A new Public Service Reform Strategy will deliver the public
services that people of Scotland deserve and need in the future,
Public Finance Minister has said.
Outlining the strategy to Parliament, the Minister also announced
the intention to reduce spending on corporate functions across
public bodies, including the Scottish Government, to deliver £1
billion of savings in five years.
The strategy sets out concrete steps that government will take
through partnership working, particularly with trade unions, to
ensure that every pound of investment is focused on frontline
delivery and that there are the right staff in the right roles to
deliver real change.
More than 80 actions are set out to drive change and make
Scotland's public services fit for the future, by addressing the
challenges caused by increased demand, changing demographics and
UK Government financial decisions.
These include leadership and cultural change across the public
sector; reducing the number of public bodies to deliver increased
efficiency; further review and rationalisation of public sector
buildings, working with local partners to remove data barriers
that prevent the delivery of programmes; embracing automation and
publishing a new Digital Strategy which will set out the
acceleration of the digitisation of government.
Public Finance Minister said:
“This strategy is grounded in the shared belief that Scotland's
public services are an investment — in people, places and our
collective future. It builds on the work we've done since the
Christie Commission which outlined the need for public services
focused on prevention, place, partnership, people and
performance.
“Public service reform is an integral part of the government's
response to the challenges we face. The strategy sets out a bold,
system-wide approach to change centred around three key
priorities: prevention, joined-up services and efficiency.
“The aim is to do things better, not do less. Public services are
an asset and investment in our collective future. They reflect
the society we are, and who we aspire to be.
“We are determined to unlock the full potential of Scotland's
public services — making them more efficient, more joined-up, and
more preventative in approach, so that they work better for the
people of Scotland. It demonstrates that this Government is ready
to go further and faster than we ever have to reform our public
services.
“We must be bold and brave to deliver real, long lasting and
meaningful change.”
Background
Scotland's Public Service
Reform Strategy: Delivering for Scotland - gov.scot
The Public Service Reform Strategy is supported by sectoral
improvement plans including the NHS Operational Improvement Plan
– to tackle immediate pressures on the health service – and the
Tackling Child Poverty Plan to reduce the number of children
living in relative poverty in Scotland to 10% by 2030.
It builds on the findings of and subsequent work following the
2011 Christie Commission
report, and learning from successful preventative policies
such as the roll-out of the Scottish Child Payment. The
strategy's implementation will be evaluated and monitored by the
Public Service Reform Board, which brings together scrutiny from
public bodies, local government, and the third and private
sector. The strategy has also been informed by a summit held in
February involving representatives from Scotland's 131 public
bodies, local government and the third sector.
Learning from 25 years of
Preventative Interventions in Scotland - gov.scot
Examples of previous reforms include:
- Investment in Early Learning and Childcare: The Scottish
Government has invested around £1 billion every year in funded
Early Learning and Childcare since 2021. Some 95% of three and
four-year-olds are registered for the 1,140 hours funded
childcare offer and 74% of parents have said it helped employment
prospects.
- Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012: One of the
biggest public service transformations since devolution, this
created the Scottish Police Authority, the unified Police Service
of Scotland (Police Scotland) and the single Scottish Fire &
Rescue Service.
- Childsmile: Between 2003 and 2020, the
Childsmile programme has halved tooth decay amongst children and
generated significant cost savings for NHS health boards.
