Scotland’s Digital Office for local government has announced a community to enable its members to extract the full potential of the Microsoft 365 Power Platform,
The tools can be used to build custom applications, automate workflows and analyse data for decision making without requiring a deep ability to write code.
Digital business services team leader at Perth and Kinross Council Chris Wright is collaborating with the Digital Office to lead the National Power Platform community.
In a blog co-written by Wright, who has been in technology roles at Perth and Kinross for 19 years, they said the community will “be exploring and implementing” topics such as programmes that ensure staff are “aware and equipped with the skills needed to use the Power Platform” so that the potential of the technology is fully exploited within a local authority and that it leads to innovation.
In addition the community will look at pilot projects that “demonstrate the value of the Power Platform” and how these build momentum by showcasing the tangible benefits.
Collaboration and sharing
The community will foster collaboration, the sharing of best practices, and the development of solutions in different councils. There will also be regular reviews of the use of the Power Platform “to ensure that it continues to meet the evolving needs of councils”.
The community wants to promote the Microsoft 365 Power Platform as it says the technology allows “councils to start small and expand their use of the platform as needed.” In particular, the community believes the technology can be used to create new applications and automate processes.
In their blog post, the community says Power Apps enables local authorities to develop applications that address specific local needs and that Power Automate can be used by local authorities to automate tasks, whilst PowerBI can be used to analyse decision-making.
Digital Office said: “This data driven approach supports more informed policymaking, helping to allocate resources efficiently and respond proactively to emerging issues.”
Virtual agent technology can be used for the creation of chatbots that will help citizens self-serve from local authority websites, again taking the pressure off staff.
A digital form allows local authorities to get involved in the National Power Platform Community.
