Open Government action plan 2021 to 2025: commitment 5 – participation milestone progress

Review of consultations - spend, approach, monitoring

Milestone: update internal guidance (Saltire)

Timescales

Ongoing until end of Action Plan (November 2025).

Where we started

The internal consultation guidance is reviewed iteratively on a regular basis.

What changed and why

The latest iteration has updated content. Future aims are for content to be more easily navigable and more comprehensive.

Where we are now

Work is now underway to adapt longer form guidance to fit into the format and length appropriate for Saltire.

What activity this will involve

• edits and restructure of guidance
• publication on Saltire

Milestone status

Complete.

Milestone: launch a new digital engagement service offer

Timescales

Ongoing until end of Action Plan (November 2025).

Where we started

The aim for this milestone was to refocus the support available to Scottish Government staff from primarily consultation support towards a broader digital engagement offer.

What changed and why

Guidance materials are now fit for purpose so that colleagues needing consultation support are able to access this without needing one-to-one support.

A new place-based consultation format was launched in 2024.

A CivTech Challenge is underway to explore the development of a new digital engagement tool for government.

Where we are now

Alongside the Open Government team, the digital engagement team are supporting the development of a digital engagement tool through CivTech Challenge 10.7. This is looking at how technology can help us deliver high-quality, scalable, public participation in decision-making, inspiring trust around ethical data use and sharing, AI, and wider public good activities.

The team will also continue to be responsive to developing digital engagement tools and the needs of colleagues for alternatives to consultation. The nature and extent of the service offered by the team will be continually reviewed to align with Scottish Government’s organisational goals, new developments internally, and the capacity of the team.

What activity this will involve

• reviewing the digital engagement team strategy and offer
• be responsive to the developments of the CivTech project and other organisational developments

Milestone status

In progress, behind schedule.

Milestone: analysis of evaluation data

Timescales

December 2024.

Where we started

Evaluation data collected alongside each consultation was to be analysed by external analysts to provide insight into the accessibility and effectiveness of consultations. 

It was planned that these insights would inform guidance and training provided on consultations and to form an evidence base to promote non-consultation options for engagement. Analysis of evaluation data was completed in late summer 2023. 

What changed and why

Action on the report’s recommendations has taken place to the extent possible. Publication and promotion of the report were put on hold due to changes in staffing.

Where we are now

Publication and promotion of the report are being explored.

What activity this will involve

An improvement action plan was developed based on 15 recommendations identified during the evaluation process. We are currently implementing this action plan.

Milestone status

In progress, behind schedule.

Milestone: launch a new digital engagement hub

Timescales

December 2024.

Where we started

A new hub on gov.scot was to support the public to find out about opportunities to engage with policy making in Scottish Government. The aim for this hub was to bring together consultation opportunities with different engagement opportunities into one space.

A roadmap for this work was to be developed by summer 2023.

What changed and why

Challenges were identified in the discovery phase of this project. Longer term work on website development and on organisational culture and processes has had to be undertaken before it would be feasible to offer an engagement hub.

As a complimentary approach, an external communications plan to raise awareness of consultations and other digital engagement activities has been developed and implemented.

Where we are now

Communications work to promote consultations is continuing including closer liaison with the social content hub in digital communications and audience analysis of current communication channels.

Design work for gov.scot improvements is underway but with no timeline proposed to reach the initial target of a digital engagement hub.

Milestone status

Closed and incomplete.