Creating digital communities with the Improvement Service in Scotland.

IS achieved this by partnering with Knowledge Hub, the public sector knowledge service powered by Placecube’s online collaboration platform – Digital Place for Communities. ‘Communities’ is designed for cross-platform knowledge collaboration and delivered as a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription, to create a digital meeting place for local authorities and public sector organisations everywhere. Placecube developed a Scottish Network within the Knowledge Hub, which allows users across Scotland to filter content particular to IS members and quickly identify which groups are relevant to them and their work. This has also provided functionality so that IS can directly engage users through key content and profile groups. While IS faced initial challenges in encouraging new users and groups to join and participate, working closely with key public service partners and professional organisations attracted content-rich groups and, in turn, provided new users with a rewarding experience. IS also aimed to break down the traditional siloed approach to working by encouraging users to make connections with other groups and related content. To do this, the platform was designed to actively suggest appropriate content and similar users. These efforts have been so successful that, in just five years, Scottish local authorities and their public service partners have become a major presence on the platform, making up 28 percent of Knowledge Hub’s 150,000-strong user base. McLean says: “Scotland has grown into such a significant user of the platform that Placecube regularly liaises with our staff to gain insight and feedback from our users. They are actively involving us with the future plans for the site’s development. The team has also introduced us to other knowledge management teams so that we can exchange best practice and share the development of support materials.”