New Digital Strategy for Glasgow

A new Digital Glasgow Strategy (2024-30) has been approved by Glasgow City Council. 

The Digital Glasgow Strategy updates the previous version for the years 2018-23, and the new strategy considers the impact of digitisation on Glasgow’s economic and social life, and how it effects the delivery of council services. 

The strategy is important as the use of digital technology is now a key part of most people’s personal and work lives, as well as how we access services. The strategy also considers how best to reach those who find it difficult to use or access digital technology and services. 

The new Digital Glasgow Strategy differs from the old one in a number of ways: the previous strategy consisted of actions that represented specific planned and propose) digital transformation programmes such as the Connected Learning programme. It provided a comprehensive and cohesive narrative of the extent of planned digitisation in the city, and within the council, over the 2018-23 period. 

The new strategy for 2024-30 adopts a different approach, and while it does list the planned digital transformation programmes in coming years as “key priorities”, the focus is on the outcomes that digital is expected to underpin and sets out actions that can better equip and enable the council (and Glasgow) to succeed in delivering these outcomes. This can be seen in the following missions within the new strategy:

• Mission 1 - A Fair and Empowered Digital Society: this will improve digital inclusion and equality; build confidence and quality; and increase involvement and participation.
• Mission 2 - An Inclusive Digital Economy: this will improve digital inclusion and equality; develop the pipeline of digital skills; and improve opportunities for Glasgow’s tech ecosystem.
• Mission 3 - Sustainable and Innovative Digital Public Services: this will improve the efficiency, resilience, and agility of our operations; improve the customer experience for our customers; and increase involvement and participation.

The final difference from the old strategy is that the new one is not a technology strategy, and cannot be delivered by technology alone, but it is a strategy for organisational change which will equip Glasgow - and the council family - to benefit from the many benefits that digital can bring, whilst also protecting people’s rights. 

The strategy has five core values:

1. to be accessible and inclusive;
2. protect and secure;
3. be open and transparent;
4. involve and empower;
5. and be collaborative and in partnership.

The Digital Glasgow Strategy has been published online as an interactive document and includes a series of case studies detailing the impact that digital initiatives are having in the city.  

Councillor Paul Leinster, Chair of Digital Glasgow, said:

The new Digital Glasgow Strategy recognises the increased role that digital technology and services will play in the future, and sets out the key actions to deliver the key priorities of the strategy. These priorities include not only the delivery of innovative digital public services that bring an improved experience for all those who receive them; but also make our digital economy more inclusive, to increase opportunities and develop skills; and to encourage and enable greater digital inclusion, participation and confidence. 

An implementation plan will be developed for the new strategy, and a governance, performance and reporting framework will be agreed with the Digital Glasgow Board.