Scottish Government Social Research Five Year Plan 2026-31 Summary Edition

Goal 3: Researchers in Scottish Government will be valued as a professional community of experts

A strong profession needs strong skills, clear standards and a shared sense of purpose. Over the next five years, we will continue to invest in the social research community so that researchers are equipped to do high-quality work in a changing environment. That means supporting both technical excellence and the wider skills needed to influence policy decisions: communication, facilitation, collaboration and professional judgement.

Researchers increasingly need a broad toolkit. Alongside core strengths in qualitative and quantitative research, they must be able to work with mixed methods, understand digital research environments, commission external work well, assure quality and explain findings clearly. They also need to know how to work across professions and sectors, drawing on specialist expertise where that adds value. This is especially important at a time when capacity is tight and the demand for evidence remains high.

Valuing the profession also means being clear about standards. Alignment with Government Social Research (GSR) standards, the Market Research Society (MRS) Code of Conduct and the ISO 2025:2019 standard, research ethics, procurement expectations and wider research sector guidance helps ensure that work is credible and consistent. In a pressured system, quality must not be treated as a luxury. It is the foundation of useful evidence.

We will therefore focus not only on training but on creating the conditions in which researchers can thrive: clear capability standards for our core roles, practical guidance, better matching of skills to priorities, and a professional culture that recognises expertise and encourages learning. We will also invest in supporting our staff, recognising that their resilience is central to our impact.

A supportive culture matters. Researchers do some of their best work when they are well connected to one another, able to share challenges openly and supported to keep developing. A visible and well-supported profession is more resilient, more confident and better able to respond when government needs rapid but reliable advice.

This goal is also about making the best use of scarce resource. We will continue to support non-analysts to understand evidence and use basic research approaches where appropriate, while enhancing the specialist skills that define the profession. The aim is a stronger evidence culture across government, reducing the demands on researchers for more routine, basic evidence gathering so that they can add most value where their expertise is most needed.

What we will do

• Deliver a focused programme of continuing professional development that meets the needs of researchers at different stages of their careers.
• Clarify capability standards so that researchers and prospective entrants understand role expectations, development options and progression routes.
• Build capability in innovative and mixed methods, communication, facilitation, brokerage and quality assurance.
• Expand access to external expertise from commercial, independent and third sector organisations to strengthen learning, offer challenge and provide specialist delivery to complement rather than replace internal capability.
• Maintain clear and accessible guidance so that research is delivered consistently and to high professional standards across government.
• Support non-analysts to understand basic research principles through targeted learning, while keeping clear boundaries around specialist work that requires professional expertise.
• Improve deployment systems so that social researchers’ skills are matched more effectively to the areas of highest strategic need.