International network report costs and correspondence: FOI release

Information requested

1. All drafts written for the conclusion of the report into Scotland's international networks, including all notes written by civil servants and Scot Gov staff, as here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-network-annual-report-2022-23/pages/8/

2. All costs related to the creation of the international network report as asked about above, with breakdown of these costs.

3. How much did it cost to hire a Saltire Intern for the Canadian office and full breakdown of these costs.

4. How many people applied for the Washington DC head of the office job, how many were invited for interviews? Has the job been filled now?

5. Excluding money and jobs brought in by the Scottish Development International agency, how much money and jobs can be attributed to the international offices?

Response

1. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information you requested because it is personal data of staff and of a third party . Section 38(1)(b) confers an absolute exemption and therefore is not subject to the 'public interest test' which means we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. There were 9 draft versions of the annual report. Versions of the conclusion of the report into Scotland's international networks, including all notes written by civil servants and Scot Gov can be found in the attached annex. All names of staff who are below the grade of SCS have been anonymised under "author".

2. The total cost of the Annual report was £4135.4; broken down as follows; Artwork £1,187.31, Creative Design £2,315.25, Project Management, £298.44, Publishing Services £41.81, Web Conversion £292.61.

3. The Scottish Government Office in Ottawa have partnered with Entrepreneurial Scotland to host a Saltire Scholar Internship in the 2023-24 Financial Year, for which the costs amount to GBP £5,562.00.

4. 85 people applied for the Washington DC head of the office position. 5 people were interviewed and the successful applicant is currently going through the appointment process.

5. Please refer to Scottish Goverment’s External Network - 2022-23 Monitoring & Evaluation Report (www.gov.scot) and Introduction - International network: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400398626 - Information Released - Annex

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