Rural Scotland - skills action plan: process evaluation 2019 to 2021

Annex A: Summary of topic guide questions

A. Introductions and background

• Participant's organisation's remit and their job role within this
• The nature of their involvement in the development and implementation of skills interventions to support rural Scotland

B. The SAPRS – priority areas and changing landscape

• Participant's role and involvement in the SAPRS
• Whether the participant has a particular interest in, or responsibility for, delivery on a specific SAPRS priority area (which area, how they supported the implementation of actions/activities, outcomes, improvements)
• Thoughts on progress, activities and outcomes within other priority areas
• Impact of Digital and Climate Emergency on the SAPRS
• Key challenges and how these were met
• Whether activities would have occurred without the work of the SAPRS
• Whether the SAPRS set a clear strategic direction
• Impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the SAPRS in terms of planning and implementation; what has changed versus what was planned

C. The Implementation Steering Group

• How the ISG came about; opinions on membership; aims and objectives
• How well the ISG is working in terms of set-up, structure, meetings, progress, communications
• Whether being part of the ISG has added value for them
• Whether the ISG has helped them make links with partners
• Whether the ISG has worked to create a clear strategic direction

D. Impact of the SAPRS

• To what extent the SAPRS has created opportunities for skills provision and development in rural communities
• Whether the SAPRS has helped to provide a more aerial view of skills development in rural areas and whether this has been of value
• What has worked well in terms of partnership working; why
• Whether working in partnership benefits skills development in rural Scotland
• Whether working in partnership has resulted in any achievements that they could not have achieved in isolation
• Any key challenges or things that have worked less well; any key learnings
• Thoughts on the main additional value of the SAPRS
• Thoughts about the direction any future iteration of the SAPRS could take