Improvement Service

This toolkit from the Sustainable Scotland Network is designed to support local authorities in delivering the Duty for Sustainable Development set out in the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003. It provides an overview of the Duty of Sustainable Development, a guide to mainstreaming sustainable development and paths to delivering sustainable development within ten key service areas. Definitions, case studies, advice on measurement and links to further information are provided throughout.

Visit the Best Value and Sustainable Development Toolkit.

A consortium of Scottish local authorities – under Falkirk Council’s lead - developed and launched the Change Management Action Pack in 2005. The initiative was one of a number of work streams within the Customer First programme. The Change Management Action Pack is a collection of documents and presentations intended to offer good practice guidance for any public sector organisation undergoing significant change.

The Customer Services Toolkit is a resource developed by and for councils to help increase the profile and professionalism of customer services staff in local authorities. Developed by the Improvement Service's Customer First Programme in conjunction with Renfrewshire Council (as lead council) and 12 other Scottish councils, the toolkit forms part of a wider project to develop an accredited training qualification for customer services professionals.

This benchmark and toolkit from the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) aims to help local authorities reduce carbon emissions and use energy more efficiently in their council area. It includes a self-assessment section to review your authority's current performance. The benchmark provides specific links to the toolkit from each element that offer guidance and best practice examples of the sustainable energy actions you could take.

Visit the Sustainable Energy Benchmark and Toolkit.

• Providing analysis and narrative of statistical data, based on local knowledge;
• Presenting profiles of locally defined settlements;
• Collating local data and research; and/or
• Allowing users to map and manipulate data related to their local area.

The toolkit helps local authorities (and their partners) develop a rationale, scope and delivery plan for setting up or developing a LIS. Equally those authorities already with a LIS in place can use the tool to appraise the development of their LIS to date and when reviewing the existing processes and structures in place to support the LIS.

The toolkit itself is in Microsoft Excel format. A separate guidance annex in PDF format contains the supplementary guidance notes from within the tool, in a printable format.

• Download the Local Information Systems Development Tool

• Download the supplementary Guidance Annex

• Link to the English version of the tool

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is regularly asked by public bodies in Scotland for advice on how to handle complaints and is committed to helping and supporting public bodies in Scotland to improve their complaints management culture and practice. This website, supported by targeted literature, is designed as a resource to advise, support and inspire. It provides case studies, best practice examples, guidance and example policies.

Visit the Valuing Complaints toolkit

VOiCE is a database planning and recording tool that is designed to assist individuals and organisations to design and deliver effective community engagement.  Community participation and engagement is a central feature of public policy and reflects the desire of public sector reform to deliver outcomes that respond to the aspirations of service users and communities.