Post by Synnøve Frøiland
On Monday 21 September 2026, around 70 people gathered at the Edinburgh Futures Institute for a day filled with conversations, shared learning and new connections at GovCamp Scotland.
People came from near and far, representing a wide range of organisations across the public and third sectors, including the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, Police Scotland, local government, Research Data Scotland and many more.
As always, the programme was shaped by the people in the room, and there was no shortage of ideas. People were queuing up to pitch, with more suggestions than we had session slots.
Similar topics were grouped together, and some participants joined forces to co-facilitate sessions.
What we talked about
Together, participants created 16 sessions, covering everything from public service reform and digital skills to data, technology and some of the bigger questions around AI. Here’s what made it onto the agenda:
Building digital skills outside digital roles
Building collaboration between sectors
Supporting SMEs to compete for public sector contracts
Making opportunities for mid-career women and Making it easier to access leisure services (two topics, one session)
Radical ideas for public services
Creating learning cultures
Developing services in the context of Public Service Reform
Tackling increasing complaint volumes
Establishing technology platforms for service delivery
Fail Camp: learning from failure
Data retention
Using and training AI tools
Running events like GovCamp
Avoiding bad design through technology choices
Data literacy and doing better evaluation
The morality of AI in public service delivery
The variety of discussions reflected the breadth of experiences and challenges brought by those attending, sparking lively and thoughtful conversations throughout the day. People had the chance to step outside their usual networks, share experiences and connect with others facing similar challenges across public services.
You can find an overview of the sessions and notes from some of the discussions in the GovCamp Scotland 2026 Session Schedule.
A growing local government presence
We were really pleased to see more people from local government joining us this year, with 12 participants from six councils: Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire.
Local government colleagues helped shape six of the 16 sessions, with some hosting their own sessions and others teaming up with people from different sectors to co-facilitate. It was great to see local government experiences and perspectives being shared as part of the wider conversations throughout the day.
We hope to see that local government presence continue to grow at future GovCamps.
Some of the local government participants at GovCamp Scotland 2026.
Front row (left to right): Laura Hall (East Lothian Council), Nicky Aitken (East Lothian Council) and Anna-Marie Smith (East Lothian Council).
Back row (left to right): Synnøve Frøiland (The Digital Office), Lynne Burgess (Dumfries and Galloway Council), Bruce Moffat (East Lothian Council), Albert Spencer (Dumfries and Galloway Council) and Fiona Robertson (South Lanarkshire Council).
Keeping the conversations going
A huge thank you to everyone who came along, pitched an idea, hosted a session, shared an experience or simply joined the conversation. GovCamp is shaped by the people who take part, and that’s what makes each event a little different.
Most importantly, it’s a chance to bring people together, share what we’re learning and make connections that can continue long after the day itself.
GovCamp Scotland will return in 2027, and we’d love to see you there. If you’re interested in getting involved as a sponsor or volunteer, please get in touch.
Photography courtesy of Stu Younger
