AI in the Public Sector

Data Science Accelerator Programme

National Outcome: We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society

The Data Science Accelerator Programme, part of the broader Scottish Public Sector Analytical Collaborative (SPACe) programme, is playing an important role in improving vital data science skills in Scotland’s public sector. It allows analysts to develop their expertise in this area, under the guidance of an experienced mentor, using AI techniques such as machine learning and natural language processing.

The Scottish Government launched the scheme in 2018 in partnership with Public Health Scotland (then NHS National Services Scotland), the National Records of Scotland, Registers of Scotland and The Data Lab. It has since reached out to many more public sector organisations, such as Police Scotland and the Care Inspectorate, to make the programme available to all organisations across the country that produce and publish official statistics.

The programme has successfully taken forward a diverse range of public sector projects such as the use of machine learning techniques to determine whether satellite information could be used to improve agricultural statistics. Another focused on the extraction of information from historical images using computer vision and machine learning techniques to generate valuable information on the built environment at that time.

The Care Inspectorate, in an innovative proof-of-concept project, explored the use of algorithms to identify poor quality care at an early stage, information that could then be flagged and passed to inspectors for further assessment and action.

And in a recent project, participants applied natural language processing techniques to develop an opinion tracking tool to monitor comments on social media relating to social security benefits in Scotland. A successful proof-of-concept has led to an extension of the project beyond the Accelerator Programme.