Public engagement
The scrutiny review team has now finished its Discussion Events. The team travelled to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Stirling. Both practical issues and options for the long term future of scrutiny and short term changes that could be made to the current system were discussed with stakeholders All of the events were fully booked and attendees said they were happy to focus together on the practical options for the future scrutiny system and move beyond the complaints of the current system.
The team is currently putting together the emerging outlook from the comments at these events and written submissions from those who were unable to attend.
Discussion Events in May 2007
The Scrutiny Review will run a series of events to discuss issues and options for Scotland's future scrutiny framework. The first event is on the 8th May 2007.
The paper for the Review's discussion events is now available. Use this link to view the Discussion document. We realise that not all of the interested parties will be able to attend this months events and would welcome comments on any of the questions raised. Please send all comments to scrutinyreview@scotland.gsi.gov.uk by Friday 25 May 2007.
Academic Seminar for Scrutiny Review
A special seminar was held on April 17, chaired by Professor Sandra Nutley, Edinburgh University, a member of the Review's Expert Panel. The seminar was attended by academics specialising in scrutiny throughout the UK. It helped Professor Lorne Crerar to assess the Review's developing ideas, refining them against a wide range of academic knowledge and experience.
Seminar Sessions
- Alternative Approaches to Public Services Scrutiny - Dr Clive Grace , University of Cardiff
- Issues in Risk Based Audit - Professor Ellie Scrivens, University of Keele
- Applying "better regulation" principles in practice - Professor Steve Martin, University of Cardiff
- The Accountability Relationship - Dr Jane Martin, Warwick Business School
The Discussion Paper for the May Events will incorporate material from this seminar.
It will be published on 30 April.
Interim Report published - 29 March 2007
The Review produced an Interim Report for the Minister of Finance and Public Service Reform, Tom McCabe on 29 March. This paper marks 6 months of progress of the Review, and is a summary of emerging evidence and issues.
Second Expert Panel Meeting - March 2007
Professor Lorne Crerar has identified these experts from a range of sectors, to challenge the thinking of the Review on how scrutiny could be improved. On 16 March 2007, Professor Ellie Scrivens (Keele University), Douglas Sinclair (Scottish Consumer Council) and Professor Sandra Nutley (University of Edinburgh met in Leith for the second Expert Panel Meeting. In this recent meetings the following issues were discussed:
- The role of Parliament in scrutiny of public services
- The most effective use of risk-based and proportionate approaches to scrutiny
- How a national scrutiny framework might fit into the wider public service reform agenda
The third Expert Panel Meeting is due to take place on 1 May 2007.
Up coming speaking - February 2007
Professor Crerar and secretariat members have been invited to speak at key events and conferences as the Review develops. Professor Lorne Crerar will speak at the SOLACE conference in Dunblane along with Tom McCabe, the Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform on 16 February.
Sarah Wedgwood, the professional health advisor to the Review will also speak at the 'Social Work in Scotland conference' on 19 February. Speaking at these events is an excellent opportunity to inform people about the remit and progression of the Review. Later in the year the Review will also speak at The Institute of Housing conference in Aberdeen as well as hosting several events of its own.
Encouraging feedback from the first Expert Panel Meeting - January 2007
Public services experts came to Edinburgh at the end of January and reiterated that investigation into scrutiny's impact on the delivery of services is long overdue. Tuesday 22 saw the first Expert Panel Meeting take place. Set up to test and challenge the thinking of the Review, the meeting included leading experts in public services research: Ellie Scrivens (Keele University) and Christopher Hood (University of Oxford) and professionals Douglas Sinclair (Scottish Consumer Council) and Michael Lennon (former Glasgow Housing Association Chief Executive).
They were pleased that the review is building a solid evidence base in order to ask the tough questions about Scotland's future scrutiny. The experts also gave guidance on any gaps they saw in the evidence. This Expert Panel meeting discussed the early findings of the phase 1 mapping exercise. The next meeting, covering the discussion paper that will be available around the start of April, will take place in March
Phase 1 Analysing begins
In November scrutiny bodies were invited to submit evidence to the Review through the online questionnaire. Thank you to all the bodies who have responded. Now that the responses have been received, the Phase 1 analysis can begin.
The Review team will summarise the responses confirming how many scrutiny bodies are involved in regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling. The mapping exercise will also highlight the greatest areas of overlap and duplication. It is the first step in visualising the current scrutiny landscape. As soon as all the data has been validated it will be made available on the website for you to see.
5 Major other studies are in progress
The Phase 1 analysis is just one part of the base evidence, the Review also includes 5 other major studies. These studies explore some specific issues and themes in more detail with other organisations and are listed below:
- Service provider's evidence, including a submission from COSLA, SOLACE and Improvement Service on behalf of local authorities. Evidence will also come from Health Boards, Registered Social Landlords, Care Providers and Voluntary Organisations. This evidence will provide information about the impact and cost of current scrutiny arrangements on delivery organisations, and will join up with information supplied by scrutiny bodies. The Review is not asking all public service providers to submit specific evidence at this stage, as it holds that the evidence from this sample of providers will highlight the nature of the key issues for most public service providers. The Review will share findings and invite comments on this evidence at the next stage of the Review progress. Please see below.
- Specific work concerning complaints handling issues.
- A national study of cost and impact issues by Audit Scotland
- Evidence on consumer perspectives in conjunction with the Scottish Consumer Council
- Evidence from the Scottish Executive
Review heads south - Chair has meetings in England for another perspective - December 2006
Keen to see different perspectives, the Chair and members of the Review secretariat travelled to England before Christmas to meet key figures in the scrutiny world. Professor Crerar was in dialogue with Professor Christopher Hood of Oxford University, Rick Haythornthwaite of Better Regulation Executive and Sir Andrew Foster Former Chair of the Audit Commission. These meetings will help give a broader perspective to Review issues.
Views from all corners - Community Care Providers Conference - November 2006
On Friday the 24th November over 20 people from different care and scrutiny organisations gathered in Dunblane Hydro hotel to participate in a workshop about the Independent Review. The workshop was part of the 2 day Community Care Providers Scotland conference, the association of voluntary sector organisations providing care and support services in Scotland. The Review Secretariat ran 3 small focus groups; contributing their everyday experiences from different perspectives of the scrutiny process they covered issues from bath temperatures to inspection forms. The professionals worked together to make recommendations for an improved public service system. The comments made at the workshop will all be taken as evidence for the Review.
More questions? - Phase 2 supplementary questions - November 2006
We are also inviting a smaller number of organisations which scrutinise the largest proportion of public services and operate in sectors which experience a higher intensity of external scrutiny to answer some more detailed questions about the work they do. This is the second stage and it provides contextual background on issues facing these organisations, greater details about their core business processes and decision tools and perspectives on the role and purpose of external scrutiny.
Phase 2 supplementary questions
First questionnaire is out - October 2006
The first stage of the Review is now underway and we have sent a questionnaire to over 60 scrutiny bodies in Scotland. The first stage of the Review is a fact-finding exercise to map the current external scrutiny arrangements for publics services in Scotland. This exercise is made up of 2 phases. Phase one is an on-line electronic questionnaire which was sent to all the scrutiny bodies on 17 October 2006.
The responses provide evidence of the present external scrutiny landscape we have in Scotland, telling us where potential areas of overlap are and allowing initial analysis of cost and activity. The information the questionnaire provides will also help us to confirm which bodies fall into the review's remit and which are outside it.
Phase 1 questionnaire