SOLACE / Improvement Service Transformation Programme
The SOLACE and Improvement Service Transformation Programme is a sector-led programme that brings Scotland’s councils together to support long-term sustainability and improvement of local government services.
Led by SOLACE Scotland and supported by the Improvement Service, the programme provides a shared framework for councils to build evidence, share learning and work collaboratively on issues that affect how services are planned and delivered. It reflects a collective commitment across local government to work together collaboratively to improve outcomes for communities across Scotland.
The programme brings together strategic insight, practical projects and leadership development, ensuring that improvement activity is grounded in real-world experience and informed by those delivering services on the ground.
Visit the Transformation website here.
The role of Duties and Powers
The Duties and Powers work sits at the heart of this programme, providing a shared foundation for understanding the legal responsibilities of local authorities.
How councils deliver services is shaped by the duties and powers they operate within. Until now, there has been no single, live national picture of these duties and powers across Scotland.
The Duties and Powers work addresses this by bringing together clear, consistent and accessible information on the legislation that underpins local government activity.
This shared understanding helps create a common starting point for discussion and collaboration, supporting more informed conversations about service delivery and improvement across the sector.
It provides a reliable evidence base that can be drawn on by councils, partners and professional bodies, ensuring that work to improve services is rooted in a clear understanding of the legislative framework within which local government operates.
Through collaboration, peer review and shared learning, the transformation programme - and the Duties and Powers work within it - aims to support councils to continue improving how services are designed and delivered for the people and places they serve.