Open Government Action Plan commitment 4: be more accountable for public services
Progress reports on our commitment to improve accountability of public services as part of our open government action plan.
Final Progress Report
February 2021
Commitment milestones have been altered slightly due to delivery pressures caused by Covid-19
| Milestones | Update | Progress | |
| 1 | Engage with Commitment Signatories |
Met with each Signatory individually, and held collaborative workshop to build shared understandings and purpose of work moving forwards, Spring 2019 |
✔ Complete |
| 2 | Form civil society partnerships working group |
Held first meeting April 2019; workshop on co-design of citizens engagement June 2019 |
✔ Complete |
| 3 | Commission baseline research into accountability landscape |
Contracted EKOS Consultants Ltd. to conduct desk-based research to assess existing accountability bodies operating in Scotland for public services, and to assess some examples of citizens engagement in scrutiny activities to help inform best practice (if taken forward), published September 2019 |
✔ Complete |
| 4 | Public and practitioner engagement work procured | Contractor appointed September 2019 |
✔ Complete |
| 5 | Peoples survey design – Collaborative Working Group workshop w/contractors |
Meeting held 20 September 2019, initial research methodology review and survey design Meeting held 14 October 2019, survey questions approved |
✔ Complete |
| 6 | Holyrood Events Ltd. public service practitioners event |
Commitment 4 workshop delivered, 16 October. Discussion on gaps / improvements in access to accountability, as part of early stage research data gathering to inform final solutions development |
✔ Complete |
| 7 | Survey dissemination |
CAS delivered through YouGov |
✔ Complete |
| 8 | Snook: Interviews |
Series of one-to-one interviews and/or small focus groups conducted to inform design and content of national workshop discussions, and engage diversity of participant types ; CWG Partners supported |
✔ Complete |
| 9 | Snook: Peoples workshops x 9 (Scotland wide) |
Snook held a series of engagement workshops with people living in Scotland, originally via on-site events then delivered virtually following onset of the pandemic, as appropriate |
✔ Complete |
| 10 | Snook: Service delivery, scrutiny & regulatory bodies consultation event x 1 |
Snook hosted event 6 May, virtual – to sense check / cross-reference public engagement findings with practitioners for feasibility and buy in |
✔ Complete |
| 11 | Snook: Solutions development workshop |
Snook hosted event 19 May, virtual – to enable partners to input to recommendations in light of engagement outputs |
✔ Complete |
| 12 | Snook: Research analysis & recommendations report debrief session |
Snook hosted event 24 June, virtual – to provide overview of final report, including recommendations, and provide any clarifications to partners on key points |
✔ Complete |
| 13 | Chair’s Discussion Paper – Delivery Stocktake & Options Stage 3 |
Commissioned August 2020; delayed due to illness, submitted to partners 3 December. Core partners team update meetings held: 27 October, 9 November, 18 November. | ✔ Complete |
| 14 | Commitment Leads & Signatories meeting to decide next steps |
Held 10 December. Agreed to focus on production of CAS led information and signposting booklet supported by SG grant funding; and to collate insights from wider programme of work for submission to central Steering Group to help inform development of any further work on accountability under a third action plan. | ✔ Complete |
| 15 | Citizens Advice Scotland Booklet - development | Due to complete end March 2021; draft to be circulated to partners for review February. | 🙂 On Track |
| 16 | Commitment 4 Programme Insights Report | Short summary paper capturing key insights from work to date on accountability, for submission to central Steering Group to help inform considerations as how best to build on this them under a third action plan, as appropriate. Aim for end February 2021, but due to resource constraints and competing priorities this may slip to March 2021. | 🙂 On Track |
| 17 | Tests of Change – delivery, led by agreed Signatories w/Partners’ support |
These milestones have been superseded by Chair’s Discussion Paper due to limited capacity across partners, including SG, in light of impacts of Covid. |
|
| 18 | Project Insights Reports | ||
| 19 | Commitment 4: Final Programme Report – business case for next steps under Action Plan 3, proposed improvements to access | ||
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