Public service reform strategy launched

A new Public Service Reform Strategy will deliver the public services that people of Scotland deserve and need in the future, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee has said.

Outlining the strategy to Parliament, the Minister also announced the intention to reduce spending on corporate functions across public bodies, including the Scottish Government, to deliver £1 billion of savings in five years. 

The strategy sets out concrete steps that government will take through partnership working, particularly with trade unions, to ensure that every pound of investment is focused on frontline delivery and that there are the right staff in the right roles to deliver real change. 

More than 80 actions are set out to drive change and make Scotland’s public services fit for the future, by addressing the challenges caused by increased demand, changing demographics and UK Government financial decisions.

These include leadership and cultural change across the public sector; reducing the number of public bodies to deliver increased efficiency; further review and rationalisation of public sector buildings, working with local partners to remove data barriers that prevent the delivery of programmes; embracing automation and publishing a new Digital Strategy which will set out the acceleration of the digitisation of government.

Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: 

“This strategy is grounded in the shared belief that Scotland’s public services are an investment — in people, places and our collective future. It builds on the work we’ve done since the Christie Commission which outlined the need for public services focused on prevention, place, partnership, people and performance.

“Public service reform is an integral part of the government’s response to the challenges we face. The strategy sets out a bold, system-wide approach to change centred around three key priorities: prevention, joined-up services and efficiency.

“The aim is to do things better, not do less. Public services are an asset and investment in our collective future. They reflect the society we are, and who we aspire to be.

“We are determined to unlock the full potential of Scotland’s public services — making them more efficient, more joined-up, and more preventative in approach, so that they work better for the people of Scotland. It demonstrates that this Government is ready to go further and faster than we ever have to reform our public services.

“We must be bold and brave to deliver real, long lasting and meaningful change.”

Background

Scotland's Public Service Reform Strategy: Delivering for Scotland - gov.scot

The Public Service Reform Strategy is supported by sectoral improvement plans including the NHS Operational Improvement Plan – to tackle immediate pressures on the health service – and the Tackling Child Poverty Plan to reduce the number of children living in relative poverty in Scotland to 10% by 2030.

It builds on the findings of and subsequent work following the 2011 Christie Commission report, and learning from successful preventative policies such as the roll-out of the Scottish Child Payment. The strategy’s implementation will be evaluated and monitored by the Public Service Reform Board, which brings together scrutiny from public bodies, local government, and the third and private sector. The strategy has also been informed by a summit held in February involving representatives from Scotland’s 131 public bodies, local government and the third sector.

Learning from 25 years of Preventative Interventions in Scotland - gov.scot

Examples of previous reforms include:

• Investment in Early Learning and Childcare: The Scottish Government has invested around £1 billion every year in funded Early Learning and Childcare since 2021. Some 95% of three and four-year-olds are registered for the 1,140 hours funded childcare offer and 74% of parents have said it helped employment prospects.
• Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012: One of the biggest public service transformations since devolution, this created the Scottish Police Authority, the unified Police Service of Scotland (Police Scotland) and the single Scottish Fire & Rescue Service.
• Childsmile: Between 2003 and 2020, the Childsmile programme has halved tooth decay amongst children and generated significant cost savings for NHS health boards.