For 20 years, the Improvement Service has been the go-to organisation for local government improvement in Scotland.
Here, we celebrate 20 success stories from our first two decades.
1. Supporting Scotland’s councillors
We support Scotland’s local councillors at every stage of their local government journey, from advice and support on first steps through localcouncillor.scot, induction materials for newly-elected and returning members, and ongoing information, guidance and supporting through our briefings, political skills assessment and coaching.
2. Improving land and property data
The One Scotland Gazetteer is the definitive register of all addresses in Scotland, helping councils and other organisations plan and deliver public services. This includes emergency service command and control operations, underpinning the Census, and enabling the conveyancing of properties.
The National Street Gazetteer is a single, authoritative source of data on the national road network, providing information on road surface materials, maintenance responsibility, and underground structural features.
3. Delivering a national smartcard for Scotland
With over 2.5 million cards in use across Scotland, the National Entitlement Card is making it convenient for citizens to access public services and facilities with only one card.
4. Supporting organisational improvement
Our self-assessment and peer review services have helped over 100 organisations reflect, learn and improve their services. Over 50 organisations currently use the Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) to assess their performance and identify improvements.
The National Planning Improvement Team monitors the performance of planning authorities and provides advice to them (and others) on how to improve their performance.
We also offer peer collaborative improvement, which helps local authorities improve a specific service or area with guidance and collaboration from peer local authorities.
5. Keeping Scotland informed
TellMeScotland, Scotland's public information notices portal, ensures people and communities can discover and set alerts for public notices that matter to them in one online location.
6. Spearheading collaboration on public services
With almost 2.8 million active account holders, myaccount empowers people living in Scotland to seamlessly access a growing range of public services across 41 organisations and counting.
The Employability Partnership Manager supports the Scottish and local government approach to transforming employability services in Scotland, ensuring people are at the centre of the design and delivery of employability support.
We are a key delivery partner in the Young Person’s Free Bus Travel Scheme, making public transport more affordable and accessible to young people and improving opportunities in education, leisure, and work.
7. Leading on local government performance measurement
The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) provides intelligence about council performance and powers smarter decision-making.
The Advice Insights Framework shows the collective impact that councils have in supporting people needing welfare rights and money advice.
We’re helping planning authorities improve through the National Planning Improvement Framework.
8. Making Scotland the best place in the world to grow up
By supporting UNCRC implementation, we help councils put children's rights at the heart of decisions.
We’re supporting councils to tackle child poverty through access to data, advice and guidance, knowledge sharing and peer support. Our new Scalable Approach to Vulnerability Via Interoperability (SAVVI) helps councils and partners identify and support vulnerable families early, before they reach crisis point.
Our Outcomes and Measurement Framework (OMF) for early learning and childcare supports councils to make more informed, data-led decisions, helping ensure every child gets the best start in life.
9. Helping planning work for communities
We help shape places where people live, work, and play—with better planning tools, skills and place-based approaches that help communities flourish.
10. Making public services digital
Our digital public services produce efficiency savings and provide sustainable local services as well as better customer experiences.
Getyournec.scot, which lets residents apply for their National Entitlement Card online, saves councils money and delivers £13 in benefits for every £1 invested.
Parentsportal.scot is connecting schools and families digitally, making life simpler and more convenient.
And it’s all underpinned by myaccount, with almost 2.8 million people using it to access a growing range of public services.
11. Supporting grassroots democracy
We empower over 1,200 community councils to engage with communities, respond to local challenges and contribute to decision-making through guidance, learning and resources, delivered through communitycouncils.scot
12. Facilitating transformational change
With Solace Scotland, we’re supporting bold reform across local government. The Local Government Transformation Programme is helping councils move to a service model that encourages community involvement, trust between local and central governments and designs services around people’s needs, creating a public sector that addresses inequality at its core.
13. Taking action to tackle poverty and inequality
Together with councils, we’re tackling poverty through our support for local child poverty action and Welfare and Health Partnerships.
We’re helping build more inclusive local economies through our community wealth building project.
14. Making local data accessible
Our services provide data and intelligence in consistent, easily accessible formats.
Whether that’s supplying local authority spatial data in one place on Spatial Hub, tools to assess outcomes in communities (Community Planning Outcomes Profile), small area population forecasting, or cleansing and matching public sector data sets through Data Hub, we’re helping councils make better decisions based on sound evidence.
15. Helping make Scotland a safer place to live
We promote safer communities by supporting councils and their partners to improve outcomes for people affected by violence, abuse and trauma through coordination of the National Violence Against Women Network and work to embed domestic abuse- and trauma-informed approaches.
16. Supporting Scotland’s young people
We’re making life easier for young people and families across Scotland, from our role in delivering free bus travel through the National Entitlement Card and getyournec.scot, to connecting schools and families through parentsportal.scot. More recently, we’ve developed the Young Scot app, offering discounts, rewards and more.
17. Transforming communication between schools and parents
Parentsportal.scot is making life easier for over 1,700 schools, 232,000 parents, and 313,800+ linked children by connecting schools and families digitally, replacing the traditional school bag run.
18. Responding to Covid
We supported councils across Scotland through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond — helping them plan for a recovery that puts people, wellbeing and equity first.
Through our Recovery and Delivery Programme, we’re helping make the changes needed to deliver outcome-led, person-centred services and build strong, resilient communities.
19. Empowering future leaders
Through the Local Government Connect, we’re supporting the next generation of local government leaders, providing mentorship and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.
Our Leadership Practitioner Forum provides a space for experienced and emerging leaders to share learning and explore key topics as part of the Local Government Transformation Programme.
20. Delivering a greener Scotland
Through our climate change programme and role in the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service helping councils embed climate action into strategic planning and drive more effective, locally tailored climate responses.
20 years, 20 stories, one vision – to help councils deliver transformational change to sustain and improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and achieve efficiencies.