Freedom of Information in Scotland is entering a pressure-test year. Reform proposals are live in Parliament. The question being asked is not only whether the law should change, but whether day-to-day FOI practice is keeping pace with how modern public services are delivered – through arms-length bodies, contracted provision and increasingly complex partnerships.

This conference takes place online.

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025  - DUAA - marks the UK’s most significant round of post-Brexit data reform to date. Its impact is now moving from 'what’s in the Bill?' to 'what do we need to change on Monday morning?'. Commencement is now under way and further provisions will bed in through 2026. Scottish data practitioners now have to keep pace with shifting regulatory expectations while continuing to deliver safe, lawful services under real operational pressure.

This conference takes place online.

Scotland’s essential services are now a constant target for increasingly sophisticated cyber attackers. While the public sector is often the primary victim, the impact of these attacks cascades far beyond councils, health boards and emergency services. They can disrupt private sector supply chains, voluntary organisations and critical national infrastructure. The challenge for organisations in Scotland is to build a unified, cross-sector approach to defending the digital front line to minimise future major breaches.

This conference takes place online.

These are turbulent times. Imminent Scottish Parliament elections, weak public finances, potentially seismic domestic political change, continuing war in Ukraine, the unpredictable global consequences of the second Trump Presidency – all require the best judgement. Amid waves of uncertainty buffeting Scotland's public services, private sector and third sector, it is essential to know how to influence key decision makers as they respond to the challenges ahead.

This conference will take place online.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) landscape in Scotland is at a crossroads. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 enacted twenty years ago put in place a commitment to transparency and accountability as a cornerstone of Scottish governance. However, the rise of the digital age and the evolution in public services delivery has led to calls for FOI legislation to be extended. What needs to be changed in FOI law and in best practices to ensure they remain robust and effective?

This conference takes place online.

Data protection requirements for all organisations in the UK and Scotland are governed by law setting out what needs to be complied with and how.  However, the new Data (Use and Access) Bill is moving swiftly through Parliament and will conclude during 2025.  This Bill contains a range of changes with implications for all data practitioners and data protection officers, impacting on when, how and why compliance is needed.  Do you know what data practitioners and organisations need to understand about what will be in the new Act, what changes and responses will be required and what the impact will be of the other wider drivers of change in the data environment?

This conference takes place online.

Most working people and organisations use Microsoft 365 in one shape or another every day, but are you using applications like Outlook, Excel, Word and Teams effectively? Research shows that most people are only using 20% of the functionality in Microsoft 365. However, developing a better understanding of how to use these applications more productively is relatively easy and can deliver huge rewards in time savings, quality of work and organisational development.

This conference will take place online. 

The Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, Ministers and MSPs control legislation, policy and spending decisions affecting the activities of all organisations and people in Scotland. Informed, good decision making is important in good times, but absolutely critical in bad times. These remain difficult times. War in Ukraine, a weak economy, a new UK Government facing tough public finances and the unpredictable and imminent consequences of a second Trump Presidency - these all require the best judgement. So, in the midst of wave after wave of uncertainty buffeting Scotland's public services, private sector and third sector, it is essential to understand how to effectively influence, inform and connect with the key decision makers as they respond to the challenges ahead.

This conference will take place online.

Freedom of Information in Scotland has become both an effective tool for public accountability in Scotland and a growing demand on the resources of our public sector bodies. However, questions over compliance, scope, operation and cost have increasingly come to the fore. What do Scottish bodies covered by FOI – and others that may be pulled into its reach – need to know about where we stand and what may be coming next?

This conference takes place online.

AI is already here and every public, private and third sector body in Scotland has to understand what it is going to mean for them. Its impact will be deep and wide ranging, so what do organisations need to do to understand it, react to it and adapt to it?

This conference will take place online.