Public Sector Digital Leadership Exchange

As public services face rising expectations, constrained resources and changes facilitated by technology like AI, strong digital leadership has never been more critical.

This session explores where public services are heading and how digital leaders can be at the forefront of that change.

Drawing on real‑world examples, speakers will examine how leaders can set a clear direction of travel, share practical lessons on leadership role as services change, align people and technology, and deliver meaningful, citizen‑focused transformation at pace across Scotland.

In 2021 the Scottish Government launched the Cloud First Programme as part of its Digital Strategy, designed to encourage and support public sector bodies towards using cloud services. In contrast, the latest Digital Strategy, launched in 2025, makes only three mentions of cloud.

So, is the vision for a Cloud First Scotland completed?

The short answer is no. While most public services now operate on cloud systems, the journey to fully optimising cloud usage across the sector is far from complete.

Speakers will present practical case studies of cloud in action, sharing tips on FinOps, optimisation and implementation from across Scotland’s public services.

Scaling what works across Scotland’s public services requires more than good pilots and innovative ideas.

To truly scale digital transformations, public service bodies need confident board level sponsorship, clear impact assessments and robust business cases that stand up to scrutiny.

Speakers will explore how to assess value, manage risk, and back digital investment with confidence in complex public service environments where budgets are stretched thin and workloads are piling up.

This session cuts through the jargon to focus on what genuinely works in real public-service contexts. Drawing on hard‑won lessons from those who’ve led digital change first‑hand, it will explore the decisions, behaviours and trade‑offs that make the difference between progress and stagnation.

Questions will be submitted by the audience throughout the day and curated by the Holyrood team, creating an interactive, audience-led panel where real discussions can take place.

Designed to be open, honest and interactive, this session will create space for shared learning around challenges in leading organisations through digital transformations. By tackling the do’s and don’ts head‑on, digital leaders from across Scotland will share the key lessons that took their organisations from pilots to programmes.