Digital Strategy
Executive Summary
This Digital Strategy is designed to be achievable.
It has been created with its implementation in mind, with clear focus and key themes.
It has been informed by a broad range of activity to ensure it is based on recognised best practice.
This includes a Digital Maturity Assessment (measuring how well the Council is making use of digital technology) carried out in conjunction with the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, requiring input from all the Council's Executive and Senior Leadership Teams.
It also included surveys of our staff and elected member to assess current levels of digital skills as well as learning from a variety of other public sector bodies.
The Strategy is fully aligned with recommendations from Audit Scotland who set out six key characteristics of a digital Council in 2021, on which the National Digital Strategy for Scotland (A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a digital world) is based.
This Digital Strategy supports the organisations requirements to effectively operate in a challenging environment and continue to deliver high quality services in an ever-changing world.
Understanding that Digital transformation begins and ends with how we think about, and engage with, the user and not technology is key, with users defined both as internal and external to the Council. Seeing both our people and citizens as customers of a service whether the service is delivered externally or internally.
The reimagining of business in the Digital Age is Digital Transformation, it transcends traditional organisational structures.
Digital is much broader than digitising records or recreating existing business process using technology, it is as much about a different way of thinking as it is to do with technology.
This Strategy focuses on laying the foundations that will allow the Council to meaningfully progress digital, including the practical actions required for its implementation. This includes the development and co-ordination of Service led plans for digital development, supported by a centre of expertise, and its at this next level of planning we expect to see a range a business led projects. A number of these are already underway.
"Digital transformation is 80% about the people and ways of working and 20% about the technology."
The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government - Highland Councils Digital Maturity Assessment, 2022
Actions to implement the strategy will require leadership support, resource, and collaboration.
This includes upskilling staff and freeing up resources to ensure no-one is left behind, utilising data to drive business intelligence and insight that support the design and delivery of technology enabled services.
These actions sit under under the three areas of focus:
Lead digital, think digital and do digital.
With three user-focused themes for delivery:
People, insight and design.