Open Government action plan 2021 to 2025 - commitment 5: participation

Progress to November 2022

Milestone: Participation framework: developing knowledge and skills across SG (beginning autumn 2021).

Update and next steps

A timeline and work plan have been developed.

A pilot training session with an internal policy team has been secured and outputs from this session will inform future training opportunities going into 2023.

The framework is due to undergo a design refresh to improve usability, serviceability and accessibility. This work should conclude by Spring 2023.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Participation Framework: embedding equalities and an inclusive approach (beginning autumn 2021).

Update and next steps

A timeline and work plan have been developed.

A rapid review of the Participation Framework from Talat Yaqoob, and input from Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights teams across Scottish Government have been obtained.

An internal group has been established to support equality and human rights related inputs into the framework and to advise on external stakeholders to engage.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Institutionalising Participation and Deliberative Democracy working group: reporting and beginning processes of change to make participation routine and effective (autumn 2021 onwards).

Update and next steps

A working group report published spring 2022 outlines recommendations for developing a broad range of participation and democratic innovations, and using this system as a basis to establish routine use of Citizens' Assemblies in Scotland.

A Scottish Government response is still pending. The Open Government team are working to progress this.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Embedding Open Government principles in the planning, conduct and outputs of annual Citizens’ Assemblies (from December 2021).

Update and next steps

Planning of annual Citizens’ Assemblies is at an early stage but is ongoing.

The Open Government team have been feeding into this process where possible.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Developing an active and inclusive Open Government Network for Participation (2022 onwards).

Update and next steps

A communication and engagement plan to diversify the Open Government Network has been developed and agreed with SCDC.

Communication and engagement messaging has been agreed with civil society network committee members.

The rollout of the plan is in the initial phase and work to progress this will continue into 2023.

Status

On schedule/ongoing.

Milestone: Review of consultations - spend, approach, monitoring (autumn 2022).

Update and next steps

The digital engagement team have worked with consultation users to refine and update Scottish Government guidance to be guided by user need. This has also involved introducing a new introductory training session to prevent consultation errors and guide Scottish Government colleagues before they publish.

The team have introduced regular consultation surgeries to give Scottish Government colleagues the opportunity to come and troubleshoot with the team in person.

Earlier this year the e-consultation platform used by Scottish Government was re-procured. A review of spend has not been started, and due to capacity issues a review of monitoring and evaluation has also not been started.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Monitoring the completion of local authorities delivery of 1% of budgets through participatory budgeting (PB) (from autumn 2021).

Update and next steps

Local authorities are on track this year to meet the PB target. Approximately £100 million pounds worth of local authority spend has been open to PB. 13 councils will report they will meet the target locally, and collectively will meet or exceed the target in place.

Status

On schedule.

Milestone: Continue to support the National Participatory Budgeting Strategic Group, towards awareness and delivery of the ‘National PB Framework’ (September 2021).

Update and next steps

Scottish Government continues to provide secretariat support to the NPBSG, of which the refreshed group has met four times to date.

The Group supported SCDC in the design and delivery of the National PB Conference, which took place on 28th September 2022. This focused on the Framework’s five themes, with workshops designed to discuss and deliberate progress and challenges of PB in those themes (culture shift; climate justice; health & wellbeing; education; and housing). Feedback on outcomes available by PB Scotland.

The next strategic group meeting scheduled on 1st December, with support from Scottish Government’s Open Government team to explore and set future priorities for the group in 2023/24.

Status

On schedule.

Milestone: Explore the use of Participatory Budgeting in 2021 to 2022 as part of our wider support for community‑led climate action.

Update and next steps

Scottish Government announced a ten-year £500 million Just Transition Fund targeted in North East of Scotland. The fund will help steer the regional economy away from carbon-intensive industry and provide the opportunity to upskill in green jobs. £1 million has been ring-fenced for PB (from the £20 million made available in 2022/23). tsiMoray, ACVO, AVA, NESCAN and Money 4 Moray Group are working in collaboration to design and deliver the PB initiatives in the three respective areas (Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray).

Dundee City Council ran the first council-led green participatory budgeting initiative in Scotland, titled ‘Dundee Climate Fund’. Over 4 years, £750,000 will be allocated via PB to community groups and social enterprises delivering on projects related to building capacity, energy, waste, transport and resilience.

Scotland hosted the Green PB Caravan event, which is series of European shared learning conferences on green PB (alongside Portugal, Spain and France). Scotland hosted events on 16th and 17th November. A Scottish Government official supported the Portugal event on 26th October.

Status

On schedule.

Milestone: Identify opportunities at COP26 to develop the concept of Participatory Budgeting for climate action – both in Scotland and abroad – and identify opportunities to develop programmes specifically involving schools and young people.

Update and next steps

A PB and Grant Making online course was made available in 2022 to 750 applicants for free. Targeted at children and young people, this course will upskill and improve understanding on how to get involved in local decision making processes.

Next steps are to explore how Green PB can be incorporated into the course as part of continuous learning and improvement. The community empowerment team are working with YouthLink Scotland to potential project discuss further.

Status

On schedule.

Milestone: Embedding participation as a core skill in centre of expertise (new name TBC) (October 2021 to December 2021).

Update and next steps

This is delayed and is currently still in the set up phase.

The Open Government team will continue to work with the relevant Scottish Government teams to progress.

Status

In progress.

Milestone: Use best practice approaches to support high quality engagement and participation, while undertaking work to review the National Outcomes.

(This milestone was previously part of the Fiscal Openess and Transparency committment. The relevant Scottish Government teams agreed to move this milestone to the Participation committment due to its relevancy).

Update and next steps

Ministers are due to provide a response to the Finance and Public Administration Committee (FPAC) National Performance Framework Inquiry Report  which is due early December. Final plans for the Review will be set out shortly.

Public engagement on the Review is now likely to start in early 2023 (still subject to confirmation).

Status

In progress.