The new draft strategy is aligned with the council plan, and the national digital strategy published by the Scottish Government in March 2021.

The Digital Vision proposed in the strategy is: Transforming lives with Digital.

Chair of the council’s Finance and Corporate Resources Committee, Councillor Lesley McDonald, said: “There have been major technical advances in several areas since the last Digital Strategy was published in 2017.

“The pandemic has of course resulted in an increase in remote working, both across the council and with our many partners.

“This new strategy will build on previous accomplishments and focus on service transformation utilising digital technologies.

“A key element of the new strategy will be cyber security. As systems move to the cloud and services are accessed across the internet it will be important to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect against cyber-attacks.

“This strategy sets out how South Lanarkshire Council will exploit new technologies to help deliver its vision of improving the quality of life for everyone in South Lanarkshire.

“It describes how services will be delivered as "Digital First", but we will also ensure no one is left behind as digital services are introduced. This will include working with partners to improve digital connectivity and supporting initiatives to deliver free public wi-fi and user devices.

“We will also ensure that projects implementing new technology take account of impact to users and staff at planning stage, fully train staff as part of all new technology introductions and put users at the heart of new technology projects making it as easy as possible to use.

“The strategy also sets out the technical foundations necessary to realise the council’s digital vision.”

The full report can be accessed via the council website with the strategy also available online.