The Scottish Government

The Office of the Permanent Secretary

The Office of the Permanent Secretary (OPS) was established to strengthen the Executive's capacity to support the First Minister, The Deputy First Minister and the Cabinet collectively. OPS also provides a range of Corporate Services which enables Departments to provide a service that will make them more effective in delivering ministerial priorities

OPS is made up of:

• Ministers' private offices, including the Office of the First Minister
• Ministerial Support Group: Cabinet and Management Group Secretariat, External Support Division, Strategy and Delivery unit.
• Analytical Services Group: The Office of the Chief Researcher, The Office of the Chief Economic Adviser, The Office of the Chief Statistician
• Performance and Innovation Unit
• Change and Corporate Services : Human Resources Division, Communication and Information Systems Division, Facilities and Estates Services, Changing to Deliver Division

SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE: OFFICE OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY

BUSINESS DELIVERY PLAN 2005-06

WHAT WE DO

We provide private office services to Ministers.

We support the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet by identifying, promoting and taking forward key priorities within the context of the collectively agreed programme of the Scottish Executive.

We support collective decision making by Ministers and Management Group.

We ensure a clear focus on delivery .

We promote and find space for strategic, longer term thinking.

We work across the range of statistical, economical and social research disciplines to provide information which supports national and local accountability and better informs policy and decision making.

We identify opportunities to improve services and efficiencies across the public sector and advise on addressing these. We play a catalytic role in ensuring improved policy delivery, harnessing private and wider public sector expertise to do so

We develop and manage a communications strategy that will ensure a wide understanding of the change agenda We develop business planning models and tools that will help all Departments to monitor and measure their performance

We deliver an ICT strategy that will support the business and improve our efficiency

We ensure that the Scottish Executive is staffed with sufficient number and mix of people, with the necessary skills and behaviours to work effectively with Ministers, stakeholders and each other to meet operational requirements.

We provide high quality, cost effective office space for the Executive and the associated facilities management services. We provide a safe and healthy workplace which complies with Greening Government policy

MANAGING OUR BUSINESS

The business of OPS is reviewed at group level on a regular basis. The OPS management board ensure that there is consistency in direction and purpose across OPS

We will take action to make sure that any risks to the delivery of our business are minimised

We are focused on our customers and outcomes, improving delivery, making efficiencies and benchmarking our services. In our business plans we will keep the benefits arising from Best Value reviews to the fore and ensure that they are fully consistent with the principles of the Efficient Government Initiative.

We have a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and are committed to making sure that they are involved to help us deliver our business as well as we can.