Chief Economist Directorate

What we do

We provide analytical support to the directorates in Director-General Economy, Scottish Exchequer and Strategy and External Affairs.

We have four broad objectives:

to use economics, statistics and social and operational research to help shape and inform policy
to provide high-quality analytical advice and support for Ministers and colleagues on all aspects of the Scottish economy and the public finances across a wide range of policy areas, including fiscal sustainability, taxation, culture, climate change, energy, trade, investment, labour market, regions, enterprise and skills
to produce timely, trusted and robust economic statistics and improve the quality and coverage of economic data, modelling and analysis in Scotland
to provide strategic oversight for the development and co-ordination of economic policy, economic recovery mitigation and actions and narrative

We also:

provide analysis to support Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation in order to deliver an equitable, sustainable, and dynamic wellbeing economy
lead on supporting the work of the Wellbeing Economy Governments group, of which Scotland was a founding member
provide a central point of analysis on the Scottish economy, providing a corporate resource and regular briefings
champion economics and oversee the economic analysis and the professional economist group (over 100 economists)