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 15 key national outcomes agreed in the Concordat. 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. A guidance package, Single Outcome Agreements: Guidance, format and indicators for Scottish local government is now available to use as a tool in the development of a first draft SOA, alongside a Menu of Local Outcome Indicators and a SOA Development and Self Assessment Toolkit, which provides a resource for the development of the SOA and for self-assessment of the development process.

A Community of Practice has been established, which is open to the lead officers in all 32 local authorities with responsibility for the day-to-day development of their Council's SOA. This provides a private and secure environment to make new contacts, keep up-to-date with SOA developments, discuss common issues and current challenges, share ideas and experiences, share documents (e.g. SOA drafts) and contribute to the ongoing development of SOAs at a national level. 

The Scottish Parliament's Local Government & Communities Committee is following the development of SOAs and received this written evidence for its meeting on 18 June 2008.

By 30 June 2008, all 32 Councils and some Community Planning Partnerships had agreed with the Scottish Government their final SOAs for 2008. All Community Planning Partnerships are preparing SOAs for agreement with the Scottish Government for 2009 onward.

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