What does the Fairer Scotland Fund mean to More Choices, More Chances?
Fairer Scotland Fund (FSF) represents a new start based on joint working across Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) in support of agreed shared outcomes. This may well result in the continuation of current activity which is shown to have worked and which demonstrably adds value as part of a more integrated outcomes-based approach, but the very deliberate move away from ring-fencing individual funds is designed to give CPPs the freedom to review their activity strategically and determine how that considerable resource is deployed in line with national and local priorities; young people who need more choices and chances continue to be one of these. More Choices, More Chances makes clear that focused action on improving employability as a key means of tackling poverty is one of 5 guiding principles for investment of FSF.
The additional investment is to be used as a catalyst for galvanising mainstream resources and budgets to create lasting change. And whilst FSF can be used to continue existing work, it is emphatically not about 'business as usual'. The important thing is that there is a clear line of sight between the National Performance Framework, single outcome agreements, the agreed outcomes for the fund and project delivery. This may or may not lead to changes in the level of MCMC investment locally. It follows from this that it is not helpful to approach FSF in terms of the previously separate funding streams (of which MCMC was one). Instead, the important considerations are:
- what are we investing in already which has the potential to meet the newly agreed outcomes?
- what have we learned, so far, about what works which can/should be mainstreamed?
- how can FSF best be deployed to address gaps or weaknesses in the system and to join up activity and investment in pursuit of shared outcomes in order to make a bigger, sustainable impact?