Chamber and committees

In our project-based approach, we aim to concentrate our efforts on the highest priority services; i.e. those services which have the maximum impact on the maximum number of people and where an improved service would deliver the greatest benefit to the citizen. The Modernising Government Fund has supported joined up working and funded bids which meet the Scottish Executive's key modernising priorities for the public sector. Where common themes and projects arose, we combined these into natural project groups.

The monitoring carried out to date by the Performance Audit Group has shown that Amey Highways Ltd are complying with their contractual obligations with regard to winter maintenance on trunk roads in the South of Scotland.

The length of time taken to train a local champion in the effective use of ICTs depends on a number of factors such as the individual's previous experience. An effective local champion not only has to be confident in the use of ICTs, but also has to be able to realise the potential for ICTs to enhance local activities and learning opportunities. The European Computer Driving License (ECDL) is a good indicator of proficiency in the use of ICTs. The study time required will depend on the individual, but typically might be around 40 hours. The fees charged for an ECDL course by a training provider will vary - but might lie between £150 and £250. However additional training in other skills may also be required.A further example of a scheme that trains local champions is the National Grid for Learning's "Connecting Communities" programme. This course does not aim to deliver core ICT skills but instead aims to equip local champions with the knowledge, skills and understanding to integrate ICT into everyday work.Using the freely available NGfL training materials (http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/communities/training) the successful trainees are expected to cascade their new skills to up to 10 other local community representatives. Apart from some equipment costs and the cost of producing the training materials and making them available on-line, typical basic training costs for a group of 12 participants are:

3 days face-to-face ICT training	£1,500
4 days further support	£2,000

Some participants will need more support than others to get to the point where these new skills can be effectively and enthusiastically cascaded to other community practitioners but these figures give a reasonable indication of the costs involved.

The Executive's strategy for developing the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) in Scotland has a range of programmes and projects in place to encourage and co-ordinate innovative and exploratory work on ICT in schools, covering the main themes of training, content and infrastructure.We encourage the sharing of innovative practice among the approved training providers for the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT training programme by holding regular co-ordinating meetings between HMIE and the training providers. In addition we have hosted two major conferences to ensure effective links between NOF training initiatives and the rollout of the NGfL. As a result we have established an Innovative Practice Group charged with exploring ways of disseminating good practice.Working with Learning and Teaching Scotland, our programme of content and software development includes the co-ordination of innovative activities where schools throughout Scotland and in other countries collaborate in on-line learning. We are supporting a number of projects that explore possible future developments in the use of ICT. With Learning and Teaching Scotland we are investigating the requirements for a learning objects repository. We have supported Dundee City Council in a project that will investigate the effective use of laptop computers by teachers and pupils. We are also working with Glasgow City Council to develop innovative approaches to the use of ICT in support of children who cannot attend schools.Our ICT innovation awards scheme is specifically designed to co-ordinate and support innovative and exploratory work in the field of ICT across pre-school, primary, secondary and community education. £50,000 has been available for each round of the scheme, offering grants of up to £5000 to support innovative projects. This support often helps to draw in money from other partners. Phase two of the scheme is supporting 14 projects, and more information can be found on the internet at http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/innovationawards/.

The Executive's £1.5 million Digital Champion programme is providing a network of eight digital "champions" to cover Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas in Scotland. They are working to improve ICT provision in these areas by engaging local people and driving forward local activity. The Digital Champions are building on the Audit of ICT initiatives in SIP areas which was commissioned by the Executive (published June 2000, see http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/kd01/red/audit01.htm) by mapping ICT initiatives and facilities in detail in SIP areas, and subsequently developing further initiatives where appropriate.The earlier audit identified a total of 90 ICT initiatives within the SIPs and Working for Communities Pathfinders (WfCPs), and a further 60 related initiatives, not directly run or financed by the SIPs or WfCPs, but falling within their areas. In addition the Executive has mapped facilities in Scotland which provide public access to the web - and around 700 have been identified so far. Members of the public can find the nearest place to get on the web via the UK online call centre and a clickable map on the web (see www.scotland.gov.uk/digitalscotland/webaccess). The Executive is also developing proposals to improve the provision of web-based information and exchange of good practice on digital inclusion for practitioners in this field.

Through the Executive's Digital Inclusion Strategy "Connecting Scotland's People" we are developing a number of promotional schemes to increase skills and raise awareness of the benefits of using PCs and the internet. This includes the UK Online TV advertising campaign aimed at getting everyone online which started in November 2001, which the Executive worked on with UK government. A number of other schemes to promote awareness of the benefits of the web are also being developed and we expect these to start later in the year.

We now have enabling legislation in place in the Electronic Communications Act 2000 to allow us to amend existing legislation where that does not allow for the use of electronic communications or data storage. Some perceived barriers are not barriers after all but are being considered on a case-by-case basis. For instance, the data protection legislation is not generally a barrier to electronic delivery provided that the requirements of the legislation regarding appropriate consents and storage of information are met.

The Scottish Executive continues to work very closely with the Office of the e-Envoy in developing technical and data standards. The Executive has endorsed the e-Government Interoperability Framework and the e-Government Metadata Framework. The Executive is keen to remain in line as far as possible with both UK and International standards. To date an approach of endorsing and promoting standards has been adopted, however, the soon to be published Information Age Government Framework will contain a number of standards and these will be mandated to the extent of the Executive's authority and which other bodies will be strongly encouraged to adopt.

I am grateful for the opportunity to correct a minor inaccuracy in the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force, which was repeated in the Executive's response to that report. The agreement reached by the European Council at the Lisbon Summit, and announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair was to provide electronic access to the main basic public services by 2003, not to all basic public services as stated in the report of the Digital Scotland Task Force. The list of the 20 main basic public services agreed by member states was published as an annex to the communication e-Europe 2002: Impacts and Priorities. Most of that list are reserved matters. We are working on all those which fall within the remit of the Scottish Executive and a number are already available electronically.

The Executive's response to point 41 of the task force report has been overtaken by the publication of the Scottish Executive's strategy Connecting Scotland: our broadband future. The aggregated procurement of services for local authorities including schools and the health service is to be tested initially in two pathfinder areas. The further and higher education sectors are currently involved in a separate procurement but have been involved in discussions about future alignment of procurement and drawing on the skills of the further and higher education sector in aggregated procurement.