Report on Public Administration - effective Scottish Government decision-making

PDF Published: Monday 03 Jul 2023 (FPA062023R6)

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Overview
Report

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Overview
Report
- Executive Summary
- Membership changes
- Introduction
- What is effective decision-making?
- A changed context for decision-making
  - Freedom of Information Act 2000
- The Scottish Government's approach and structures
- Process
  - A framework for decision-making
  - The use of evidence in decision-making
    
    Challenge and risk
  - Short term versus long term
- People
  - Churn
  - Leadership
- Performance
  - Accountability for improving standards
- Annexe A - Background note on the Civil Service
- Annexe B - Notes from Committee Engagement Events
- Annexe C - Extracts from the Minutes of Finance and Public Administration Committee Meetings
- Annexe D - Evidence
Sources

Chart 1 shows on one side a circle of 6 arrows one of which links Agenda setting to Policy Formulation to Legitimation to Implementation to Evaluation to Policy Maintenance and Succession or Termination which then links back to Agenda setting. On the other side the same words appear in a circle without the arrows and instead a scribbled line connects all the words to each other in lots of different ways.

Image: Chart 1: The policy cycle and the policy spirograph

Figure one shows civil servants in a central box with 3 arrows coming off it which show the lines of accountability. One arrow points to the Scottish Government, one to the UK Government and one to the Welsh Government. Above the civil service box and overlaying the arrow to the UK Government is the Civil Service Board whilst underneath the entire figure is the Civil Service Commission (an Independent regulator).

Image: Figure 1: Accountability relationships of civil servants working for the Scottish Government, UK Government and Welsh Government.

The Handbook of Teaching Public Administration. (2020). (n.p.): Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.

Summary note of discussions with former Ministers, former special advisers and former civil servants. (2023, February 28). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/decisionmaking_summarynoteofevent_28feb23.pdf

Professor Paul Cairney. (2023, February 23). Report: What is effective government?. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/decisionmaking_committeeadviserresearch_9mar23.pdf

Finance and Public Administration Committee . (2023, March 14). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas6238

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, March 28). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas6239

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, May 16). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas62314

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, May 2). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas62312

Summary note of discussions with civil servants. (2023, March 21). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/summary-note-of-21-march-2023-discussions.pdf

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, April 25). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas62311

Summary note of discussions with former Minister. (2023, March 16). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/summary-note-of-16-march-2023-discussions.pdf

Summary note of discussions with former Scottish Government Ministers. (2023, March 14). Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/finance-and-public-administration-committee/decisionmaking_summarynoteofevent_14mar23.pdf

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, April 18). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas62310

Finance and Public Administration Committee. (2023, May 9). Official Report. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-finance-and-public-administration-committee/meetings/2023/fpas62313

House of Lords Constitution Commitee, UK Parliament. (2023, April 26). Inquiry into senior civil servants appointments and dismissals. Retrieved from https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/13065/pdf/

UK Government Review of Governance and Accountability. (2022, July). Terms of Reference. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1093763/Governance___Accountability_Review_-_Terms_of_Reference.pdf

Herald Scotland article. (2023, May 23). Alister Jack questions 'constitutional propriety' of new indy minister. Retrieved from https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23503105.alister-jack-questions-constitutional-propriety-new-indy-minister/

House of Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, UK Parliament. (2023, April 24). Inquiry into Civil Service leadership and reform. Retrieved from https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/327/public-administration-and-constitutional-affairs-committee/news/194888/does-the-civil-service-need-reforming-mps-launch-new-inquiry/

Audit Scotland. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Paul Gray. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Roger Mullin. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Professor Johannes Siebert. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Volunteer Scotland. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Professor Jonathan Baron. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

New Zealand Public Service Act 2020, Schedule 6, Clause 8.. (2020, August 6). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0040/latest/LMS106159.html

The Scottish Government. (2022, September 6). A stronger and more resilient Scotland: the Programme for Government 2022 to 2023. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/stronger-more-resilient-scotland-programme-government-2022-23/

The Scottish Government. (2021, August 21). Scottish Government and external training spend: FOI release. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000092556/

Equality and Human Rights Commission. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland. (2023, February 7). Written submission. Retrieved from https://yourviews.parliament.scot/finance/inquiry-into-public-administration/consultation/published_select_respondent

The Scottish Government. (2023, June 13). Public sector employment in Scotland: web tables. Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/publications/public-sector-employment-statistics-web-tables/

Institute for Government . (2021, April). Finding the right skills for the civil service. Retrieved from https://www.civilservant.org.uk/library/2021-IfG-civil-service-skills.pdf

Last Updated: 15/7 4:00pm

Image: Chart 1: The policy cycle and the policy spirograph

Image: Figure 1: Accountability relationships of civil servants working for the Scottish Government, UK Government and Welsh Government.

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