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

Progress to June 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. (Revised)

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 March, as part of the “International Open Data Day” events, we presented at a public event with the fiscal transparency and open government teams on the importance of open government and the journey to improve the accessibility of government fiscal data. This has covered the initial discovery phase of the transparency portal project to its current phase. We also highlighted activities that are improving data availability, building internal capacity, and meeting external user needs to enable open government through data.

We have represented the Data division’s interests in the development of the fiscal transparency portal. For example, we have actively fed in our expertise on open data and data standards to the contractors and the programme manager responsible for the fiscal transparency portal at “show and tell events”. This is critical for the success and sustainable flow of fiscal data to be published open data

As reported previously, we have identified climate change datasets which could made available openly and agreed them with relevant officials. We plan to pick up these discussions in the coming months.

Transport Scotland’s Digital Travel Data Services (DTDS) project has been mobilised in late 2023, progressing the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government commitment to procure and improve the quality of public transport journey planning services across Scotland.

This project aims to bring a fresh look to the Traveline Scotland app and website, as well as enhancing the future service by providing more information about public transport services to the travelling public, to support informed decisions about their journeys. The data division have provided support from an open data and data standards perspective.  

The Scottish Collective Intelligence Community (SCIC) has been set up to bridge gaps between academic disciplines experienced with systematically designing institutions and processes for human and computer information sharing and processing. The SCIS aims to enhance the epistemic and decision-making functions of Scottish institutions through innovative applications of Collective Intelligence.

The Scottish Government commissioned market research to understand the existing technical solutions to scaling citizen participation, and to evaluate those solutions. The Scottish Government will publish this research and consider its findings alongside our Participation Framework in order to improve, scale and better deploy participation processes in Scotland.

Next steps

• representing the data commitment’s interests in Fiscal Openness and Transparency Commitment Group Meetings (next meeting on 4 June 2024)
• continue to work with climate change and health colleagues to advise on the opening up of relevant datasets
• represent Data Division’s interests in the Digital Travel Data Services (DTDS) project as appropriate to provide advice on opening up data

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

Since the launch of Find.Data.Gov.Scot in November we have continued to add data sources with almost 19,000 datasets, from over 700 owners and 55 hosts now identified.

This will remain a key area of activity for the next phase of work. The front page of the site has also been developed to improve the Scottish Government branding and usability.

The implementation of schema.org is increasing Google’s recognition of the site’s datasets, improving overall findability and lessening dependence on use of the site directly.

A particular focus in the last quarter has been targeted engagement with data providers. The first meeting of dataset owners was held in April. Public bodies from across the public sector, including local authorities, agencies and government departments attended to discuss the role of Find.Data.Gov.Scot and the datasets identified. The session’s aim was to highlight the importance of good metadata to the findability, accessibility and usability of public sector data.  Further sessions are planned to increase metadata quality and dataset availability.

We have begun joint discussions with the developers of Find.Data.Gov.Scot and Open Data Scotland, a key stakeholder in the Scottish Open Data landscape. As a volunteer-run organisation, their site collates datasets from a number of Scottish public sector open data portals. We are keen to learn from their experience to strengthen our conversations with data providers as part of our ambition to build a long-term collaborative approach to improving open government data in Scotland.

Next Steps

• continue to add more data sources to Find.Data.Gov.Scot
• improve feedback mechanisms for the site
• promote and engage with data users and producers

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 (dependant on funding).

Progress and next steps

The Data Transformation Framework includes a set of resources that people can use to understand their organisation’s data maturity and improvement journey, including self-serve material, in-depth support and community engagement. Content on data governance and data standards is being developed using previous learning and existing resources. The test content is currently available on Knowledge Hub for user feedback and a suitable location for wider publication will be considered over the coming months.

The fourth cohort of the Data Maturity Programme started in January, with 8 organisations joining the 8 members of cohort 3, which started in October. Cohort 4 will continue until June 2024, with organisations receiving fully funded access to a tested data maturity assessment, workshops, training, advice from experts and a range of reusable tools and resources.

Organisations that have taken part in the Data Transformation Framework’s Data Maturity Programme so far include 15 local authorities, one health and social care partnership, and 17 national organisations.

A new addition to the programme trialled during April and May was a series of workshops designed to foster a positive data culture in public sector organisations. The three workshops, delivered jointly to cohorts 3 and 4, helped participants identify the values, behaviours and expectations of a positive data culture, provided practical approaches to improving data culture and strategies on how to overcome resistance, with the aim of creating sustained change in an organisation’s ability to use its data to extract meaningful insights to drive decision-making and action.

Work is underway to refine the minimum viable product of self-supporting data maturity guidance to ensure it will meet the needs of two audiences:

1. those in the public sector curious about taking part in the in-depth six-month data maturity cohorts
2. leaders and senior managers sponsoring or advocating for data improvement within an organisation.

