Single Outcome Agreements
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 provided to local government over the period 2008-09 to 2010-2011.
A central element of the new relationship was the ending of ring fencing of local government funding and the creation of a Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) between each council, initially, and the Scottish Government, based on the 15 National Outcomes. All SOAs from 2009-10 onward are between each Community Planning Partnership (CPP) and the Scottish Government. A SOA is the means by which CPPs agree their strategic priorities for their local area and express those priorities as outcomes to be delivered by the partners, either individually or jointly, while showing how those outcomes should contribute to the Scottish Government's relevant National Outcomes.
The National Outcomes are part of the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework but they also reflect established corporate and community plan commitments across Scotland's councils and CPPs. Progress on these mutually agreed outcomes for Scotland as a whole cannot in most cases happen unless progress is made at local level. Through the Concordat, local government is committed to supporting progress at national level through improvement in outcomes at local level.
The move to an outcomes approach is a significant change in the way that public services are planned and delivered in Scotland.
IS activity in this area
The Improvement Service contributes to the work of the Concordat Oversight Group (formerly the High Level Steering Group), which comprises Audit Scotland, COSLA, the Scottish Government , Improvement Service and SOLACE to support the development and implementation of Single Outcome Agreements. The Group has emphasised that SOAs are intended to be strategic documents, based on integrated area profiles and setting long term outcomes for local priorities. The timescale for the development of SOAs by CPPs is as follows:
- updated SOA guidance was provided in October 2008;
- CPPs presented their draft SOAs to Scottish Government in February 2009;
- CPPs and Scottish Government agreed the SOAs in 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.
The IS has facilitated the development of all the guidance and advice for councils and CPPs which is listed in the Documents panel on the right.
A significant current IS activity in support of SOAs is the Improving Local Outcome Indicators Project, which is improving and expanding the availability of indicators for the measurement of outcomes.
Other work in hand includes the mapping of activities and resources which will help build local capacity for the outcomes approach. The IS and the Scottish Centre for Regeneration (SCR) are currently working with five local partnerships on 'Embedding an outcomes approach in tackling poverty and community regeneration'. This pilot project aims to assist partnerships with embracing an outcomes approach and provide practical support and advice in specialist areas to enable them to do this. More information can be found on the project page.
For further information contact Mark McAteer, Bob Christie or Andrew McGuire.
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