A Vision for Public Sector Data in Scotland

We worked with our colleagues at The Democratic Society and the Scottish Government on the co-creation of a vision for public sector data in Scotland, through a short-life Horizon Scan Group, coming together into a cohort over summer 2024 in a series of workshops. We designed a highly collaborative approach, with a futures scenario methodology, and a temporal approach – looking 20 years into the future – to enable the co-creation of the Vision. Our approach included:

• Highly collaborative and iterative approach throughout, including in the development of the Horizon Scan Group membership through an Expression of Interest process.
• Learning loops and senemaking throughout the workshop series to support emergence and iteration.
• Co-creation at the heart of the approach.
• A temporal focus for the workshop series to lead participants into the future and back to the present.

Over the course of 3 intensive workshops the Horizon Scan Group explored the theme, including opportunities, implications, potential benefits and risks, and the wider contexts of health and wellbeing, trust, environmental and social benefit, skills, equality, and future generations.