Scotland's Digital Future: infrastructure action plan

5 How and who is going to deliver it?

Funding Strategy

Our funding strategy to deliver the step change for the 2015 programme will come from a mix of sources. This includes £68.8m from BDUK and £79.5m from the Scottish Budget, including up to £25.5m of EU funds. We will also seek to secure additional EU funding from the post 2013 programme and through future spending reviews to deliver our full ambition to 2020.

We believe Scotland has a case to make for additional funding from BDUK, given the particular geographic and technical challenges we face and we will be making that case to UK Government. Scotland can also expect funding from the UK Government for 'superfast cities' (£100m Urban Broadband Fund) and for mobile 'not spots' (£150m Mobile Infrastructure Project).

We will work in partnership with local government to identify potential funding opportunities for local solutions to this shared priority. As much as £40m has already been earmarked by four local authorities for this purpose. This will be particularly important where local solutions can deliver local priorities.

The Scottish Government is committed to sourcing and securing the right level of funding to deliver the plan, however, we are determined to achieve value for money for our spending, and to ensure that it does not displace private investment or duplicate previous public or private sector investment. This will be delivered in partnership with the private sector and we will drive them hard to provide their share - by seeking ambitious take-up assumptions in the contracts, and return on investment if revenue significantly exceeds expectations.

Governance

Within Scottish Government we are establishing a Digital Programme Office to deliver these key programmes. This is made up of officials from across the range of disciplines within Government supplemented with expert procurement, technical and commercial advisors. It will work closely with the Highlands and Islands Enterprise procurement team as well as other broadband project and local government teams to ensure that local, regional and national approaches are aligned. The immediate focus of the office will be to:

• Finalise the procurement strategy and deliver the contract to achieve step change by 2015;
• Continue the development of a full plan by end 2012 to achieve world-class; and
• Specify, manage and deliver a programme of innovative pilot solutions and demonstration projects.

Programme 4 which aims to increase take-up rates is a critical underpinning element of the action plan and will be progressed in parallel to other programmes of work and overseen by the Programme Delivery Office. This work will be supported by the signatories of the Digital Participation Charter and the wider public and third sectors.

A single Programme Board will oversee the delivery of the entire action plan and will be made up of key Government and external stakeholders. The Programme Board will ensure alignment to the Public Sector ICT work programme to ensure joined-up decision making. The overall governance for the Digital Strategy and Public Service Reform will reflect this going forward and the structures below may therefore evolve over time. An external stakeholder group made up of experts and innovative thinkers from across the public and private sector will be established to provide advice and a challenge function.

An illustration of the governance and delivery arrangements for the Infrastructure Action Plan is provided below: