This presentation was given as a contribution to the ELISA Open Forum 2009. It discusses in more detail the way that the Scottish Parliament information services use digital technologies in their work.

1. 21st century digital services
for parliamentarians
Paul Cannon
Information Assistant, SPICe
11 June 2009

2. Principles of the Scottish Parliament
Key corporate principles:
 Power sharing between the people, parliament
and the executive
 Accountable to the people of Scotland
 Accessible, open, responsive and participative
 Promote equal opportunities

3. Enquiry team
 Confidential enquiry service
 Parliamentary and MSP information
 FOI and Data protection
 Enquiries database

4. Information Management team
 Modern information management
 Collection, inc. Dewar collection
 Document supply
 Records management
 Indexing and cataloguing
 Book leasing

5. E-services team
 Manage and edit intranet/website
 Electronic resources
 Training and guidance
 Current awareness services
 Web development project and
innovation

6. Research team
 Varied backgrounds
 Subject skills
 Economy, Finance Local Government
 Health and Social Affairs
 Justice
 Parliament, Europe and Constitution
 Planning, Rural Affairs, Environment
and Transport

7. Individual inquiries
Logged enquiries
2000 1751
1444 1424
1500 1281
992 999 1011 986
1000 773 859
500
0
6
7
8
2
3
4
0
1
5
9
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
99
00
08
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

8. Who asks?
11,500 enquiries to SPICe 2006-07
Other
Public/ MSP
13%
12%
Holyrood
Staff MSP Staff
SP 29%
36%
Local office
MSP Staff
10%

9. How do they ask?
Letter
0%
Personal
28%
Email
43%
Telephone
29%

10. How do MSPs ask?
Letter
0%
Email Personal
39% 41%
Telephone
20%

11. How do local office staff ask?
Letter Personal
0% 6%
Email
49% Telephone
45%

12. Challenges
 Unreasonable expectations
 Turnover in MSP staff
 Training and inductions
 Information currency
 Limited awareness of services
and products
 Not proactive enough
 Technology
 Consistent responses

13. Trying to improve
 Customer focus, simplified
message
 Marketing
 Open evening
 Members’ needs
 Local office needs
 Training
 New and improved online
services

14. Fact sheets and Research Briefings
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/index.htm

15. Research Briefings
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/date/index.htm

16. Bill Tracker
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/bills/billsInProgress/currentbillstracker.htm

17. Committee Business Tracker
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/committeetracker.htm

18. Enquiries and Research Briefings
Database

19. Enquiries and Research Briefings
Database

20. Material for Debates

21. SPICe Insight

22. SPICe Insight

23. SPICe Insight

24. SPICe Insight

25. Podcasts
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/Podcasts/index.htm

26. Text service
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/publicInfo/textservice.htm

27. Constituency Maps and
Postcode Finder
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/MSPAddressPostcodeFinder.htm

28. www.scottish.parliament.uk
spice@scottish.parliament.uk
0131 348 5300