Authorities reduce duplication of effort and save money through sharing action plan and guidance
Scotland’s local authorities have reportedly saved more than £1 million in preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through taking part in a Readiness Project designed by the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government.
Led by Glasgow City Council and Fife Council, 30 of the country’s 32 councils have followed an action plan, standards and guidance on planning for and interpreting the GDPR, which is set to come into force on 25 May.
They also collaborated through the group’s corporate knowledge hub, sharing experiences and solutions to issues that arose. The Digital Office said this has helped to sizably reduce any duplication of effort and ensure a consistent approach between councils in the Local Government Digital Partnership.
Anne-Marie O’Donnell, chief executive of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Digital Partnership Delivery Board, said: “We only have a matter of weeks to ensure we are fully prepared for these new regulations and the preparations will continue in each council. However, it is important to recognise the significant qualitative and quantitative benefits this project has delivered for all our partners at a crucial time where all local authorities need it most.
“Credit must go to all our project team, particularly Glasgow City Council and Fife Council who have worked solidly to deliver this project over the last year and we look forward to continuing this collaborative work across all of the other Digital Partnership programmes.”
The Digital Office for Scottish Local Government is funded by 30 local authorities to drive digital transformation.
Scotland's Improvement Service recently reported that it was working with solicitors and public sector partners on a readiness plan for GDPR compliance that will stretch beyond the implementation date.
Image by macroflight, CC BY-2.0 through flickr
