Rural Scotland - skills action plan: process evaluation 2019 to 2021

Chapter 3: The effectiveness of the Implementation Steering Group

This section covers the first research objective, "How effective has the Implementation Steering Group (ISG) been at driving actions?". It explores the purpose and membership of the ISG; how the group's role and remit has evolved; what value the partnership adds; and how the group has worked in partnership to deliver a more coordinated response to skills issues.

The ISG's primary role has been to drive forward activity set out in the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland (SAPRS). Most ISG members thought they were fulfilling this remit. An important factor was that ISG membership represented the skills needs of rural Scotland well. Most were content with how the group's membership had evolved, although some felt there was scope to broaden membership further through further representation of third sector organisations.

ISG members highlighted four key areas of added value gained from this engagement:

1. Raising the profile of the skills issues of ISG members' own sector or region

2. Increasing understanding of the challenges faced by partners operating in other sectors or regions and potential solutions

3. Generating new opportunities or solutions through collaboration

4. Raising awareness of activity which supports the implementation of the SAPRS through web page development, blogs and newsletters

The work of the ISG has undoubtedly been amplified through these dissemination activities and has resulted in a range of high-quality content. There is however scope to improve awareness of these outputs, to further increase their impact.

A range of mechanisms exist to support the group in delivering a coordinated response to skills issues in rural Scotland. These include well-attended quarterly meetings and sub-groups that appear central to planning and implementing activity on specific themes. The role of the Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy, who co-ordinates the ISG, has been crucial in delivering a coordinated response.

In summary, the vast majority of stakeholders felt that the ISG had been effective in driving actions. Bringing skills issues in rural Scotland together under a single 'umbrella' has created the opportunity to promote more localised or sector-focused skills concerns, the opportunity to learn from others, the facilitation of new collaboration or funding opportunities, and promotional activities.

Introduction

The Implementation Steering Group (ISG) brings together 25 partners from across industry, education and the enterprise and skills agencies. The group first met in December 2019^[21], and evolved from the original Advisory Group that developed the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland (SAPRS). It meets on a quarterly basis and its role is to drive forward activity set out in the SAPRS. It is chaired by Henry Graham.

This section discusses findings related to the first research objective, "How effective has the Implementation Steering Group been at driving actions?" It explores how the group's role and remit has evolved; what value the partnership adds; and how the group has worked in partnership to deliver a more coordinated response to skills issues. This section draws on in-depth interviews with ISG members, a survey of members conducted by SDS in August-September 2021,^[22] and secondary analysis of performance data indicating the reach of ISG-led communications materials.

The role and remit of the Implementation Steering Group

The ISG's purpose, as established in its Terms of Reference, is: "to act as the focal point for the delivery of the skills actions identified within the plan, and to ensure that progress against these was monitored"^[23]. Specifically, members are required to:

• act in the interest of rural Scotland, whilst being representative of their organisation's remit and priorities;
• attend quarterly steering group meetings and if necessary nominate a seconder;
• lead or support specific actions where appropriate and carry out any agreed actions assigned to them in a timely manner;
• if required, support subgroup meetings arranged to address specific action areas; and
• share examples of existing best practice and be featured in published case studies if required.

Overall, ISG members who took part in interviews understood the role and remit of the partnership, which most described as monitoring and discussing the progress of the SAPRS on an ongoing basis. Supporting this sense of clarity was the clear communication and direction provided by the Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy^[24], and the ISG Chair.

Membership of the ISG

Representation from a variety of sectors and regions was an important factor to help deliver skills actions in rural Scotland. Scottish Government and SDS identified experts who had experience in skills in rural Scotland, as well as experience in a range of relevant sectors, to be the initial ISG members. The types of bodies represented included voluntary organisations, public sector bodies and umbrella bodies representing businesses. Initial ISG members included (but were not limited to) representatives from the Scottish Funding Council, Lantra, Scottish Enterprise, Colleges Scotland, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Scottish Tourism Alliance and Developing Young Workforce.

