Scotland's Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland

6 Governance and Next Steps

This strategy sets out what the Scottish Government will do to secure Scotland's digital future.

In many areas we must do more work and consult more widely to identify options, before we can take forward and deliver specific actions. In delivering the strategy, we also recognise that it is essential to ensure that we are flexible enough to react quickly to new demands arising from technological change, and changes in people's expectations.

To oversee this work we will establish a Programme Board, at a senior level within the Scottish Government, to oversee delivery of the 28 actions set out in this strategy. This board will report to a Ministerial sub-committee chaired by the Minister for Culture and External Affairs who has assumed the lead co-ordinating role for the Scottish Government's Digital Strategy.

Four sub-groups will be responsible for delivering the actions within the strategy. We also intend to establish a reference group of external stakeholders which will meet quarterly to discuss issues relating to digital participation.

In addition, we understand that the Royal Society of Edinburgh is planning to establish a group to provide an independent source of expertise and information on issues relating to the digital economy and, in particular, the development of Scotland's broadband infrastructure. We welcome the establishment of this group and anticipate that it will make a constructive contribution to the ongoing digital debate and discussion in Scotland.

We intend to publish annual reports on our progress in March 2012, 2013 and 2014. In these, we will consider whether our ambitions and objectives are still appropriate. The annual reports will also include an assessment of whether each of the actions is still appropriate, and whether any new actions are required.

Proposed governance structure for delivering the actions set out in the digital strategy.