government colleagues to understand more about the proposal for a National Data Library and how it relates to the UK Data Marketplace.  

Next steps 

• publish Scottish Government Digital blog
• an event to promote Find.Data.Gov.Scot will take place as part of the international LOVE DATA week in February 2025

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Set up the Data Transformation Framework stating what ‘good data’ looks like and the process by which organisations can improve – this focuses on opportunity for organisations to improve data maturity, data literacy and adoption of standards, through collaboration and engagement with local government and other public sector bodies, to be useful for civil society.

Milestones

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Launch the data maturity network for cohort alumni on Knowledge Hub, to provide post-project support and networking, including published resources for data standards and data governance (complete and test by summer 2024).

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Start to develop resources for data ethics, innovation and architecture and provide strategic guidance on the four foundations to data improvement that align to these pathways.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Develop and launch self-supporting data maturity guidance.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Complete cohorts 3 and 4 of the Data Maturity Programme by June 2024, launch cohort 5 in September 2024 (if funded).

Progress and next steps

The fifth cohort of the data maturity programme started at the end of August. The ten organisations taking part are:

• Creative Scotland
• Crown Estates Scotland
• Disclosure Scotland
• Fife Council
• Orkney Islands Council
• Royal Botanic Gardens
• Scottish Water
• Social Security Scotland
• Strathclyde Transport Partnership
• Wheatley Group

The programme consists of three stages – prepare, learn, and plan. Currently members are in the ‘learn’ phase, completing organisation-wide data maturity assessments using the Data Orchard Data Maturity Framework. This will be followed in January by expert-led data governance learning and insight sessions. Organisations are also given the opportunity to take part in a series of workshops following the Data Lab’s Driving Value from Data course. Facilitated by one of the Data Lab’s experts, the course helps organisations realise the potential of using data as a strategic asset for improved decision making.

As reported previously, the first phase of testing is complete for Data Transformation Framework (DTF) guidance products on data governance and metadata. The focus is now on integrating these resources with the requirements of the Digital Scotland Service Manual. The manual acts as a guide to help public sector organisations deliver efficient and user-friendly services through shared standards, tools and practices. Its goal is to ensure services are user-centred, consistent and accessible, supporting the broader digital transformation agenda.

Work is also beginning to identify stakeholders to complete summaries for each of the eight pillars of the DTF (data standards, ethics, skills, governance, design, architecture, innovation and the four foundations). This is to help the Scottish Government and Scottish public sector organisations understand more about the DTF and use them to help with their planning.

The Data Maturity Network was launched in September for alumni and current participants of the data maturity programme. The network allows people to collaborate with others who are improving the way their organisation manages data, continuing the peer support, which is one of the most successful parts of the data maturity programme. Following the launch event, network discussions have taken place on topics including data quality and how to engage frontline staff in data improvement. We have an editorial group for the Network and are working with them to agree topics for consideration. We are continuing the approach of the data maturity cohorts which is collaborative and open.

We are in the final stages of completing an online data maturity e-learning package for managers and in the early stages of scoping a more comprehensive e-learning package with further development taking place in 2025.

Next steps

• complete data maturity cohort five
• continue early planning discussions for cohort six
• complete and test online data maturity e-learning package for managers

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Review the front end of our official statistics open data publishing platform, www.statistics.gov.scot 

Milestones

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Initiate and run a discovery, which aims to gain a better understanding of the current service.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Complete discovery and produce a report which advises on options and recommendations for next steps.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Based on evidence and recommendations from the discovery, either move to next steps in improving the service in an alpha phase; or make small / limited changes to the service.

Progress and next steps

We have completed the discovery phase of a project to improve Scotland's Official Statistics open data publishing platform, statistics.gov.scot. We learnt about the problem, our users, and the landscape the service was operating in.  The project’s users workstream has been the most closely aligned to open government principles. Proactively meeting users’ needs will continue to be a substantial part of the next steps to improve our open data publishing service going forward. In particular, we have finalised a report which summarises the findings of the user research workstream of the statistics.gov.scot improvement project discovery phase. 

We have also produced a paper which advises on options and recommendations for next steps for the statistics.gov.scot improvement project, based on evidence collated in the discovery phase.

The next phase of the programme of work to improve statistics.gov.scot will take the form of an Agile alpha.  Within this alpha, we will experiment and prototype solutions to address the problems and opportunities we learnt about. This is an opportunity to shape and inform what a future state service could look like.  The desired outcome will be an understanding of what works and what doesn’t work, and what should be taken forward into a beta.   

Next steps

• publish the findings of the user research workstream of the statistics.gov.scot improvement discovery
• launch the Statistics.gov.scot Improvement Project – Alpha

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Increase the amount of Scottish public sector open data being published, through collaborations such as the Data Standards and Open Data Community of Practice.

