The Scottish Government and COSLA remain committed to the outcomes-focused and partnership-based approach to the delivery of public services. The Christie Commission found that this approach had made real impact and should now be built upon to meet the significant cost and demand pressures facing public services.
The Scottish Government has established a programme of Public Service Reform which takes forward consideration of the Christie recommendations, based on the key principles of:
- a decisive shift towards prevention
- greater integration of public services at a local level driven by better partnership, collaboration and effective local delivery
- greater investment in the people who deliver services through enhanced workforce development and effective leadership
- a sharp focus on improving performance, through greater transparency, innovation and use of digital technology.
The review is jointly overseen by a governing group led by the Minister for Local Government and Planning and the President of COSLA. The review is focusing on the action required to:
- develop Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) to equip them to respond effectively to the conclusions of Christie and the objectives of the reform programme, including wider reform initiatives such as the establishment of single police and fire services and the integration of adult health and social care services;
- agree new SOAs between the Scottish Government and CPPs after the local elections in May 2012. These new SOAs will continue to focus on agreed priorities for local communities in the context of national outcomes, and will also demonstrate the local response to Christie and the objectives of the reform programme, in particular through a focus on integration and prevention; and
- drive pace and consistency of integration and performance improvement within and across CPPs, including through scrutiny reform.
The review will produce its initial conclusions by the end of February, identifying both immediate actions to be taken and strands of longer-term work to be developed and implemented over the course of the Parliament. The governing group will then make recommendations to the Scottish Government and to COSLA Leaders, with the aim of these being agreed by mid-March.
More information
Report on the Future Delivery of Public Services by the Commission chaired by Dr Campbell Christie
