The Scottish Government

To undertake a Review of Learning Connections and its strategic fit with the Lifelong Learning Directorate in order to maximise effectiveness in policy advice, policy delivery and practice development.

A report for the Lifelong Learning Director which includes a summary of:

• The background to the development of LC
• What LC does, including staff, current structure, budgets etc.
• The extent to which LC contributes to the SG's national outcomes and policy objectives
• The added value LC brings
• The delivery landscape for CLD/ ALN/ ESOL and LC's role within this.
• The evidence collected during the project.
• Options for the future structure of LC and the delivery of its work ( CLD/ ALN/ ESOL/ CLD Standards Council etc.)
• Recommendations on how LC should be taken forward

• Setting the policy framework and defining the policy objectives of CLD/ ALN

• Defining the journey and the rationale to the creation of the current LC

• Reviewing the existing work & resources of LC

• Structured interviews with staff and key stakeholders

• Mapping the national support for the delivery of CLD ( LC and others)

• Identification of areas of duplication and overlap

• Stakeholder engagement to establish perceived added value of LC (from both internal staff and external stakeholders)

• Develop and test options for future structure and delivery of the work of LC with the LL Director, LC staff, SG and external stakeholders.

General

• Director of Lifelong Learning
• Ministers

Internal

• LC Staff
• Analytical Services
• LL Directorate
• Justice & Communities
• DG Education
• Health Dept

Rural/Greener

• Stakeholder expectations ( LL Director and Internal staff) expecting an 'easy solution'
• Scope of the work is wide with many partners in the delivery landscape which could impact on the ability to achieve clarity and consensus about the best way forward.
• An understanding of the role of LC and expectations of LC from Ministers, LC staff, SG and external stakeholders.
• Tensions and sensitivities of staff which have been increased by recent events
• Tight timescales - 3 months and the risk of slippage
• Limited resources (staff) to support the work
• Issues of potentially re-settling staff within different options for delivery
• Budget restrictions within SG and LL Directorate restricting the scope of LC achievement/delivery.
• Reducing the number/pool of national specialists
• The ideal/optimum solution may not be achievable in the short term

• Setting up a wider virtual team (including the unions and key people with experience, knowledge and policy inputs) to approve the project process ( PID, PCN etc), to review progress and to help ensure a degree of rigour in the processes

• Regular meetings with LL Director

• Sourcing Jeanette and another person to provide a project resource

• Use of the quinquennial review approach to provide a structure to the project and use of project documentation to monitor progress of project

• Communication of plan ( PID etc) with LCSMT and key stakeholders

• Engage all stakeholders ( LC staff, SG and external stakeholders) & and provide opportunity for liaison & updating as project develops

• Establish a phased plan with short-term solutions and longer-term actions/options

Delivery partners

• Locals Authorities
• CLD partnerships
• Voluntary Sector
• Scotland's colleges
• CLD Managers Scotland

Youthlink

External

• SDS
• SQA
• SCQF
• HMIE
• LTS
• COSLA
• Scottish Community Development Centre

DN More details of the key stakeholders are being collated.

National Performance Framework and Outcome Statements

Joint StatementCOSLA/ SG

SOAs and CPPs activity

Government policies

• Skills strategy
• Curriculum for Excellence
• Early Years Framework
• Offender Learning Report (in production)
• ALNIS (and the planned re-fresh)
• Adult ESOL strategy
• WALT (Working and Learning Together) Community Empowerment Action Plan
• Equally Well
• MCMC/16 + Learning Choices
• Workforce +/employability
• Youth Work Strategy (and Youth Framework)
• Fairer Scotland

Baseline survey of Adult literacy and numeracy in Scotland (findings Nov '09 onwards)

Move to Atlantic Quay - location of accommodation & number of desks etc. (current plans have allocated 28 desks for LC - together as one division)

• Stakeholder buy-in at the start and throughout the process
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• Clear identification of the issues, overlaps and duplication in terms of delivery and fit with current SG policy.
• A clear report, reflecting the policy landscape, which enables the LL Director & Ministers to understand the role of LC
• A clear report with recommendations which enables the LL Director to take decisions about the future structure and role of LC.
• A clear, deliverable action/implementation plan which stakeholders are bought into.

In scope

• All aspects of LC and the CLD Standards Council (including staff, drcs, & programme budgets) policy and delivery work and practice development.
• Aspects of policy delivery across the LL Directorate which relate to CLD/ ALN/ ESOL.
• Interdependencies with aspects of policy delivery across SG

Out of scope

• Qualification levels & standards
• IAG given to learners
• The broader delivery of MCMC and further adult education policy (college delivery).
• Direct delivery of CLD, ESOL and ALN to adults and youth
• The purpose and content of the governments strategic policies which relate to LC work.