Overall, members of the ISG who took part in interviews felt the representation in the group was appropriate. Results from the ISG Members' Survey also revealed that most were content with the level of representation that had been achieved. As one interviewee commented, the flexibility of the ISG in terms of its membership base has been important:

There was always a flexibility built into the ISG. It was always organic enough to grow. It wasn't a fixed, rigid structure.

However, some felt the membership was too narrow. One member felt that better representation could be achieved by inviting individuals from more community-based and/or third sector organisations focused on rural areas. Another reflected that the group would benefit from an expert in Housing and Planning, although it should be noted that the ISG is a skills group rather than a Rural Economy Group.

Overall, stakeholders understood the ISG's purpose and remit. The majority thought that a good range of rural sectors and organisations were represented on the ISG. They noted that there was also the flexibility to recruit new members to the ISG, with different areas of expertise, as needed - for example, in response to new emerging issues. A minority of stakeholders felt that the ISG could consider getting more involvement from community-based organisations and specific business organisations.

How the Implementation Steering Group contributes to a more co-ordinated response to skills issues

ISG members felt that the partnership has helped to drive forward and promote SAPRS activities. It has supported their industry or region's own needs and has facilitated partnerships and other opportunities across regions and sectors. This subsection explores how the ISG has been able to contribute to a more co-ordinated response to skills issues, covering how the partnership works together and how it has worked in practice. Key aspects of the partnership's work include its quarterly meetings, sub-group meetings, Lunch and Learn sessions, and the Skills Planning Manager role.

Quarterly meetings

ISG members have used quarterly meetings to share information, engage with each other, and consider future action and opportunities. ISG members who took part in interviews reported that these meetings were well attended, with active participation from most. This is reinforced by the ISG Members' Survey, in which the majority of respondents (74%) agreed that "All group members are engaged and contribute well".

The way in which the meetings have been run, and the topics they have covered, have been important in encouraging positive attendance and participation. ISG members generally agreed that the quarterly meetings have been well facilitated, noting the role of the Chair in particular. They described the meetings as varied, informative and relevant, and that meetings contributed to positive discussions.

These meetings have helped to maintain momentum, and allowed ISG members to reflect on the pace and quality of progress. The meetings have also helped to maintain engagement and focus for continuing to drive the SAPRS forward and deliver activities. Hearing about how activities were progressing, and giving talks about their own areas and activities of interest, all helped to contribute to this. Other sessions between meetings also helped to maintain enthusiasm and engagement.

ISG members made suggestions in the Members Survey about how to improve the quarterly meetings. The main suggestion was to allow more time for members to contribute to discussions by, for example, having fewer items on the agenda in each meeting.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that the ISG had to quickly adapt its ways of working, and the vast majority of meetings took place online. Most interviewees felt this was a positive development, as it made it easier for ISG members who lived in more remote rural locations to attend the meetings. Remote meetings also made it easier to share information. However, a small minority of stakeholders were keen to return to in-person meetings, as they felt these would help individuals to engage more and network with one another.

In conclusion, stakeholders found the quarterly meetings to be useful, engaging and relevant. They effectively served to monitor the progress of the SAPRS and helped to ensure that activities were being driven forward, as well as providing opportunities for networking, collaborations and sharing ideas and progress. Although a small number of stakeholders had suggestions for improvement, the majority were overwhelmingly positive about the benefits of the quarterly meetings.

Sub-groups

Between meetings, around a quarter of the partners met in sub-groups. These were set up after the initial formation of the ISG, to focus on specific areas that could not be covered within the quarterly meetings. These sub-groups included Communications, Skills and Recovery, Research and Consultation, and more recently, Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Live.

The sub-groups allowed members to continue discussing skills development in rural Scotland between the ISG's quarterly meetings, to share best practice and to take forward specific areas of work. The Communications sub-group, for example, has been fundamental in promoting case studies used to highlight the work of the ISG.

Sub-group members agreed that these were useful in bringing focus to each group's area of interest. Stakeholders acknowledged that it could be difficult to discuss and arrange activities in a larger group, where certain topics were not always relevant to all group members. One stakeholder felt that the sub-groups were critical to ensure that implementation of activities actually occurred. Another suggested that if the SAPRS were to continue, additional sub-groups might be of value - for example, a sub-group focused on the skills needs of smaller businesses.

