The Opportunities and Challenges of the Changing Public Services Landscape for the Third Sector in Scotland: A Longitudinal Study: Year Two Report

APPENDIX D: FLEXIBLE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR YEAR TWO CASE STUDIES & FOCUS GROUPS (2011) Year Two

Year Two Case Studies/Focus Groups

Outline interview schedule

Note to interviewer: review anticipated issues and compare with reality; identify key turning points in last year; explore examples of best practice/ adaptation/ innovation.

General

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

Topic 1: Responses to the Changing Policy Environment

• What changes have there been in the last year in the policy environment that have/are going to change how your organisation delivers public services?
• What are the drivers of these changes? (probe impact of localism, Concordat, Single Outcome Agreements, other key turning points)

• What has been the actual impact on the TSO (e.g. on service delivery, clients and staff) as opposed to the anticipated impact?
• What opportunities and challenges have these presented?
• How has your organisation adapted/responded?
• How does your organisation plan to respond in future?
• What do you think are the key lessons you have learned in the last year?
• Do you have any examples you consider to constitute 'good practice' in adapting to the changing environment? What are the constraints on 'good practice'?

Topic 2 Responses to the Changing Funding Environment

• What changes have there been in the last year in the funding environment that have/are going to change how your organisation delivers public services?
• What is/will drive these changes?
• What opportunities and challenges have these presented?

• What has been the actual impact on the TSO (e.g. on service delivery, clients and staff, as well as 'ethos' and quality) as opposed to the anticipated impact?
• How has your organisation adapted/responded?
• Have you considered accessing other types of funding such as private finance/loan finance/higher risk capital? If so, what are the pros and cons?
• How does your organisation plan to respond in future?
• What do you think are the key lessons you have learned in the last year?
• Do you have any examples you consider to constitute 'good practice' in adapting to the changing environment? What are the constraints on 'good practice'?

Topic: Leadership

• 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?
• What role has the organisation's Board had in any changes within the organisation? (Explore views of role of board, effectiveness of it, is it strategic, visionary?)
• What have the challenges been for leadership within the organisation? (eg skills deficits, training needs). How well are leaders adapting to the challenges? Is leadership important for managing resilience within the organisation?

Topic 3 Measurement and Evaluation

• Have there been any changes in the last year to the way performance has been measured and evaluated by funders?
• What have these been?

• Why have these changes occurred and what has been the impact on the TSO?
• Have you changed your approach to impact measurement in the last year? If so, how and why?
• Have you adopted SROI or other means of impact measurement in order to ensure that the benefit delivered by the TSO is evidenced and rewarded?
• What have these been; why did you adopt them; how useful have they been?
• Do your measurement and evaluation procedures fit with the Scottish Government National Performance Framework? How and why?

Topic: Partnerships/Relationships/Interfaces³⁸

• 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)
• How and why have these changes taken place?
• How does this affect how your organisation operates?
• Are you involved with SCVO/CVSs? (Explore views of relationship and benefits / or challenges associated)
• Are you aware of third sector "interfaces" that are being 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?
• Are you involved with any other intermediary organisations or processes? Who? How? Why?
• Are there any other organisations/forums with which you are involved in order to input into decision-making at various levels?
• Have you experienced any changes to partnership working in the last year? Eg. 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)
• What are the reasons for these changes?
• Have changes in the policy and funding environment in the last year changed your approach to partnerships? How and why?

Topic 6 Place and Rural Issues

Have the challenges of delivering public services across a range of geographical contexts (e.g. disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods; remote rural areas) changed in the last year? If so, how and why?

Topic 7 Future Opportunities and Challenges

Do you think the opportunities and challenges for your organisation over the next 12-16 months have changed since the last meeting? What has changed and why do you think this has been?