| Description | The purpose of this report on the Efficiency and Reform Fund (ERF) is to summarise the achievements of the projects that received funding. The projects and activities outlined in this report represent just some of the activities under way across the public sector contributing to the overall purpose and objectives of the Scottish Government. |
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| ISBN | (Web Only) |
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| Official Print Publication Date | |
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| Website Publication Date | June 23, 2009 |
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Ministerial Foreword
I am committed to ensuring public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs. I want to see public services reformed to the benefit of citizens to ensure better service delivery and the most efficient use of our resources.
This report highlights some of the progress made as a result of the Efficiency and Reform Fund. Although the Fund was an initiative of the previous administration some of the projects approved by me are key elements of our efficiency agenda. Many of these projects are building the foundations for sharing and collaboration across the public sector.
I want to acknowledge the progress made to date in areas such as procurement across the public sector, transport for the three blue light emergency services and the local government national approach to shared services.
Shared services will be a key contributor to driving efficiencies and tackling budget pressures in the current economic climate. Organisations across the public sector need to look critically at the design of services and how they are supported. They should utilise the tools resulting from some of these projects to identify savings, which in turn should improve the effectiveness of public services.
It is important to recognise that the projects in this report are not the only initiatives delivering these benefits and contributing to our purpose and objectives. We are committed to streamlining, reducing bureaucracy and simplification of the public sector landscape as part of our overall efficiency programme.
Going forward I expect clear and dynamic leadership from the public sector in Scotland. We need to work in partnership to move forward at pace and encourage other areas of the public sector to make progress and build on the excellent.
John Swinney MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth