Updates from the Performance Management and Benchmarking team

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Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF)

In 2025, the LGBF Board agreed a new set of strategic priorities for 2025 to 2028, setting a clear direction for the programme. These priorities focus on strengthening peer collaborative improvement, developing the benchmark framework in key service areas, increasing the use of the LGBF to support service improvement, and improving the wider local government data and reporting landscape.

Progress has continued at pace in recent months. Recent LGBF case studies demonstrate a significant shift in how councils are using benchmarking, moving beyond performance reporting towards improvement, self-evaluation and strategic decision-making. Examples from across Scotland show benchmarking being used to support financial planning, scrutiny, service redesign and organisational improvement, providing evidence of the growing maturity of the framework and its use across local government.

In parallel, a programme of LGBF practice-sharing events continues to support peer learning across local government. Recent events have focused on Planning, Social Care, Economic Development, Council Tax, Parks and Green Spaces, Gender Pay Gap and the Scottish Welfare Fund. Briefings and case studies continue to be published following each event, helping to share practical learning and improvement approaches more widely across the sector. So far, the following LGBF Briefings have been published.

Work is also underway with professional associations to strengthen the LGBF indicator suite in priority areas including workforce, housing and adult social care. This engagement has helped identify key themes for future development and is beginning to shape proposals for a strengthened suite of measures.

Peer Collaborative Improvement

Peer collaborative improvement (PCI) supports local authorities to improve a specific area of focus with guidance and collaboration from peer local authorities. It complements existing approaches such as the LGBF and self-evaluation, supports greater shared learning across local government, and demonstrates local government as a self-improving system. The approach contributes to wider efforts to strengthen local assurance and reduce the burden of external inspection.

The first two PCI pilots, on the Scottish Welfare Fund and Housing Voids, have been completed, with six-month follow-up activity providing evidence of improvements in both processes and outcomes within participating councils. Building on this success, a new pilot on Information Governance is currently underway, hosted by East Lothian Council, with peer reviewers from Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, and Perth and Kinross councils. In parallel, we are working with Audit Scotland on a thematic pilot focused on Asset Management, hosted by Dumfries and Galloway Council. This pilot will align Best Value audit activity with the integrated PSIF model, strengthening the links between council self-assessment, audit findings and peer collaborative improvement.

Community Planning Improvement Board (CPIB)

The CPIB has agreed a new three-year work programme focused on strengthening leadership, accountability, prevention and improvement across community planning. Priorities include supporting effective partnership working, strengthening governance and accountability, promoting prevention and shared learning, and ensuring Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) are well placed to support public service reform and improved outcomes for communities.

Recent discussions have focused on the implications of the Programme for Government and wider public service reform agenda for community planning. The Board has emphasised the importance of ensuring Community Planning Partnerships remain central to emerging discussions on public service reform, prevention, place-based leadership and future local governance arrangements, recognising their role in translating national priorities into local delivery and improved outcomes for communities.

The Board is also progressing a programme of engagement activity with political leaders, Community Planning Partnership Chairs and senior leaders from statutory community planning partner organisations. This work aims to strengthen leadership, collaboration and shared ownership across the community planning system, build support for community planning, and strengthen its contribution to public service reform and improved outcomes for communities.

The Board continues to promote practical support and learning for CPPs, including guidance on fair funding and embedding prevention in community planning. These resources support partnerships to strengthen prevention, improve collaboration with the voluntary sector, and support more sustainable approaches to improving outcomes.

To support delivery of the agreed work programme, a funding proposal has been submitted to Scottish Government to strengthen national capacity for improvement, reform and shared learning across community planning.

Further updates, newsletters and Board papers are available on the CPIB website, where colleagues can access further detail on the evidence gathered by the CPIB and on the engagement taking place with local and national partners.