Lunch and Learn

In addition, the ISG launched Lunch and Learn Sessions, to share best practice, learn from different approaches. enhance understanding of how the SAPRS is being implemented, drive forward new activities, and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration to develop skills in rural Scotland. Like the sub-groups, these sessions have allowed members to delve deeper into some of the topics covered in ISG quarterly meetings.

Lunch and Learn session have been fairly well-attended, with 58% of respondents from the Members' Survey reporting that they had attended at least one session. Of those who attended the sessions, 78% felt that the topics were relevant, 73% felt that the meetings were well facilitated, 73% felt that they had the opportunity to ask questions, and 78% felt that that the sessions aided their understanding of subject areas.

Skills Planning Manager

The Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy oversees the focus of the ISG. This role is funded, and has been crucial in producing the suite of ISG communications that promote SAPRS activities and help to drive engagement. In particular, the Skills Planning Manager has worked closely with partners to understand the skills activities they are involved in, any progress made, and support them to promote this activity and / or collaborate with other ISG members to develop it further. As the SAPRS has a limited budget allocated to it, this role has helped facilitate a considerable amount of progress at relatively low cost; one stakeholder described this as being "exceptionally good value for money".

ISG members who took part in interviews attributed a large amount of the ISG's success to the Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy and were very positive about her contributions. In particular, members highlighted her communication skills and approachability, and welcomed that she provided a platform to collaborate with others.

However, this does create risks for the ISG and the wider plan should the post no longer be supported. A small number of participants questioned what might happen to the ISG and to the SAPRS more broadly if this were to happen. This points towards the need for the ISG to consider how to continue to support this role and build in resilience to any changes in the future.

One of the ISG's key impacts has been its contribution to a more co-ordinated response to skills issues. Stakeholders found the quarterly meetings to be useful, engaging and relevant. They effectively served to monitor the progress of the SAPRS and helped to ensure that activities were being driven forward. The topics covered in the meetings were described as engaging, and the meetings have encouraged networking and collaboration among members. Stakeholders noted that the Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy has been instrumental to the success of these meetings and the high levels of engagement generated.

A small minority suggested that the meetings could be improved by allowing more time for members to contribute to discussions, or to include fewer topics in a single session, but the vast majority of stakeholders were highly positive about the energy and momentum that the quarterly meetings generated.

The four sub-groups (Communications, Skills and Recovery, Research and Consultation, and Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Live) helped to provide additional focus on specific areas of interest. Stakeholders have used these groups to discuss the specific issues in more depth than the ISG quarterly meetings allow, to share best practice and to take forward specific areas of work within the SAPRS. The ISG's "Lunch And Learn" sessions have had similar benefits, as members have been able to delve deeper into specific topics. The Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy is seen as critical to the success of the SAPRS, and an important element to continue in any future iteration of the Plan.

The contribution of the Implementation Steering Group

For ISG members, the main added value of the ISG was that it has acted as a single, coherent, focal point for the rural Scotland skills agenda. The group has brought together individuals and organisations with similar areas of expertise, who were experiencing similar challenges, connecting local regional and national interests. One stakeholder noted that this was a different approach:

It's quite a novel approach, having all these people in the same room looking at rural skills right across Scotland rather than just from a local perspective.

ISG members who took part in interviews shared four ways in which the group added value to the rural Scotland skills agenda, by: promoting the skills needs of their own sector/region; increasing understanding of the challenges faced by members in other sectors/regions; generating new opportunities or solutions through collaboration; and disseminating, showcasing and promoting SAPRS activities via external communications and marketing activities. Each of these is discussed in more detail below.

Promoting the skills needs of ISG members' own sector or region

ISG members welcomed the opportunities created by the partnership to promote the skills needs of their own sector or region. The ISG meetings helped to ensure their particular challenges were considered in wider conversations about skills needs and interventions in rural Scotland. Members of organisations with less experience of working in cross-sector partnerships found the ISG especially beneficial. One stakeholder described how working within a partnership was particularly useful for those who worked in the most remote areas:

[Being part of the ISG helps with] sharing experiences, and accessing support … it's a little bit lonely out here in the rural areas … having a point of reference and somewhere to put forward a message is very valuable.

