Improving access to accountability of public services - engagement: final report

Recommendations

In response to the findings from this report, three recommendations have been proposed, each one producing outcomes and findings that inform the next. As such, it is suggested that they be undertaken in concurrence. Recommendation 1a and 1b are an integrated workstream that would support the foundation of a Community of Practice and further findings to undertake recommendation 2.

Recommendation 1a and 1b could be undertaken before the end of this National Action Plan cycle, while also using this time to set up the inputs for recommendation 2, which could be undertaken during the next National Action Plan cycle.

Workstream	Inputs	Outputs
Recommendation 1a Investigating the barriers and opportunities to support access to accountability within service delivery, with a focus on practical ‘on the ground’ staff needs.	The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report) A foundational understanding of existing standards, guidance and policies, and their influence on accountability A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.	Identification of the needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability Identification of the barriers to providing consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level An understanding of the standards, guidance, and policies that already exist within Scotland to support access to accountability Opportunities to support operational staff and service delivery to improve consistent access to accountability.
Recommendation 1b A review of current solutions and examples of good practice that support access to accountability in Scotland.	The needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability (from recommendation 1a) The barriers to provide consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level (from recommendation 1a) The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report) A foundational understanding of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams that support access to accountability  A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.	A review of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams in Scotland that support access to accountability Opportunities to apply these learnings to meet the needs of operational service delivery staff to support access to accountability.
Recommendation 2 Establish a Community of Practice and a People’s Panel to develop pilot ‘tests of change’.	The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report) The needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability (from recommendation 1a) The barriers to provide consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level (from recommendation 1a) A review of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams in Scotland that support access to accountability (from recommendation 1b) Opportunities to apply these learnings to meet the needs of operational service delivery staff to support access to accountability (from recommendation 1b) A foundational understanding of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams that support access to accountability  A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.	Combining knowledge of existing standards and guidance, and examples of best practice, to address the barriers and opportunities from this research Form a representative People’s Panel and Community of Practice group to iterate and develop ‘tests of change’ Longer term commitment from the Community of Practice to support continuous learning and development, and sustainable consistent change Strengthening the foundation of democracy at a time of crisis and unrest.

Recommendation 1a

Investigating the barriers and opportunities to support access to accountability within service delivery, with a focus on practical 'on the ground' staff needs.

Throughout the majority of themes outlined in this report, standards, guidelines, and policies that respond to the identified issues relating to accountability have already been developed by the Scottish Government. For example, the PANEL framework developed by Scottish Human Rights Commission to embed citizen rights within service delivery, various participation standards that support active public involvement in decision making and public service development, and national advocacy services from CAB.

However, these standards and policies are not being implemented consistently across the country, and access to accountability processes remains dependant on the practices of 'on the ground' service delivery staff. More work is required to understand the barriers that staff face in supporting citizens to access accountability and delivering accountability processes that meet public needs.

Using the citizen needs outlined in this report, recommendation 1a proposes a small piece of further work to understand the 'behind the scenes' story of service delivery, viewing staff as service users too. By understanding the barriers that operational staff face, opportunities will be identified to enhance access to accountability through the utilisation of existing resources, standards and policies.

Outputs and Outcomes

• Identification of the needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability
• Identification of the barriers to providing consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level
• An understanding of the standards, guidance, and policies that already exist within Scotland to support access to accountability
• Opportunities to support operational staff and service delivery to improve consistent access to accountability.

Inputs and Assets

• The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report)
• A foundational understanding of existing standards, guidance and policies, and their influence on accountability
• A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.

Recommendation 1b

A review of current solutions and examples of good practice that support access to accountability in Scotland.

Examples of best practice and local solutions to accountability access exist within specific sectors, public bodies and services, and areas across the country. By taking an asset-based approach to solution development, existing pockets of success in Scotland could be translated into case studies to support national learning and development in relation to accountability.

The investigation could form a service delivery-focused 'accountability landscape review' that would assess current mechanisms, resources, and workstreams, and align them to the findings from citizen engagement (this report) and recommendation 1a.

Many workstreams and resources already support access to accountability, however these are not always signposted or made accessible to the public, for example national advocacy services. Understanding and supporting the success of what already exists, such as Extra Help Unit (EHU) models, should be a focus of work going forwards. This piece of work would review the qualities of successful examples and apply these learnings to the barriers that operational service delivery staff face (identified in recommendation 1a). This would allow the Scottish Government to gain an asset-based understanding of the opportunities to support access to accountability without taking a 'lift and shift' approach, which would not address regional and contextual barriers and needs.

The workstreams of parallel commitments should also be considered to identify opportunities for shared learning, especially in relation to participation frameworks for decision-making. This piece of work could be undertaken in concurrence with recommendation 1a.

Outputs and Outcomes

• A review of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams in Scotland that support access to accountability
• Opportunities to apply these learnings to meet the needs of operational service delivery staff to support access to accountability.

Inputs and Assets

• The needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability (from recommendation 1a)
• The barriers to provide consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level (from recommendation 1a)
• The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report)
• A foundational understanding of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams that support access to accountability
• A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.

Recommendation 2

Establish a Community of Practice and a People's Panel to develop pilot 'tests of change'.

The establishment of a People's Panel was an intended outcome of this project, however, due to the constraints of Covid-19 this could not be developed. Snook would encourage the Open Government Partnership to invest in a People's Panel when possible. Many participants from the public engagement phase of the project expressed commitment to continue their involvement in the development of pilot solutions and were able to contribute digitally and remotely. Due to the distributed nature of participants, conducting a digital People's Panel has the potential to improve accessibility and representation, and reduce costs.

The formation of a complimentary Community of Practice could bring together representatives from the public sector, including policy makers, to allow the future development of solutions to be equally represented by the public and public bodies that have the power to implement change. By supporting stakeholders from all aspects of accountability to engage with the public and participate in solution finding, more trust might be generated, and wider public confidence built. Public Panel and Community of Practice models provide an opportunity for the Open Government Partnership to commit to longer term, continuous learning and development.

Using findings from the investigations outlined in Recommendations 1a and 1b, a People's Panel and a Community of Practice could be supported to co-create potential solutions using case study solutions and examples of existing resources, policies, and standards. By focusing this 'test group' around the themes of this research and existing resources, a more holistic and efficient approach might be taken towards improving access to accountability for everyone in Scotland. The Community of Practice would be recruited during recommendations 1a and 1b.

Participatory methods, such as deliberative engagement, active listening, and representative sampling, are recommended for use within this model.

Outputs and Outcomes

• Combining knowledge of existing standards and guidance, and examples of best practice, to address the barriers and opportunities from this research
• Form a representative People's Panel and Community of Practice group to iterate and develop 'tests of change'
• Longer term commitment from the Community of Practice to support continuous learning and development, and sustainable consistent change
• Strengthening the foundation of democracy at a time of crisis and unrest.

Inputs and Assets

• The needs of citizens in the context of access to accountability (from this report)
• The needs of operational service staff to support citizen access to accountability (from recommendation 1a)
• The barriers to provide consistent access to accountability at a service delivery level (from recommendation 1a)
• A review of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams in Scotland that support access to accountability (from recommendation 1b)
• Opportunities to apply these learnings to meet the needs of operational service delivery staff to support access to accountability (from recommendation 1b)
• A foundational understanding of best practice examples, existing mechanisms, resources, and work streams that support access to accountability
• A strong network of committed stakeholders across the public sector in Scotland.