Nomad has spread its wings cross the border to welcome the expansion of the Nomad Network into Scotland.

Like minded Scottish Local Authorities are coming together
to promote best practice and share experiences in developing and using mobile, wireless & flexible working.   

As reflected in England - Nomad Scotland is running its own Forum to disseminate new findings and to share experiences with representatives of all Scottish Local Authorities.

Organised by a Core Group of representatives from a number of Scottish local authorities (noted below with contacts) and with support from the Improvement Service, the Nomad Scotland Forum meetings/events currently take place twice a year. 

Objectives & Aims of Nomad Scotland.
There have been a number of national (UK) government strategies published increasingly stressing the importance of mobile, wireless and flexible working as being critical to service transformation in the public sector arena. This has been co-ordinated in England under the Nomad banner for the past few years.   Following on from the Diagnostic Pathway Programme in Scotland, which identified huge potential for mobile and flexible working to deliver significant results, a number of councils have now initiated a similar group in Scotland.

The objectives of the group are to:

• Exchange ideas and information about mobile, wireless and flexible working in local government\public sector in Scotland.
  
• Develop initiatives across local government\public sector to achieve performance and efficiency gains.
  
• Share development, implementation experiences and issues.
  
• Explore the potential uses of mobile, wireless and flexible working.
  
• Investigate ways of working to identify best practice within both the public and private sector.
  
• Research funding opportunities.
  
• Promote greater use of mobile, wireless and flexible working.

Virtual space to support professional networking
Nomad Scotland, working with the Improvement Service, has established an online space using the iDeA and IS platform to support easy communication and sharing of experiences between people and organisations looking at, and implementing agile working (inclusive of mobile, flexible and home working) initiatives in Scotland.

This online space is helping to support the flexible, mobile and home working community of practice in Scotland, and will be complemented with demand-led locally held workshops and events around Scotland.  To find out more and start connecting with like-minded colleagues across Scotland, please visit the group's Online Space on the Communities of Practice website and sign up for alerts.

The Core Group Members for Nomad Scotland are listed below.

Mark Baker - Nomad Scotland Chair
Aberdeenshire Council
mark.e.baker@aberdeenshire.gov.uk 

Lyle Smith
Aberdeen City
lsmith@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Scott Robertson
City of Edinburgh Council
Scott.A.Robertson@edinburgh.gov.uk

To express an interest in attending the Forum Meetings and local events:

• Please email mark.e.baker@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
• Or join us directly at the groups Online Space on the Communities of Practice website. You will need to register your details to join the group 'Mobile & Flexible working in Scotland'.