Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance on duty of co-operation for scheduled scrutiny authorities

3 - COMPLIANCE WITH THIS GUIDANCE

3.1 Scrutiny authorities will be expected to be able to demonstrate how they have co-operated with others in order to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of their scrutiny activity. It will be important to reflect how the co-operative effort improves the impact which scrutiny has on the services being scrutinised and on the users of those services. Scrutiny authorities should work together to provide such evidence using methods such as publication of joint codes of practice and MOUs, sections on co-operative activity in organisational annual reports, joint activity reports and cross-linkages between websites.

3.2 As allowed for by section 114(5) of the PSR Act, where compliance with the duty of co-operation would prevent or delay action which a scrutiny authority considers to be necessary as a matter of urgency the duty would not apply

3.3 The Scottish Ministers may issue other general or specific direction or guidance from time to time about the duty imposed by section 114 of the Act and will also keep this guidance under review in the light of experience.

Scottish Government
November 2010