The Concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA agreed in November 2007 set out the terms of a new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government, based on mutual respect and partnership. It underpins the funding to be provided to local government over the period 2008-09 to 2010-2011.

This new relationship is represented by a package of measures, which were endorsed by the Scottish Government and COSLA, and which both parties believe will lead, over time, to significant benefits for users of local services across Scotland.

A central proposal was the creation of a Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) between each Council and the Scottish Government, based on the 15 national outcomes. The national outcomes reflect the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework but they also reflect established corporate and community plan commitments across Scotland's Councils and Community Planning Partnerships. As importantly, progress on the mutually agreed outcomes for Scotland as a whole (the ‘national' outcomes) cannot in most cases happen unless progress is made at local level. Through the Concordat, Councils are committed to supporting progress at national level through improvement in outcomes at local level.

The Improvement Service has been contributing to the work of the High Level Steering Group, which comprises Audit Scotland, COSLA, the Scottish Government , Improvement Service and SOLACE to enable the development of Single Outcome Agreements. The SOA High Level Steering Group has re-emphasised that SOAs are intended to be strategic documents, based on integrated area profiles and setting long term outcomes for local priorities.  The HLSG also confirmed that the timescale for the next phase of SOAs for CPPs is as follows:

• updated SOA guidance is currently under development and will be provided by end-October 2008;  
• CPPs will be required to present their draft SOAs to Scottish Government by end-February 2009; 
• CPPs and Scottish Government will agree the SOAs by end-May 2009, with sign-off over summer 2009; and 
• the SOAs agreed in 2009 will run on a three year rolling basis, with annual reviews to reflect progress and changing circumstances, including political and financial contexts.

Relevant documents

Single Outcome Agreements: Guidance, format and indicators for Scottish local government (February 2008)

Menu of Local Outcome Indicators (February 2008)

SOA Development and Self Assessment Toolkit (February 2008) 

Written evidence for Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Communities Committee meeting on 18 June 2008.

Final SOAs for 2008 as agreed at end June 2008

Single Outcome Agreement Briefing - Improvement Service (September 2008)

Community of Practice - open to the lead officers in all councils with responsibility for development of their Council's SOA. Keep up-to-date with SOA developments, make new contacts, discuss common issues and current challenges, share ideas and experiences,share documents and contribute to the ongoing development of SOAs at a national level. 

For further information contact Mark.McAteer@improvementservice.org.uk, Sarah.Gadsden@improvementservice.org.uk or Bob.Christie@improvementservice.org.uk