The Opportunities and Challenges of the Changing Public Services Landscape for the Third sector in Scotland: A Longitudinal Study (2009 - 2013): Year 4 and Final Report

Appendix B: Year 4 Interview Schedule

1. Responses to the Changing Policy and Funding Environment

1.1 Has you title/role position changed since our last meeting? If so, how and why?

1.2 What changes have there been in the last year in the policy AND/OR funding environment that have/are going to change how your organisation delivers public services?

1.3 What are the drivers of these changes? (probe impact of preventative spend, Christie Commission, localism, Concordat, Single Outcome Agreements, etc. other key turning points)

1.4 What has been the actual impact of changes in the environment on the third sector organisation (e.g. on service delivery, clients and staff) as opposed to the anticipated impact?

1.4a Specifically, probe how has the Christie agenda has helped change what you do, or are you seeking (or not) to move towards the Christie agenda (if so why, if not why), what are the strengths and weaknesses of the Christie agenda?

1.5 What has been the impact of the Work programme?

1.6 Is the personalisation agenda relevant to you and if so, how has this impacted?

• Probe further on number of local authorities using this approach
• Specifically, what changes has the third sector organisation made in response to personalisation?

1.7 Has the policy shift toward prevention and/or early intervention had any impact on you, and if so how?

1.8 Have you accessed a Change Fund? (If so, why and what was your experience of it)

[For selected case study organisations only: how has policy/funding/economic environment impacted on volunteering within the organisation?]

1.9 What opportunities and challenges have these presented?

1.10 How has your organisation adapted/responded? (e.g. identify the stage organisations are at with organisational reviews, making costs savings, diversifying the funding base/social enterprise). In particular, what changes have there been to jobs, pay etc.?

1.11 Have you considered accessing other types of funding such as private finance/loan finance/higher risk capital since the last meeting? If so, what are the pros and cons?

1.12 What do you think are the key lessons you have learned in the last year?

1.13 Do you have any examples you consider to constitute 'good practice' in adapting to the changing environment? What are the constraints on 'good practice'?

2. Leadership

2.1 Have there been any changes in leadership in the organisation in the past year? If so, why have there been changes, what have they been and what has been the impact?

2.2 Have there been any changes in the role or level of involvement of the Board since the last meeting? (Explore views of role of Board, effectiveness of it, is it strategic, visionary?)

2.3 What have the challenges been for leadership within the organisation? (e.g. skills deficits, training needs). How well are leaders adapting to the challenges? Is leadership important for managing resilience within the organisation?

3. Measurement and Evaluation

3.1 Have there been any changes in the last year to the way performance has been measured and evaluated by funders? If so, what have these changes been?

3.2 Why have these changes occurred and what has been the impact on the third sector organisation?

3.3 Have you changed your approach to impact measurement in the last year? If so, how and why?

3.4 Have you adopted SROI or other means of impact measurement in order to ensure that the benefit delivered by the third sector organisation is evidenced and rewarded?

3.5 Do your measurement and evaluation procedures fit with the Scottish Government National Performance Framework? How and why?

4. Partnerships/Relationships/Interfaces

4.1 Have you experienced any changes in your organisation's relationship with local authorities and CPPs in the last year? (note: identify actual from anticipated changes)

4.2 How and why have these changes taken place?

4.3 How does this affect how your organisation operates?

4.4 Are you aware of third sector "interfaces" that have been created in each LA area? If so, have you been involved? How? Are they working? What opportunities are presented by the new third sector interface structures?

4.5 Are you involved with any other intermediary organisations or processes? Who? How? Why?

4.6 Are there any other organisations/forums with which you are involved in order to input into decision-making at various levels?

4.7 Have you experienced any changes to partnership working in the last year? E.g. new partnerships formed, existing partnership dissolved, more Consortium partnerships, probe awareness / experience of "public social partnerships"/ involvement in design of services? (note: identify actual from anticipated changes)

4.8 Have you been involved in service design? E.g. through Public Social Partnerships, through dialogue with funders, changes in tendering. To what extent have you been involved in service design? Have opportunities for involvement changed since the last meeting? If yes, how and why have these taken place?

4.9 Have changes in the policy and funding environment in the last year changed your approach to partnerships? How and why?

5. Thinking Ahead: Future Opportunities and Challenges

5.1 The Scottish Government's response to the Christie Commission has been based on four key areas: the adoption of preventative approaches; locally integrated service provision; enhanced workforce development to improve public service delivery; openness, transparency and innovation in public services. How have these responses affected your organisations approach to the delivery of public services?

5.2 To what extent are local outcomes for communities set out under Single Outcome Agreements for each local authority being met?

5.3 Are you seeing evidence of new commissioning models being introduced? Can you describe these models and how widely are they being introduced? Specifically ask about co-commissioning / integrated commissioning.

5.4 How, if at all, are you preparing for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum?