Envisioning Digital Transformation

Dundee’s Digital Strategy report demonstrates an exemplar case study for the most important part of Digital Transformation – Setting an initial, high level vision.

Fundamentally the two drivers of successful digital transformation are a Vision and Roadmap – Where are we trying to get to and how do we get there?

Dundee offers an excellent example of an inspiring vision statement; in particular it’s not overly technological (“we’ll migrate our servers to the Cloud”) but instead focuses on the broader economic perspective and opportunity, identifying and building on what their particular local strengths and growth opportunities are.

Equally importantly it doesn’t operate in a silo, it defines how they can be a component part of a larger overall national strategy.

“Scotland’s digital landscape is changing rapidly and the Scottish Government has recognised this through the development and support of a number of digital strategies and programmes which all have their sights firmly set on the same target for building Scotland’s digital future – 2020.

The Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland is a country in which:

“Digital technology provides a foundation for innovative, integrated public services that cross organisational boundaries and deliver to those in most need, and for services for business that promote growth.’

Dundee City Council’s Digital Strategy outlines how the Council aims to achieve a digital Council by 2020 to help feed into the wider aim of building a Digital Scotland.

Dundee is a leader in games & digital media, is changing for the future and has been three times listed as a top seven global Intelligent Community of the Year over the past decade. As a UNESCO city of design and the V&A being the centrepiece of a globally significant urban regeneration programme, Dundee’s digital credentials will be another key component in delivering the City’s vision statement “to attract and retain talent, creating jobs, social fairness, quality of life and environmental sustainability”.

The vision for Dundee City Council is to become a Council which has enhanced its services through digital and has effectively promoted the use of digital so that its citizens think digital first when requesting services because it is quicker and more convenient to do so. This vision covers more than just digital access to services, it covers the processes behind the services, the way our citizen’s find and access them, how we communicate, how we continue to improve but also aims to bring the city together by looking at a multiple digital themes.

By creating a digital strategy, the Council will be supporting other Changing for the Future projects, providing the citizens of Dundee with a full choice of service options which are convenient and fit into their lives as seamlessly as possible regardless of age, location, time constraints or backgrounds.”

Digital Champions

Dundee are also pioneering a program of ‘Digital Champions’.

The Scottish Digital Office offer this case study, which highlights the very important next step of staff engagement – Ensuring that the high level vision is translated into meaningful action and progress at the front line, particularly through skills development support.

To address this Dundee implemented a program of ‘Digital Champions’, a survey of staff skills combined with an ongoing program of digital training and from that recruiting staff to champion the initiative, spreading it across their network of contacts, succeeding at making the staff an integral part of its rollout.

#DigitalInclusion

SVCO, author of the Scottish Digital Participation Charter, are also playing a part in extending this involvement to the general public in Dundee, championing the role of technology in health and well-being, and running local workshops to deliver hands on support and mentoring.