On Board - A guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland (April 2015)

National Performance Framework

The Scottish Government's vision for a successful Scotland is set out in the National Performance Framework. The Framework actively supports wider engagement between the Scottish Government and its delivery partners, including local government, third sector and public bodies.

It consists of five main parts which support and reinforce each other:

• The Scottish Government's Purpose
• The Purpose Targets to track progress towards the Purpose
• Five Strategic Objectives to focus on action
• 16 National Outcomes describing what the Scottish Government wants to achieve
• 50 National Indicators to track progress towards the Purpose and National Outcomes.

National Outcomes

A shared approach to the achievement of National Outcomes encourages public service providers to direct attention towards the key long-term challenges for Scotland. As the achievement of shared outcomes is dependent on increased collaboration, effective partnership working and closer alignment of service provision, public bodies are required to ensure that their corporate strategies and plans support the National Outcomes described in the National Performance Framework.

It follows that all public bodies must demonstrate the role that their corporate strategies and plans have in delivering National Outcome 16 which refers specifically to high quality, continually improving, efficient public services that are responsive to local people's needs.

Public bodies must also demonstrate their role in delivering the other National Outcomes which are relevant to the type of services they provide, working closely with partners to the benefit of the people of Scotland. This may involve crossing traditional organisational boundaries between public bodies which have separate and distinct roles but which also have a shared interest in the delivery and reform of particular areas of public service (e.g. health, justice and education). This focus on shared outcomes and partnership working can achieve outcomes which might not otherwise be possible by one body acting alone. It also opens up opportunities for sharing of limited resources to ensure more efficient, effective and sustainable public services.

Scotland Performs

The Scotland Performs website measures and reports on the wide range of indicators set out in the National Performance Framework. As such, it provides an open and transparent account of the progress of government in Scotland in the creation of a more successful country, with opportunities for all through increasing sustainable economic growth.