Another stakeholder whose organisation provides support for small businesses, noted that membership of the ISG provided them with opportunities to interact with people and organisations they might not otherwise have met, and to explain the specific needs of small businesses.

The ISG consider skills challenges from a range of perspectives. Stakeholders felt that this has helped to raise the profile of skills needs and helped place 'rural Scotland' higher up on the national skills agenda, as this member explains:

It's focused attention on rural Scotland. People like me and others on the steering group are now thinking about what we can do in the rural dimension and we now have a mechanism to feed in ideas that that can be taken forward to the relevant folks. So, it's creating a space where we can think about this stuff.

Increasing understanding of the challenges faced by partners operating in other sectors or regions and potential solutions

ISG members felt the quarterly meetings helped them to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of sector developments across Scotland, which they could then apply to their own work. One example included a training provider who had to move their training from face to face to online due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This stakeholder learned from a Western Isles provider that had undergone a similar process and shared the lessons they learned at an ISG quarterly meeting.

Improved knowledge and understanding also helped some members to identify relevant information for their own organisation or industry in a timely and effective manner. This included a council member who learned about employment trends due to furloughing in an ISG meeting. He was able to feed this back to his colleagues who were facing similar issues. This also helped his own organisation be more efficient as he did not then have to independently seek out the relevant information. Learning from other members also benefited ISG members by avoiding duplication of work already underway elsewhere. It also helped to ensure that skills interventions across rural Scotland adopted a more consistent, joined up approach.

Generating new opportunities or solutions through collaboration

The ISG was also viewed as an effective way for members to increase their professional networks, cascade learning and engage in group activities. ISG members reported collaborating both with one another and more widely, with connections they had made through other ISG members. The quarterly meetings allowed members to learn about other activities and initiatives related to skills development in rural Scotland. As the quote below demonstrates, the reach of the group therefore goes beyond its core membership.

I most value building connections with groups that I would never have encountered otherwise. Niche areas that probably wouldn't have been aware of us either, had it not been for the ISG.

For ISG members who already had connections to others in the group, the ISG provided the opportunity to strengthen those relationships. ISG members shared the advantages these new and stronger professional networks brought them. For example, one ISG member became aware of, and accessed, new project funding through a contact made via the ISG. Another stakeholder who represented the college sector in Scotland, described a challenge in how to access apprentices during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Through collaboration with other ISG members, particularly Lantra and other training providers, they were able to share learnings and collectively develop a solution. That said, there was some evidence that ISG members were restricted in the amount of time and resource they had, which somewhat limited their ability to develop cross-sectoral initiatives.

Disseminating, showcasing and promoting SAPRS activities

A final way in which the ISG adds value is through its external communications and marketing activities that promote SAPRS activities. These communications are aimed at anyone with an interest in skills needs in rural Scotland. They help highlight the skills needs of rural Scotland within government and public sector organisations, and more broadly. Some of this content is shared through short blogs or through the Rural Skills Newsletter^[25]. Additionally, case studies are shared on social media under the hashtag #RuralSkillsScotland, often promoting the individual experiences of individuals or employers (for example, individuals who have undertaken an apprenticeship).

The objectives of these communications and marketing activities are as follows:

• to raise awareness of work that partners are involved in to support implementation of the plan;
• to showcase examples of activity which is helping to address gaps in skills;
• to raise awareness of support that can be accessed in rural areas and how it can be of value; and
• to raise awareness of the topics that are of importance in rural areas.

Broadly speaking, most ISG members were satisfied with the communication outputs. These help to showcase the activities contained within the SAPRS. In particular, stakeholders felt they help to promote activities and knowledge beyond the ISG, thereby amplifying their work. Some participants also reported that blogs helped bridge the gap between ISG meetings and allowed subjects to be considered in more depth than in the meetings, where time is limited. The stakeholder below describes this in more detail:

That's where you start to see ripples extending beyond just the people who come to ISG meetings. So the comms work is incredibly positive. It gives us an outlet and it gives us a mechanism for people to see what we're doing, and to tell other people about it.

