In November 2007 national and local government signed a historic concordat, which committed both to moving towards Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) for all 32 of Scotland's councils and extending these to Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs).
The Scottish Government and local government share an ambition to see Scotland's public services working together with private and voluntary sector partners, to improve the quality of life and opportunities in life for people across Scotland. Single Outcome Agreements are an important part of this drive towards better outcomes. They are agreements between the Scottish Government and CPPs which set out how each will work in the future towards improving outcomes for the local people in a way that reflects local circumstances and priorities, within the context of the Government's National Outcomes and Purpose.
Last year, the Government agreed SOAs with all 32 Councils and, in some cases with CPPs. This year, the aspiration was that the SOAs would be agreed with CPPs right across Scotland. The Government and the CPPs have spent the last year developing new SOAs which were formally agreed on 16 June 2009. Over the course of summer 2009 Ministers will visit CPP areas to officially sign the agreements with local partners.
All of the outcome agreements are uniquely shaped to reflect the needs and circumstances of the areas they cover and designed to ensure local people know exactly what their CPP is committed to provide on their behalf. But in one crucial way the agreements are also all the same: each of the 32 maps out a brighter, more successful future for the people of Scotland, with all levels of government working together to deliver better services across the whole of the country.
The Single Outcome Agreements themselves and more information about SOAs can be accessed from the Improvement Service via the following electronic link:
http://www.improvementservice.org.uk/single-outcome-agreements/
Contact the SOA Team at:
Area 3-J (South)
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Tel: 0131 244 7036
Fax: 0131 244 3350
anne.thomson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk