Workshop 1: Landscape Review
Summary of workshop:

The Delivery Landscape Review encompasses 133 public bodies and 51 government directorates. As set out in the Public Service Reform Strategy, ensuring the right delivery landscape is critical to creating a more efficient and effective Public Service in Scotland.

This workshop focused on next steps for the Landscape Review, in particular, seeking feedback on the implementation of the review and how to develop a shared understanding of what a redesigned delivery landscape should look like through the formation of SG and public body clusters.

Points of discussion:

The workshop included a presentation by Public Bodies Unit officials, followed by a short question and answer session and then broader discussion under the following headings below.

Enablers for Reform

Investment Headroom: Upfront investment is essential to unlock reform. A clear case must be made for mainstreaming “invest to save” approaches.
Benchmarking and Data: There is a strong appetite for better benchmarking of corporate functions and service performance to identify duplication and opportunities for consolidation. However, it’s important that all data collected is analysed and shared with public bodies.
Cultural Change: The success of this reform requires a shift in mindset towards collaboration, risk tolerance and shared accountability. Secondments and cross-sector working can support this.
Leadership and Governance: The Scottish Government should empower local leadership, avoid micromanagement and use mechanisms like the Scottish Leadership Forum and leadership statements to drive progress. Attendees noted that previous work by the Scottish Leadership Forum (the Leadership, Collective Responsibility and Delivering National Outcomes report) can provide key learnings for supporting leadership development.

Shared Services

Quality and Scale: Shared services must be high-quality, well-resourced and designed for scale. Poorly executed models risk disengagement, and operating at the wrong scale can lead to further inefficiencies.
Accountability and Standards: Clear service standards and accountability frameworks are needed to ensure confidence and performance. Members highlighted that risk must be a consideration when designing shared services, so that public bodies are not holding all the operational risk whilst handing control to the service provider.
Broader Scope: Shared services should extend beyond traditional functions to include areas like project management, cyber security and AI policy.
Workforce Considerations: Redeployment policies must be clear and co-designed with unions. Arms-length HR models should not undermine collective bargaining.

Service Delivery and Efficiency

Capacity Constraints: Many Public Bodies are already operating at full stretch. Reform must be realistic about what can be delivered without additional resource.
Policy and Delivery Alignment: There is duplication between Scottish Government and Public Bodies in policy functions. Reform should seek to clarify roles of each organisation and reduce overlap.
Digital and AI Opportunities: A coordinated “Once for Scotland” approach to AI and digital transformation could unlock efficiencies and innovation.
Place-Based Impact: Reform should support job creation across Scotland, not just in the central belt, and utilise digital innovation to invest in a Scotland wide job/vacancy program.

Clustering

Purpose and Clarity: Clusters must be clearly defined, with realistic expectations and alignment to core Public Body functions. Existing informal clusters and groups should be recognised and can form a solid base for future Clusters work.
Collaboration and Boundaries: Clusters should foster collaboration, not competition. Where boundaries are blurred, governance must be clear.
Integration with Local Authorities: Opportunities exist to align clusters with local authority shared services, particularly where services are place-based.
Participation: Clusters should be considered from a variety of groupings: portfolio, geographical, regulators, those with charity status and revenue raising bodies. Consideration should also be given to the capacity of each public body to be members of two or more Clusters and how information and progress is shared across all Clusters.

Actions:

Public Bodies Support Unit officials agreed to share the Project Initiation Document, discussed in the workshop, following political approval.
Public Bodies Support Unit to provide further details of developments through the Scottish Delivery Bodies Group and the Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB) Chief Executives Forum.
The Scottish Government to establish clear guidelines on the culture, leadership and vision for the cluster programme. Enabling a common language of reform and risk appetite across all clusters.
The Scottish Government should provide the analysis from the data and benchmarking exercise.