Local authority data goes digital to tackle community issues
NESTA has launched a new programme in Scotland to help local authorities work with digital media developers to create innovative, web-based services which will benefit their local communities.
The pioneering project, called ‘Make it Local Scotland’, organised by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), aims to help local authorities maximise use of the vast amounts of data they hold. By partnering with digital media developers, local authorities will have the chance to capitalise on the information they hold to develop entirely new digital services.
Using awards of up to £25,000, NESTA will support up to four ideas from local authorities in Scotland for public data to be made ‘open’ and turned into new digital services to benefit local and national communities.
Make it Local Scotland is part of a series of work which will help local authorities and other public bodies in Scotland harness the power of innovation and develop new ways of working to improve services in a climate of decreased financial resources and expected rise in demand on local services.
Jackie McKenzie, NESTA Head of Innovation Programmes Scotland said: “Scottish councils hold huge amounts of data that has the potential to transform the way we all relate to public services if only we could access and support it. Imagine what could be achieved by communities if local government data were released and made accessible to the public- simple ideas like which roads had been cleared of snow, where salt and shovels could be accessed by communities; which books are in our libraries and how we might even share our own books into that stock. We want to bring together digital media developers and pioneering local authorities to show what could be achieved.”
For more information and to apply online go to www.nesta.org.uk/make_it_local_scotland