Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) play a leading role in delivering improved outcomes for the communities they serve. To support partnerships to critically review their ‘fitness for purpose’ in achieving shared outcomes, the Improvement Service hosted a new national self-assessment which will be held every two years. This self-assessment was focused on the strategic Board level using a CPP Checklist and follows the well-established Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) Checklist Approach.
Since 2016, more than half of CPPs had successfully undertaken a self-assessment using this approach. However, this was the first time that this approach had been applied across Scotland to provide a national overview of areas that are working well and areas where improvements could be made across community planning in Scotland.
The key aim of self-assessment at this level is to support the Board of the CPP to ensure that areas such as governance, accountability, leadership and performance management are fit for purpose to achieve the outcomes of the LOIP.
Self-Assessment Process
For CPPs that engaged in this process, the first stage was a short online Awareness Session to explain the process and what is required from Board members. Following this, the online checklist was distributed to CPPs for all Board members to complete.
Once the checklist closed, the Improvement Service analysed the findings and highlighted these in a national overview report. As well as the national report, each participating CPP was provided with their own checklist report which could be used to develop an improvement plan at a local level. The Improvement Service offered a facilitated session for individual CPPs to develop their improvement plan with 18 of the participating CPPs taking up this offer in 2025.
Benefits of a National CPP Self-Assessment
- National overview of what is working well and where improvements could be made. This provides a baseline that CPPs can use to assess progress in future years.
- National organisations, such as the IS, can use this information to further develop offers of support.
- Development of case studies based on areas of good practice which will be shared nationally.
- Individual CPP Checklist Reports that can be used at a local level to review strengths and areas for improvement, leading to the development of an improvement plan for the CPP. Individual CPP Checklist Reports will be completely anonymous and not shared outwith the CPP itself.
- The IS, based on demand, can facilitate sessions for individual CPPs and will also hold a webinar so that CPPs can undertake the process on their own if they wish.
- No cost to CPPs to participate in the process
National Community Planning Self-Assessment Overview Report Published
In late 2024, the first national community planning self-assessment took place. The self-assessment focused on the strategic board level of these partnerships and over 200 CPP board members from 20 CPPs participated. The self-assessment will take place every two years to allow CPPs to monitor progress and support continuous improvement.
The findings from this self-assessment are now available through the Overview Report.
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Community Empowerment Act: summary of short and medium term expectations of CPPs
This briefing note summarises the Improvement Service’s understanding of the key expectations and requirements of community planning partnerships arising from the Community Empowerment Act (2015) and associated statutory guidance.
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Local Outcomes Improvement Plans stock-take: emerging findings
A summary of the emerging themes from a recent stock-take of all available Local Outcomes Improvement Plans (LOIPs).
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Performance Management: Good Practice Principles
Good practice principles for performance management at CPP and community planning partner level, developed by the Community planning Improvement Board