Partnership Working Research Report: Social and Economic Partnership Project

Partnership Working Research Report: Social and Economic Partnership Project

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1. Introduction

2. The First Minister, Mr Jack McConnell MSP, has expressed a clear commitment to working in partnership with others, and to building strong partnership mechanisms. Key partners have likewise been keen to take forward a new commitment to partnership working since devolution. The Scottish Executive's current work to improve the way it engages with stakeholders and delivery partners is also a key driver for this project. This report presents the findings from research activities carried out in early 2003 with Scottish Executive partners and internal Executive staff. It seeks to contribute to the limited evidence base of views about partnership working. It is expected that this report will be of interest to Ministers, policy-makers and public servants, and those with an interest in public policy and partnership working across Scotland.

3. Background

4. This research report forms part of a wider project looking at Social and Economic Partnership, co-ordinated by the Scottish Executive's Strategy Unit, formerly the Policy Unit. The project has sought to reflect on where things stand four years into devolution, and in the early part of a new Scottish Parliamentary term. It is being published in early 2004, in order to help form the backdrop for policy considerations in this area early in the life of the new Parliament.
6. The research builds on earlier strands of work carried out in 2002 which looked at partnership principles and models of partnership, and the role of planning and evaluation in partnership working. A Scottish Executive official was seconded to the STUC in March 2002 to carry out a study into European Social and Economic Partnership models. The Scottish Executive Social Research group then carried out a study of models of social partnership in devolved regions and a further project on Partnership and Evaluation. In addition, in the summer of 2002 Policy Unit carried out a preliminary snapshot study into civic engagement in Scotland, the findings of which have fed into and informed this research process.

7. The Policy Context

8. The Consultative Steering Group (CSG) report (1998) provided the blueprint for the new Scottish Parliament. The principles set out by the CSG have been cast widely, often being taken as the touchstone of a new, more inclusive and open political culture. These principles are: access and participation; equal opportunities; accountability; and power sharing. Since devolution, Scottish Ministers have expressed a new commitment to partnership working and have pursued new models of working. Consensus is also often cited as a key element of the new politics. The commitment to partnership is founded on the idea that partnership offers the most constructive forum for discussion and, where appropriate, policy formulation.
10. Since devolution, the Executive has demonstrated a commitment to working more closely and effectively with partner organisations by introducing a series of written agreements that seek to define the broad principles, shared priorities and terms of engagement with a range of partners. The main such agreements are a Memorandum of Understanding with the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), the Scottish Compact with the Voluntary sector (signed pre-devolution but still active), a Concordat with the Scottish Civic Forum and the Partnership Framework with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). Discussions have also been ongoing between Ministers and the STUC over the concept of a Social and Economic Partnership (SEP), and the secondment of an Executive official to the STUC was arranged to help take this work forward. In addition there have been preliminary discussions with the business community on ways to develop partnership working further.
12. At the local level, the Local Government Act 2003 sets out the legal framework for Community Planning, a process which embodies partnership working. This framework places a duty on partners to work effectively with each other and with their communities, in order to provide joined up services shaped around the needs of individuals and communities. The Act also places a duty on Ministers to 'promote and encourage the use of community planning'. The Community Planning Task Force report (available electronically at http:/www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/frcp-00.asp), published in May 2003, makes a number of recommendations regarding the future development of Community Planning, including several directed at the Executive. These include the recommendation that the Executive and community planning partnerships should drive forward a process of partnership rationalisation at national and local levels, and that the Executive should give community planning partnerships 'adequate space in which to address local needs and priorities'.
14. This study aims to build a picture of partnership working in relation to the Executive. To this extent, it complements the Scottish Civic Forum's Audit of Democratic Participation, carried out over the course of 2001-02, and the recent report on the application of the CSG principles by the Procedures Committee of the Scottish Parliament.
16. The project also creates links with and between several other key workstreams across the Executive. The Executive has faced new and varied challenges and opportunities as a result of devolution. In taking stock of how well it is placed to rise to increasing expectations, it is carrying out a two-year internal change programme, Changing to Deliver, which is designed to strengthen the Executive's performance across a number of priority areas. The Executive's Management Group acts as the Change Board to oversee the programme and drive it forward across the organisation. Action is being taken across three key areas - changing the culture and behaviour of the organisation; engaging more effectively with stakeholders and designing policies and services around customer needs; and improving the Executive's internal processes.
18. Changing to Deliver encompasses a number of relevant initiatives. For example, the Delivering Professional Policy team is assessing the way in which the Executive involves others in policy-making as part of an overall review of policy-making practice. Best practice is shared through guidance, training and a Policy Makers' Network. The team also offers support to officials interested in using tools to enhance their customer focus. In addition, a dedicated research team continues to provide a source of expertise and advice on participation and consultation.

19. What Is Partnership?

20. During the course of this study, it has become clear that the term 'partnership' covers a range of different possible definitions. Often understandings and expectations differ from person to person. The term 'Social and Economic Partnership' (SEP) is often taken to refer to a particular type of governance model, common to several European countries, which involves the 'social partners' - normally taken to be government, trade unions, business organisations, and sometimes the voluntary sector and others - in a formal standing partnership mechanism. Early discussions with the STUC were largely shaped around this definition, and referred to the suggestion of a SEP as a model. However, Ministers decided early on in the project that it would be more helpful to consider more generally partnership as an approach. Therefore, the guiding premise for this study has been that before consideration can be given to the desirability of setting up any new mechanisms, it is important to gain a deeper sense of the current state of partnership relationships in Scotland. While we have taken soundings when given, it was not an explicit aim of this research to consult on a SEP as such. Earlier research suggested that in order for mechanisms or systems to be successful they need to be built in reference to, and embedded within, prevailing cultural and organisational contexts. Thus, for the purposes of this study it was considered important to take a broad view of partnership and to explore what partnership means to people in their own terms. Through documenting people's views, we hope to chart some of that cultural territory.

