Scottish Crime and Justice Survey: re-procurement 2022

Why the SCJS is being re-procured and what ‘re-procurement’ means

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) is a large-scale social survey which asks people about their experiences and perceptions of crime in Scotland. We commission this research and it is currently contracted to Ipsos and ScotCen. This contract will be coming to an end in 2023 and it therefore needs to be ‘re-procured’. This means we will be advertising the research project, inviting individuals and organisations to bid for the research and ultimately selecting contractor(s).

What the re-procurement process entails

In addition to the administrative process of advertising the SCJS contract and selecting a contractor(s), the re-procurement entails a significant evaluation of the survey, its key aims and its design.

We have undertaken a number of projects to help evaluate the current survey and identify areas for change. These include reviewing research that utilises the SCJS data and performing a review of international crime surveys. In addition to these projects, the SCJS team have engaged with over 100 users and stakeholders through both a formal consultation and follow-up user engagement workshops.

This work will inform the new SCJS contract and how we select the contractor(s).

For this re-procurement, the goal has been to:

• be transparent and publicised
• be informed by evidence, including expert opinion and advice
• to respond to the needs of users and to align with the priorities of the Scottish Government

The key stages of the re-procurement process

Stage 1: literature review

Key dates: August, September and October 2021.

• reviewing the criminology literature to locate the SCJS, its key concepts and ideas within the wider discourse on crime and victimisation

Stage 2: review of international crime surveys

Key dates: September, October and November 2021.

• reviewing existing, international crime surveys to identify areas of best practice and lessons to be learned

Stage 3: formal consultation and live discussion events

Key dates: the consultation was ‘live’ for 11 weeks during September, October and November, 2021. Discussion events took place in October 2021.

• a formal, written consultation was hosted on Citizen space which was designed to enable users to provide feedback on the SCJS and how it might be adapted
• live, online discussion events were also held during the 11 week ‘live’ period to enable consultees to ask questions and engage in informal discussions about the survey
• we published a summary of the consultation responses and the feedback gathered

Stage 4: further user engagement

Key dates: three user workshops took place in January 2022.

• live workshops discussed the SCJS with users to gather further, specific feedback on themes raised during the consultation – survey design options, user engagement, and questionnaire development
• we published a summary of the discussion and feedback gathered at these workshops

Stage 5: writing of Invitation to Tender (ITT)

Key dates: this document will be finalised in Spring 2022.

• the ITT is the document that advertises the SCJS and invites bids

Stage 6: tender

Key dates: the tender period is approximately six weeks and will begin in May 2022

• when the ITT is made publicly available and bids are invited

Stage 7: awarding of contract

Key dates: this will likely take place in October 2022.

• after evaluating all the bids, the panel awards the contract

Stage 8: new contractor begins fieldwork

Key dates: Spring 2023.

• having had time to prepare the survey, the contractor(s) will be in the position to begin conducting fieldwork

How users and stakeholders can take part in the re-procurement process

Both users and stakeholders are in a unique position to provide insight into the strengths and limitations of the SCJS. Therefore, their involvement in the re-procurement process is crucial. Users are reminded that they can contact the SCJS team at any time via email to provide further feedback: SCJS@gov.scot

The SCJS Team would like to offer our thanks and appreciation to everyone that took part in the consultation, the user workshops, and all SCJS engagement events. The input we have received has been extremely valuable and continues to play a central role in shaping the SCJS going forward.

We will launch the ‘Invitation to Tender’ for the new contract in May 2022, with fieldwork starting for the 2023/24 survey year in April 2023. In preparation, the SCJS Team are undertaking a 12-month period of questionnaire development, during which questions on cyber crime, partner abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) will be either reviewed or newly introduced. The SCJS team will re-engage with users and key stakeholders during this period and further information will be shared via ScotStat and on our twitter @SGJusticeAnalys.

What will happen after the re-procurement

Once the contractor(s) has been selected, set-up for the 2023/24 survey year will commence. This will enable the contractor(s) to begin fieldwork in the spring of 2023. Results from the 2023/34 survey would then be published in the spring of 2025.

The re-procurement of the SCJS comes at a significant point in time. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures have resulted in substantial changes in all aspects of life, no less for the SCJS which is based on face-to-face in-home interviews. The challenges posed by COVID-19 may persist for some time and the re-procurement process must be undertaken with this in mind.

What is happening to the 2021/22 survey

The SCJS and all other face-to-face interviewing was suspended on 17 March 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. SCJS interviews, for the 2021/22 survey, restarted in November 2021. Read more information on this survey year.