The 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland

COVID-19 recovery, climate change, financial constraints and increasing demand are forcing councils to re-think and re-imagine how they deliver public services.

But what would a council, fit for purpose in the 21st century, look like?

We're working with local government and its partners to design a future operating model for councils and options for future delivery of council services based on lived experience, learning from COVID-19 and research, data and intelligence.

To find out more about this work, download our plans for Transformation Programme Support.

We've been exploring how the 20 minute neighbourhood approach could work in different parts of Scotland, from remote rural communities to our towns and cities, taking into account the needs of everyone in society so that equality is built in from the start.

Our latest report assesses the Argyll and Bute indicative Regional Spatial Strategy on how its vision and approach will impact different populations and their contribution to meeting place and wellbeing outcomes, Scotland’s Performance Framework and the 20 minute neighbourhood ambition.

Download the report:  Argyll and Bute Indicative Regional Spatial Strategy: a 20 Minute Neighbourhood Rapid Scoping Assessment

Gerard McCormack, Head of Transformation, Performance and Improvement at the Improvement Service, sits down with Abigail Marks, Professor of the Future of Work at Newcastle University Business School, and Dr Michelle Weldon-Johns, Senior Law Lecturer at Abertay University to discuss homeworking.

The discussion looks at practical support organisations can provide for homeworking, how inclusive working from home can and has been, and how homeworking has impacted pace, productivity and work life balance.

Watch the videos.