The Promise Data and Evidence Group: terms of reference

Background

The Promise Story of Progress

Understanding progress across the breadth and depth of the promise requires very different types of data, collected, and analysed at different levels, at different frequencies, and in different ways. Broadly, there are three, related but distinct, questions that any work to understand progress must focus on answering: 

1. How is Scotland doing in its progress towards keeping the promise? 

2. How are organisations doing in their work to keep the promise? 

3. Does the care community feel the impact of the promise being kept? 

When taken together, the three mechanisms designed to answer the above questions are collectively referred to as The Promise Story of Progress. It is not possible to tell the overall story of progress without a focus on all three questions. 

The Promise Story of Progress was published on 18 December 2024.

Purpose

The Promise Data and Evidence Group is established with the ambition that it will run until The Promise is kept by 2030. As a group it is anticipated that it will both grow and adapt in membership as the workplan develops.

The Role of the Data and Evidence Group is to bring analysts (and/or those with data and evidence responsibilities) from across sectors and organisations together to review the current data and evidence landscape. From this, activities to improve data infrastructure, as well as longer term research priorities and projects, will be identified, supported and incorporated into the wider understanding of progress.  

Aims and scope

The scope of the Promise is broad and covers a diverse population supported across multiple policy areas and local services.

A workplan for the first 12 months of the group, as well as priorities for the next 3-5 years will be agreed in the first instance. In order to develop this, the group will consider:

• evidence gaps within the existing Promise Progress Framework
• qualitative research that has already been conducted, or is ongoing, in relation to The Promise
• potential longer-term projects for further exploration, including data linkage studies

Four population groups, which are likely to be intersectional and not mutually exclusive, have been identified as within the scope of the work of this group:

1. children currently in the care system and their families
2. children at risk of entering care and their families
3. young people transitioning out of care and into adulthood
4. care-experienced adults

Membership

Membership will be subject to adaptation as the work of the group progresses. Membership of the working group is detailed on the group page.

Governance

It is anticipated that members will use the appropriate governance structures within their organisation to keep colleagues briefed regarding the work conducted by this group. This may lead to consideration where new data and evidence generated from these projects can be identified and how work collectively identified for prioritisation can be jointly resourced.

The frequency of group meetings will be 6 weekly initially, to be reviewed following the summer 2025 recess period. The initial meetings in spring 2025 will be used to develop the initial workplan, decide on the level of reporting the group will commit to publicly; potentially including the agreed terms of reference, meeting minutes, and regular reporting on progress.

Secretariat of the group will be undertaken by the Keeping the Promise unit within Scottish Government. This will include responsibilities including collating papers in advance of meetings, working with the chief social policy advisor to determine agendas, and the recording and agreeing of minutes from each meeting.

Reporting and reviewing

An initial work programme will be produced in summer 2025.

Meeting minutes will be published on the group page.