Improvement Service

A report from the New Economics Foundation describing how co-production can change the way public services are developed and delivered, and how professionals work. It presents four case studies that illustrate the improvement of public services using co-production methods.

  This paper was written by Dr Andrew McGuire of the Improvement Service and is part of a series of publications arising from the Improvement Service (IS) / Scottish Centre for Regeneration (SCR) collaborative project, which focuses on ‘Embedding an Outcomes Approach in Community Regeneration Tackling Poverty’. The paper outlines what is meant by ‘outcome-focused targets’ and sets out why they can be an important and useful tool, providing a focal point for local partnerships on the issues that matter most to local communities. The paper also covers the main issues and challenges that require to be considered, both in setting outcome focused targets and in assessing progress made towards their achievement.

During 2006, a Short-Life Advice Group on Governance for Joint Services was set up to develop and publish advice that would support health partnerships in the development of their joint governance arrangements. This advice note, published by this group, explores some practical issues relating to accountability, finance, structures, functions, risks and information-sharing and provides signposts to other relevant information that partnerships may find useful.

This session explored what an effective performance management system would look like in a partnership, addressed the link between outcomes, outputs and activities and shared best practice across Scotland. Presentation by Andrew Spowart, South Lanarkshire Council and Mik Wisniewski, University of Strathclyde, to the Improving Partnership Performance conference, 30 August 2006.

This session drew on lessons learned from making partnership work within the Youth Justice arena and considered what these lessons mean for wider partnership working and Community Planning. Presentation by Phil MacKey and Gordon McIntosh of PA Consulting to the Improving Partnership Performance conference, 30 August 2006.

Working collaboratively can take many forms with partnership being only one option - yet we very often fail to consider what other options exist. This session explored alternative structures that can be used to help public sector partners work together more effectively and deliver enhanced outcomes for communities. Presentation by Colin Mair, Chief Executive, Improvement Service to the Improving Partnership Performance conference, 30 August 2006.

Working collaboratively can take many forms with partnership being only one option - yet we very often fail to consider what other options exist. This session explored alternative structures that can be used to help pubic sector partners work more effectively together and deliver enhanced outcomes for communities. Presentation by Stephen Phillips of Burness LLP to the Improving Partnership Performance conference, 30 August 2006.

This session explored the practicalities of engaging communities in Community Planning and the impact this should have on service delivery. It considered how CPPs can champion the National Standards for Community Engagement in line with Audit Scotland's recommendation. Presentation by Alasdair McKinley of Communities Scotland to the Improving Partnership Performance conference on 30 August 2006.

This session explored what good governance means in a partnership environment, drawing on work from Aberdeenshire Council. Presentation by Cllr Martin Ford, Chair, Scrutiny Audit Committee, Aberdeenshire Council to the Improving Partnership Performance conference, 30 August 2006.

This session explored what governance means in a partnership environment, drawing on work from the Audit Commission. Presentation by Ruth Dudley, Performance Specialist, Audit Commission at the Improving Partnership Performance conference on 30 August 2006.

Partnership activity has proliferated in recent years with some areas having 100+ partnerships. How do you bring sense to this environment, minimise duplication and ensure you have a partnership structure that is fit for purpose? Vivien Smith of Angus Community Planning Partnership shared her experiences at the Improving Partnership Performance conference on 30 August 2006.

Partnership activity has proliferated in recent years with some areas having 100+ partnerships. How do you bring sense to this environment, minimise duplication and ensure you have a partnership structure that is fit for purpose? Cathie Way and Karen Ray of the Highland Well Being Alliance shared their experiences at the Improving Partnership Performance conference on 30 August 2006.

This session provided a risk management framework for use in partnerships with the group undertaking an actual risk assessment. Presentation by Brian Howarth, Audit Scotland at the Improving Partnership Performance Conference, 30 August 2006.

What is collaborative gain and how do you get it? This session looked at ideas of what collaborative gain and added value actually are and explored how this can be realised through community planning. Presentation by Alison Jaap, Head of Partnership Joint Venture, Improvement Service at the Improving Partnership Performance Conference, 30 August 2006.

All Community Planning Partnerships have in place a community plan but how much change actually happens as a result of this plan? This session looked at how you can plan more effectively to ensure your partnership delivers results. Presentation by Paul Wallace, Head of Performance Planning and Management, Perth Kinross Council at the Improving Partnership Performance Conference, 30 August 2006.