TCS Fast Tracks Digital Transformation for Scotland’s Improvement Service

TCS (@TCS) Fast Tracks Digital Transformation for Scotland’s Improvement Service

Tata Consultancy Services’ DigiGOV™ Framework Helps Digitise National Entitlement Cards, Dog Control Notices, and Funding for Childcare Centres in Scotland 

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organisation, is working with Scotland’s local government Improvement Service (IS) to accelerate its digital transformation programmes.

Since the pandemic, national and local governments across Scotland have been accelerating digitisation initiatives, including to reduce physical touchpoints. TCS has been helping the IS achieve this goal, using its DigiGOV™ framework to make digital services faster to configure, easier to use and more accessible. This includes the National Entitlement Card (NEC), Scotland’s national multi-application smart card.

TCS worked with the IS to design and develop GETYOURNEC.SCOT to ease the burden on local councils during the pandemic and to provide a richer customer experience.  The GETYOURNEC.SCOT portal allows people to apply for an NEC and manage their account from anywhere with an internet connection.

Having first piloted the initiative with West Lothian Council, 24 of the 32 local councils across Scotland have now adopted the portal with the remaining 8 set to follow.  The NEC is now used by more than 2.2 million citizens to access a wide range of local authority services, national and local entitlements, including travel concessions for adults above 60, young people and disabled citizens.  It is also used for discounts within retail and leisure outlets.  

In September, GETYOURNEC.SCOT won the Gold Prize for the IS in the ‘Innovation’ category at the 2021 iESE Awards held in London, being recognised for transforming the delivery of public services, and for enhancing the online experience

TCS has also worked with the IS to reimagine its bisaccount.scot website by using DigiGOV to optimise the online application process for businesses in Scotland to access vital financial support when adjusting to the impacts of COVID-19.  Two rounds of funding, Temporary Restrictions and Transitional Support, helped keep nurseries and day-care businesses open for children of essential workers during the pandemic. The project was rolled out in under four weeks across every local authority in the country, with 1,600 businesses receiving financial support through the new platform.

In addition, TCS is supporting the IS as it works with Scottish Government to find ways to improve the operational effectiveness of dog control legislation, given the rising number of dog attacks on people and the variable number of dog control notices issued by local authorities across Scotland.  A proof of concept involving 6 councils and Police Scotland centralised these notices successfully leveraging TCS’ DeXAM platform, an innovative digital solution for data exchange, analysis and visualisation. It provides real-time search and analysis on the consolidated data, dashboards to visualise hotspots, and data exchange with other local authorities.

Martin Brown, Head of Digital Public Services at the Improvement Service, said:
“The IS exists to provide leadership to Local Government and the wider system on improvement and transformation and, in turn, to make communities and peoples’ lives better across Scotland. By working closely with TCS, we are driving the digitisation of Scotland’s public services through intuitive online platforms, so those citizens willing and able to use technology can access the support they need.  Digital transformation is happening at an incredible pace, and our digital initiatives will provide long-lasting benefits for people and for local communities.”

Gopalan Rajagopalan, Head, TCS Scotland, commented:

“DigiGOV has enabled us to develop innovative proofs-of-concept and deliver integrated online services in very short timeframes that directly benefit the Scottish people. Our work with the IS shows how digital transformation isn’t just something that affects the business world but is actually about how we all live and work together in the community.”