21. The Research

22. The First Minister commissioned this research to meet the following aim:

23. To explore with key sectors in Scotland including business, trade unions, the third and other sectors how policy development and delivery can be enhanced through the further development of the social and economic partnership approach.

24. The specific objectives were:

• To identify and consider the fundamental principles of partnership working;
• To evaluate and review current relationships with reference to these partnership principles and the aims underpinning partnerships;
• To apply lessons from the evaluation to enhance current practice.

2. In addition to the above objectives, participants were asked to reflect on the idea of exploring new partnership mechanisms or systems, in order to obtain an early impression of what views might be likely to be held.
4. To fulfil these objectives, research was conducted with external partners and internal Executive staff between February and April 2003. It was carried out by Strategy Unit staff in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Researcher, and was overseen by a cross-cutting Steering Group of senior Executive officials. In total, 65 people took part in the research. The overall sample breakdown is provided in table 1 below.

5. Table 1: Breakdown of Sample

   Sample group	Participant numbers
   External participants	25
   Face-to-face interviews	22
   Telephone interviews	3
   Roundtable events* (2)	10
   E-discussion*	5
   Internal participants	40
   Face-to-face interviews	9
   Focus groups	31
   Total no of participants	65

   * Indicates activities where no new research participants were involved

   External Partners

6. A series of in-depth face-to-face interviews was carried out with a total of 25 people (3 were telephone interviews) who were considered likely to have useful contributions and insights to offer the project in fulfilling its aims. The list was neither statistically representative nor comprehensive, but compiled systematically from known Executive contacts, desk research into sectoral interests and organisations, and consideration of the current partnership landscape. The majority of interviewees were from national representative organisations. However an attempt was made to include more local organisations from the voluntary sector, and 3 local representatives took part in interviews. A more extensive piece of research would seek to extend its reach to local groups and delivery organisations. This research also did not look in any depth at relationships between the Executive and public sector bodies or with the Parliament.
8. Each in-depth interview was carried out face-to-face and scheduled for around an hour, with discussion broadly conducted along the lines of a topic guide containing the key themes to be covered. Interview participants were then invited to attend roundtable events, designed to bring different perspectives together and to explore and develop in a group discussion context some of the key issues arising from the interviews. Two such events were held in the week beginning 24 March 2003. Jim McCormick, Director of the Scottish Council Foundation, was commissioned to provide independent input to the formulation of these events and to facilitate the sessions. He also produced a working report on them, which was used extensively by the project team in pulling together this final research report. Some key findings were then posted and trigger questions asked on an e-discussion forum, which was open to all external participants. This discussion took place over a short, intense period of 4 days at the end of March 2003.

9. Internal (Scottish Executive) Staff

10. In order to examine the experience of partnership working from the Executive's point of view, in-depth research activity was also carried out with a range of internal staff. These in-depth interviews and focus groups were intended to sample a cross-section of Executive staff. Four members of the Executive's top level Management Group - Heads of Executive Departments - were selected for interview, to provide a view from the top of the commitment to and role of partnership working. At the next stage, 5 Senior Civil Servants with policy responsibility for key partnerships were interviewed. To supplement these interviews with a view from operational staff, 4 focus groups of staff at the policy officer or manager grade were held. Participants for the first 3 sessions volunteered in response to an open invitation to the internal Policy Makers' Network. The final group from outwith the Network was deliberately selected to ensure that gaps in any Departments within the Executive were covered. In addition this enabled the researchers to cross-check the findings from the sample groups against a non-self-selecting group. In total 31 Executive staff participated in focus groups.
12. Each in-depth interview was carried out face-to-face and scheduled for around an hour, with discussion broadly conducted along the lines of a topic guide. The focus groups ran for an hour and a half and employed various techniques from small group discussions, to use of stimulus material and plenary workshop sessions.

13. Analysis and Consideration

14. Interviews and focus groups were taped and transcribed verbatim, and the data charted on a database according to emerging themes. This enabled the research team to systematically analyse the views of participants, to consider the range and depth of experiences and accurately chart areas of commonality and of difference. The database charts were then fully analysed in the preparation of this report. In addition, the project team also drew on earlier work exploring the level of civic engagement in Scotland, and work examining models of social partnership in other European countries, as well as related ongoing policy developments.

15. Reporting

16. The findings from both internal and external research are reported together. Quotations are used to illustrate findings, but not in a way as to identify individuals. The findings are not statistically representative of wider populations as the research was qualitative in nature. The report does not set out to assess particular partnerships in detail, but rather to draw out key general points about current partnership working in Scotland. Therefore the aim of the report is to present the range and depth of views of those participating and highlight any commonality and differences between groups.
18. We present the findings in separate chapters structured around the key themes of:

• The meaning, role and principles of partnership.
• Individuals' experience of current partnership relationships.
• Suggestions for improving the way the Executive works with others.
• Views about the need for new mechanisms or systems.

2. In Chapter 6 we attempt to sketch some overall findings, drawing out the successes and areas of agreement, as well as the challenges and tensions as we see them. In the final Chapter we suggest some of the implications of the findings for the Executive and its partners, and go on to suggest areas for how to promote more effective partnership working, and on how to take the partnership agenda forward in the future.