The 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland

Role of host local authority

• Lead the peer collaborative improvement process.
• Undertake necessary and relevant preparatory work in terms of considering its area of focus.
• Provide relevant and useful data, intelligence and evidence to inform the peer-led improvement (the assumption is that data should already be available, rather than be created only for this purpose).
• Oversee the smooth running of the process, including ensuring that the peer collaborative improvement team have access to all relevant documentation and data.
• Lead the fieldwork, which will involve colleagues from the host local authority, peer reviewers and IS exploring priority areas and looking for ways to help address identified challenges.
• Produce a report based on the peer collaborative improvement, which includes a focus on action and next steps and which reflects input from peer reviewers and the Improvement Service.

Role of Improvement Service

• Manage and facilitate the peer collaborative improvement process.
• Meet with the host local authority in advance of the peer collaborative improvement to agree how it will work (see getting ready section)
• Work with the host local authority to identify and approach three local authorities to contribute peer reviewers.
• Undertake analysis of relevant information and data, where available, to help inform the peer collaborative improvement, including LGBF data and family group analysis.

Role of peer reviewers

• Engage in purposeful discussion which supports peer collaborative improvement, for example, through reflective questioning to determine and or confirm the evidence-base in the host authority’s self-assessment
• Facilitate change, by helping the host local authority identify areas for improvement and aid its capacity to change.
• Engage with a range of stakeholders through interviews and focus groups, and assimilating the key points made as part of the peer collaborative improvement work, to help inform the host local authority’s report.
• Adopt the role of critical friend, providing supportive, robust and constructive challenge to help drive improvement.
• Apply their specialist knowledge and expertise to the host local authority, sharing examples of good practice for their own experience, and providing an external perspective.