National Mission on Drugs: annual monitoring report 2022-2023

3. Methodology

The metrics outlined under each of the National Mission outcomes were developed following a review of published data on drug deaths and harms in Scotland. This included a wide range of statistics published by the Scottish Government and agencies such as Public Health Scotland (PHS) and the National Records of Scotland (NRS) under different designations (e.g. Accredited Official Statistics, Official Statistics in Development, Management Information).

The development of the metric set involved engagement with policy officials to understand current practice, requirements and opportunities. It also drew on the expertise of analysts in fields associated with substance use within the Scottish Government (e.g., health, criminal justice, education, children and families, and communities) and PHS.

The National Mission on Drugs: Monitoring Metrics Technical Paper identifies headline and supporting metrics for each of the framework’s outcomes. The headline metrics consist of the key measures to monitor the progress of the National Mission. The supporting metrics provide additional insight or context to support the interpretation of the headline metrics and understanding of progress. The technical information for each metric is also provided and includes a definition, rationale, data source and limitations.

More detail on the methodology, the limitations of the data, options for data development and planned engagement with people affected by substance use in future monitoring can be found in the National Mission on Drugs: Monitoring Metrics Technical Paper.