Next steps

• complete cohort four of the data maturity programme
• continue development and user testing of data governance and data standards content for the Data Transformation Framework
• evaluate options for the presentation and delivery of the self-supporting data maturity guidance with the Scottish Digital Academy

Status

On schedule.

Objective

Review the front end of our official statistics open data publishing platform.

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

In early 2024, we launched the statistics.gov.scot Improvement Project – Discovery. This aims to gain a better understanding of the current service and the environment it operates in by running an Agile Discovery.

The Statistics.gov.scot Improvement Project – Discovery has three workstreams:

• Workstream 1 - users
• Workstream 2 - technology and process
• Workstream 3 - policy and landscape

In the context of Scotland’s Open Government ambitions, the Agile Discovery intends to understand the Service’s current and potential user base, their needs, problems, and barriers, how the service currently addresses these, and how it could be improved to address these better in the future.

We are adopting an Agile Delivery methodology to put the user at the core of the service and to ensure user involvement by design in every phase of the project.

We are in the process of running interactive workshops with internal publishers and users of statistics.gov.scot from the Scottish Government and other relevant agencies to understand what works and what doesn’t for the service.  The outcomes of these workshops are:

• overview of the current users of the site and the tasks they would like to achieve
• understanding of the gaps in the current provision of the service
• suggestions for improvements from a range of users

We have also presented to the Better Data Community, which is a Scotland-wide public sector community of practice for data professionals on the Statistics.gov.scot Improvement Project – Discovery.

Next steps

• run focus groups and usability sessions with external users on what works and what doesn’t for the statistics.gov.scot service. We intend to approach groups such as the Better Data Community of Practice, the Open Data Scotland community, the DataLab community, and ScotlandIS to seek a range of perspectives
• we plan to run co-design sessions with stakeholders and users to explore the identified opportunities and problems which emerged during the research, and consider ways to make the most of and solve these

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

We published a blog in May to highlight our commitment to maximising the impact and value of open data to better meet user needs. Moving open data forward – the Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities of Open Data for Producers, Users and Leaders builds on desk-based research, public workshops and interviews we commissioned last year to understand the benefits, challenges and opportunities for open data in Scotland. The independent report from Open Data Services titled ‘Open Data In Scotland – a Blueprint for Unlocking Innovation, Collaboration and Impact’, is being finalised for publication. A key area of our activity for the remainder of the plan will be developing a roadmap to deliver a clear vision for purpose-driven impactful open government data in Scotland and a more strategic approach overall to the way we approach the publishing, messaging and culture around open data.

Early this year, members decided to rebrand the Community of Practice to the Better Data Community (Making Data Better, Smarter and More Open) to best reflect the ambitions and goals for the future. The community focus is on improving the quality of the data that is collected in the public sector, and how it can be more effectively managed and reused.  The community continued work around data standards and open data remains important to this work.

Over March and April, the community held open data themed events to celebrate International Open Data Day and promote discussions on open data. Among the 14 events there were a total of 14 presentations from external and internal speakers, 1 workshop and 2 networking events over 5 weeks. The events not only provided a platform for organisations to showcase the work they are doing in the Scottish public sector, it also helped to develop knowledge on how to create accessible documents and visualisations, and discuss important issues including barriers to data sharing, building an open data culture. Highlights included Audit Scotland explaining why radical action is needed on data for transparency and enabling outcomes, and the Open Data Institute’s recorded session on Breaking down barriers - Embracing wider data sharing for collective progress.

The community is currently holding data standards themed events over May and June. There is a total of 7 events to help the public sector build knowledge for reliable and meaningful data exchange and collaboration by providing opportunities to discuss how to define data standards, as well as promote and implement data standards.

Next steps

• consider the evidence and recommendations in the Open Data in Scotland report to inform the creation of a new vision for open data
• deliver the data standards series of events
• work with the Better Data Community to identify themes and speakers for the remainder of the year

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

The Scottish AI Register was formally launched in March 2023 at the Scottish AI Summit. The Register provides information on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems in use or in development within the Scottish public sector. 

Using the Register, both members of the public and those working in AI in the public sector can get to know the basics of the AI systems, examine them in more detail, and learn where we are using data to help make decisions.

As of 1st April 2024, the Scottish AI Register has been mandated for public sector use, on a non-statutory basis. Work is now on-going to get the 60 plus use cases which we are already aware of, on to the register and  to share and promote its use.

Work is also underway to build a requirement to complete registration as part of the Scottish Procurement model. Ensuring providers are added earlier in the process and reducing the Freedom Of Information reporting burden.

Next steps

• the main priority is to update internal staff and AI users about the mandate and begin collation of material to complete the entries
• we are also in the process of sharing with interested staff the AI Library which sits in the user area of the tool. This home for policy, risk, model and evaluation information, helping users of AI to make informed and conscious AI decisions
• integration of the SG Data Science project management process into the back end of the Register. This will help us ensure use cases are captured early in development and duplication and inefficiency is removed from the process

Status

On schedule.