There are six transformation projects with a focus on immediate opportunities for collective transformation.
Each project is led by a volunteer Project Director from across the sector and supported by professional expertise and insight. The projects aim to create opportunities for councils to collaborate more effectively, ultimately delivering services that better meet the needs of communities.
A wide-ranging engagement programme targeted at Professional Associations is underway, ensuring that the insights and ideas of those closest to the challenges shape which initiatives are prioritised and progressed across the projects.
Our six transformation projects are:
- Collaboration within the local government sector on procurement
- Duties and powers - Analysis of local government's statutory and discretionary services
- The full implement of Crerar for local government
- Digital To Be
- Digital Shared Services
- Shared Services
It is recognised that the six projects are interconnected, and the Improvement Service Programme Management Office provides support to ensure these interdependencies are identified and taken into account.
You can find a short snapshot of the ambition, priorities and approach of each of the projects below.
The projects
Collaboration within the local government sector on procurement
Chief Executive Sponsor: Angela Scott, Aberdeen City Council
Project Director: Karen Algie, Falkirk Council
Ambition
This project aims to transform service delivery by testing collaborative procurement approaches as a way to achieve savings, improve efficiency, and avoid unnecessary costs.
2025/26 priorities
The project team are exploring options for collaboration on both a national and regional scale supported by expertise of colleagues from Scotland Excel.
It will focus on the service areas of waste, fleet and digital and then scale this to other areas once the benefits have been demonstrated. Partnerships are being negotiated with pilot councils – those in a position to act as early adopters for different project components.
| Fleet | Waste | Digital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase One | Modernising and updating the Crown Commercial Services portal currently used to procure vehicles. | Launch a centralised contract hub to include all aspects of waste management and foster contract coordination cross council. | Understanding the feasibility of a standardised Fleet Management System |
| Phase Two | Developing a standard specification for vehicles. Starting with electric vans ( under 3.5T) as our test for change. | Scope and transform the delivery of bulky waste services. | Understanding the feasibility of a standardised Housing Management System |
Approach
The project team has a mix of strategic, operational and subject matter experts. Including colleagues in waste, fleet, digital/IT and procurement.
We also include representatives from expert networks and organisations such as Scotland Excel, APSE, ALACHO, SOCITM, and other service-specific networks.
Project team members drive the change initiatives by contributing to workshops, creating service journey maps, engaging with key stakeholders, gathering information, and developing specifications.
For more information or to get involved in this work as an early adopter or as part of the project team, please contact transformation@improvementservice.org.uk
Analysis of local government's statutory and discretionary services
Chief Executive Sponsor: Angela Scott, Chief Executive, Aberdeen City Council Project Director: Karen Greaves, Chief Executive, Moray Council
Ambition
To assess current legislative landscape for local government and put forward proposals for the re-configuration of services towards more sustainable front-line services and better customer experience.
2025/26 priorities
Launch of the Duties & Powers portal
Launching in winter 2025/26, this portal will give decision makers an accessible, up-to-date view of councils’ duties and powers. It will support service transformation and improvement and become Scotland’s first common register of the legislation governing local government functions.
A series of change propositions
We will develop proposals for change, using ideas from Professional Associations and other local government groups, and work with stakeholders to see which changes are realistic.
Approach
Extensive engagement with Professional Associations is now underway to validate information collated for the Duties & Powers portal.
After this, the Improvement Service will work with the associations to develop change proposals, and any that are approved will move into the project stage.
For more information or to get involved in this work as part of the project team, please contact transformation@improvementservice.org.uk
The full implementation of Crerar for Local Government
Chief Executive Sponsor: Angela Scott, Aberdeen City Council
Project Director: Lesley Brown, East Lothian Council
Crerar Implementation Project Information Pack
What is the Crerar review and why does it matter?
In June 2006, Scottish ministers commissioned Professor Lorne Crerar to conduct an independent review of the current systems of audit, regulation, inspection and complaint handling of public services in Scotland. Professor Crerar published his review in September 2007 and made a number of recommendations.
Nearly 20 years later, the project team reviewed the original recommendations and carried out discovery work to understand what has changed, what progress has been made since 2007, and where further action is still needed.
Ambition
To create a balanced approach that supports self-improving systems across the sector, while considering the needs of all agencies involved in scrutiny.