Milestones

Milestone: Publish the independent report and recommendations outlining a more strategic approach to supporting open data in Scotland.

Milestone: During the remainder of 2024 initiate a project plan, and develop a roadmap, with the outcome of creating a clear vision for purpose-driven impactful open government data in Scotland and priorities for its implementation.

Milestone: Set up an open data external reference group to provide accountability to the open government data commitment and to foster and long-term collaborative approach to open data.

Milestone: Build on the series of open data events held with the Better Data Community of Practice in March 2024 with a series on data standards in May 2024 and encourage knowledge sharing about common challenges in making data better, smarter and more open.

Progress and next steps

Following on from the publication of Open data in Scotland: a blueprint for unlocking innovation, collaboration and impact, we have recently launched the Open data blueprint agile discovery.  We are taking forward a series of activities in which we are testing out our thinking from the recommendations from the report.  The goal is to ensure that open data benefits are felt by all regardless of technical ability.  This has been framed in the context of the draft vision for public sector data.

We are structuring activities within the Open data blueprint discovery into 3 themes:

• to develop stakeholder buy-in for co-producing a vision and shared ownership of open data in Scotland
• to undertake a number of projects to identify key datasets and priorities and showcase success in open data
• to strengthen key messages where open data has made a measurable social or economic impact

We have started a programme of activities and are approaching the end of our first monthly sprint.  We will provide a more detailed update on activities within the discovery for the next open government update. 

The Better Data Community has had a particularly busy and productive quarter. It recently concluded its "Data in Policy" theme with 5 events taking place across September and October. These sessions highlighted the role of data in driving meaningful change in policy development. Among the speakers were:

1. Gordon Guthrie, former Research Fellow at the Scottish Government, who provided an update on his work to create Simpler, Better, Faster Government Services.
2. An interactive session that explored the public sector’s use of data and evidence in policy development, while identifying areas for improvement.
3. Tameside Council, who discussed how the Scalable Approach to Vulnerability via Interoperability (SAVVI) Playbook is supporting organisations in running vulnerability projects by providing a comprehensive guide on the end-to-end process, open data standards, and an information governance framework.
4. Hugh Muschamp from Fife Council, who shared his experiences of data and policy development, including the Scottish Heatmap.
5. The Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI), who spoke about the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service (SCIS), a programme designed to support local authorities in managing and delivering climate actions, while contributing to a national dataset of interventions that enhances transparency and tracking.

Looking ahead, a new working group will be established to reflect on the lessons learned following events in our Data in Policy theme. The group will consider what actions we can take in collaboration with others to build on these insights.

The Better Data Community held its second annual conference online from 18–21 November. This year’s conference featured 12 events under the theme "How to Build a Better Future with Data," by treating attendees to events focused on the Vision for Public Sector Data in Scotland and Data and AI. It brought together experts from across the public, private, and third sectors to explore a range of data initiatives, with a focus on maximising the value of public sector data to better meet user needs and improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.

The community champions have played a crucial role in helping to shape next year’s events roadmap, proposing key themes and topics. We’ve also recently invited the community’s feedback to ensure that our events remain relevant and impactful, especially given the current pressures on public sector resources.

Next steps

• proceed with and report on progress on activities in the Open Data Blueprint agile discovery
• update on the draft events roadmap 2025
• update on working groups

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Develop a public register of AI algorithms.

Milestones

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Begin a phased approach to the public sector wide roll out of the Scottish AI Register.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Initial stage to produce SG specific guidance and support materials for the creation of AI.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Identify existing use cases and new SG AI projects to be added.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Work with SG Data Science colleagues to ensure the adequate recording of all corporate AI use.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Work with procurement colleagues to build guidance into purchasing processes.

Milestone (2024 to 2025): Continue promotion of the product through the Scottish AI taskforce to help future roll out.

Progress and next steps

Development of an extended risk management function has been added to the governance module within the Register Library space.

Work continues to transfer the existing recorded cases to the new ‘governance’ version of the Register. Once complete this will facilitate the full tracking and reporting of AI systems as they develop.

Developments were demonstrated to the Scottish AI Task Force.

Initial draft suggestions for the development of lines to be included in SG contract terms and conditions have been shared with procurement for consideration. Meeting to be arranged to move forward.

Next steps 

• internal promotion via Scottish Government intranet and learning platform and in person team meeting/away day presentations, will continue to identify new use cases to be recorded
• early work to consider how the Scottish Government might develop its own AI policy and supporting documentation, in conjunction with data science colleagues has been undertaken and looks very positive. This will continue and expand to link up risk management and shared documentation options
• initial consideration of how the mandate can be rolled out to organisations outwith the core SG/Agencies

Status

On schedule.