In addition to the blogs, the Digital Rural Skills newsletter was seen as a valuable resource that allows for the promotion of certain sectors which would not necessarily otherwise receive coverage. The newsletter also helps to support the implementation of the SAPRS in terms of signposting and promotion of support such as the Digital Start Fund^[26].

However, outside of the Scottish Government and SDS, not all ISG members were able to discuss the communications in detail. When asked about communications, some participants commented they were "good", but were unable to provide additional depth or detail. This suggests a lack of awareness of the communications outputs among some ISG members. An opportunity therefore exists for all ISG members to promote or contribute to these more actively.

While the external communications offer an important platform, their effectiveness is only guaranteed if they have sufficient reach. The rural blog posts received the most traction, with 720 unique page views between November 2021 and January 2022^[27]. At present there have been three editions of the newsletter. Over the past 12 months, the newsletters have received 54 hits and as of March 2022, 92 people were signed up to the mailing list; an increase from 70 in December 2021. Although this is positive and suggests the newsletter is growing in its reach, it also highlights there may be further room for growth.

Overall, the main added value of the ISG for stakeholders was that it has acted as a focal point for the rural Scotland skills agenda. It has brought together individuals and organisations with similar areas of expertise, who were experiencing similar challenges, connecting local, regional and national interests. It has added value in four ways, as detailed below.

Stakeholders reported using the ISG meetings and other communications to ensure that the skills needs within their own sector or area were considered in wider conversations about skills needs and interventions in rural Scotland.

The meetings and other communications also helped stakeholders to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of sector developments, challenges and potential solutions across Scotland, which they could then apply to their own work.

The ISG was also viewed as an effective way for members to grow their professional networks, cascade learning and engage in group activities, thereby generating new opportunities or solutions through collaboration.

Finally, the ISG produces and disseminates a range of external communications and marketing activities to promote SAPRS activities, aimed at anyone with an interest in skills in rural Scotland. These helped to promote activities and knowledge beyond the ISG, thereby amplifying stakeholders' work within the SAPRS, although there is scope for extending their reach further.

Conclusions

This section has explored how effective the Implementation Steering Group (ISG) has been at driving actions within the SAPRS. It has drawn on interviews with ISG members, a survey of ISG members conducted in 2021, and data indicating the reach of ISG-led communications materials. Overall, the ISG has been effective at driving action, with opportunities for further improvements if the SAPRS was to continue.

ISG members understood the ISG's purpose and remit, "to act as the focal point for the delivery of the skills actions identified within the plan, and to ensure that progress against these was monitored". The majority of interviewees agreed that a good range of rural sectors and organisations were represented in ISG membership, and that there flexibility to recruit new members, with different areas of expertise, as needed. A minority of stakeholders felt that the ISG could consider getting more involvement from community-based organisations and specific business organisations.

The ISG has worked well in bringing a more co-ordinated response to skills issues in rural Scotland. It has brought together individuals and organisations with similar areas of expertise, who were experiencing similar challenges, connecting local, regional and national interests. Highlighting and discussing these challenges in quarterly meetings, sub-groups and Lunch and Learn sessions has created opportunities to:

• promote more localised or sector-focused skills concerns in rural Scotland;
• learn from others;
• facilitate new collaborations or funding opportunities; and
• engage in promotional activities.

The sub-groups have been critical for driving actions on certain themes. Continuing to run these, and broadening their coverage, could help increase momentum driving activities forward. The funded role of the Skills Planning Manager for the Rural Economy has also been critical in ensuring collaboration and coordination across the ISG. Going forward, it will be important to consider how best to maintain this role and continue to develop and maintain good relationships with ISG members.

A considerable amount of communications and other promotional content has been produced, and a number of stakeholders felt this has added further value. However, the evidence on the reach of these materials suggests that more could be done to increase awareness of these activities.