2025/26 priorities
In the discovery report, the project team made four recommendations which both initiated new activity and highlighted the interdependency of existing efforts:
- More rigorous and robust approaches to Self-Evaluation.
- Strengthen and scale peer collaborative improvement.
- Publish Local Government Assurance Framework.
- Strategic alignment towards Crerar aspirations for risk based, proportionate scrutiny.
Approach
The ‘Recommitment to Crerar’ project plays a fundamental role in reconnecting public bodies across Scotland with the recommendations of the Crerar Review 2007.
The Project Team are engaging extensively across Local Government and with Scrutiny Bodies to develop a National Framework for Self-Assessment. This will demonstrate a local government-led, national and coordinated first step towards strengthening our capacity as a self-improving system.
Development of a digital to-be state for Scottish local government
Chief Executive Sponsor: Nikki Bridle, Clackmannanshire Council
Project Director: Martyn Wallace, Digital Office
Ambition
To agree a collective digital to-be state for Scottish local government.
2025/26 priorities
Work is underway to develop an implementation plan and toolkits that will help local authorities - and the wider sector - put the vision into practice. This will include four elements, guided by a balanced and practical approach around what to buy, build and reuse: a Design Manual, a Delivery Manual, a Delivery Roadmap, and a Monitoring Framework.
At the same time, there is an urgent need to build a full and accurate picture of the current digital landscape across local government, including the systems and solutions used by all 32 councils. This detailed information is essential, as several connected projects within the Solace/IS Transformation Programme depend on it to identify and progress meaningful service redesign opportunities.
Approach
There is a project team in place who engage with a range of stakeholders across the sector to inform and develop plans to ensure that the digital to-be will be achievable for the sector.
Identification of new digital shared services that could be delivered nationally or regionally
Chief Executive Sponsor: Maggie Sandison, Shetland Islands Council
Project Director: Andy Campbell, Improvement Service
Digital Shared Services Project Information Pack
Ambition
This aligns with the Digital To-be project but also recognises that there are immediate opportunities for collaboration across the sector. These will be taken forward while ensuring strong links with other related projects.
2025/26 priorities
Blue Badge
The Blue Badge feasibility study is underway with findings expected to be made available in January 2026.
The study has been live for 16 weeks as at October 2025 and with 20 councils contributing to this phase.
Unpaid Work
The Unpaid Work (Community Payback) study is to develop a national squad management system has been positively received. Local Authorities have identified substantial savings and efficiencies which could be achieved by developing and implementing the solution. Discussions are ongoing between Local Government and Scottish Government in relation to taking the work forward.
Approach
The project team is continuing to explore other ideas from the digital shared candidate list by engaging with a range of stakeholders and checking that each idea aligns with the Delivering a Future for Scottish Local Authorities blueprint.
Shared Services
Chief Executive Sponsor: Angela Scott, Chief Executive, Aberdeen City Council Project Director: Richard Grieveson, Deputy Chief Executive, East Ayrshire Council
Ambition
The Shared Services project will give local authority Chief Executives a clear view of opportunities to scale or transfer existing arrangements, maximising benefits for both councils and communities, in line with the Delivering a Future for Scottish Local Authorities blueprint.
2025/26 priorities
The latest ‘Collaborative Working in Scottish Local Government’ report has been published in autumn 2025. The fourth in a series of reports published by the Improvement Service since 2009, it outlines the nature, trends, and high-level impact of active shared service arrangements between councils in Scotland.
Work has begun to plan the project that will build on this report, with a formal project kickoff and priorities for the coming year to be finalised before the end of 2025.
Approach
The project is in early stages and will utilise the research from the Collaborative Working report to set out the approach and priorities for the work.
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Delivering a future for Scottish local authorities: the challenges they face, the questions that need asking and a model for the future
This paper proposes a new approach for the future operating model of Scottish local authorities. The paper outlines the context that local government is delivering within, the challenges and opportunities it faces and how councils might transition to a model of service delivery that builds on current success but more deliberately supports effective partnerships to improve outcomes for communities.
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IS Strategic Framework 2023-2027
The IS Strategic Framework 2023-27 sets out our vision, purpose and values, and our key priorities for the next four years.