Open Government Action Plan commitment 4: be more accountable for public services

Engage with Commitment Signatories

Met with each Signatory individually, and held collaborative workshop to build shared understandings and purpose of work moving forwards, Spring 2019

Form civil society partnerships working group

Held first meeting April 2019; workshop on co-design of citizens engagement June 2019

Commission baseline research into accountability landscape

Contracted EKOS Consultants Ltd. to conduct desk-based research to assess existing accountability bodies operating in Scotland for public services, and to assess some examples of citizens engagement in scrutiny activities to help inform best practice (if taken forward), published September 2019

Contractor appointed September 2019

Peoples survey design – Collaborative Working Group workshop w/contractors

Meeting held 20 September 2019, initial research methodology review and survey design

Meeting held 14 October 2019, survey questions approved

Holyrood Events Ltd. public service practitioners event

Commitment 4 workshop delivered, 16 October.  Discussion on gaps / improvements in access to accountability, as part of early stage research data gathering to inform final solutions development

Survey dissemination

CAS delivered through YouGov

 Snook: Interviews

Series of one-to-one interviews and/or small focus groups conducted to inform design and content of national workshop discussions, and engage diversity of participant types ; CWG Partners supported

Snook: Peoples workshops x 9 (Scotland wide)

Snook held a series of engagement workshops with people living in Scotland, originally via on-site events then delivered virtually following onset of the pandemic, as appropriate

Snook: Service delivery, scrutiny & regulatory bodies consultation event x 1

Snook hosted event 6 May, virtual – to sense check / cross-reference public engagement findings with practitioners for feasibility and buy in

Snook: Solutions development workshop

Snook hosted event 19 May, virtual – to enable partners to input to recommendations in light of engagement outputs

Snook: Research analysis & recommendations report debrief session

Snook hosted event 24 June, virtual – to provide overview of final report, including recommendations, and provide any clarifications to partners on key points

Chair’s Discussion Paper – Delivery Stocktake & Options Stage 3

Commissioned August 2020; delayed due to illness, work on-going.  Core partners team update meetings held: 27 October, 9 November, 18 November.  Draft paper due w/c 23 November for wider circulation to Signatories.

Commitment Leads & Signatories meeting to decide next steps

TBC – aiming for mid-December, subject to review of Chair’s paper and availability.

Tests of Change – delivery, led by agreed Signatories w/Partners’ support

These milestones have been superseded by Chair’s Discussion Paper due to limited capacity across partners, including SG, in light of impacts of Covid.