About

Short summary 

This page explains why a project aiming to standardise local government self-evaluation in Scotland was prioritised through the SOLACE/ IS Transformation programme. It sets out the link to Scottish Government public reform work and why stronger local ownership of self-evaluation should support continuous improvement and more proportionate external scrutiny.

Key information 

This resource draws on the Scottish Local Government Assurance and Information Framework (SLGAIF) to help councils integrate governance, reporting, audit and scrutiny requirements into self-evaluation and continuous improvement activity.

Project background

The Improvement Service, on behalf of the Solace/IS transformation programme established a project to standardise approaches to Local Government self – evaluation  as a foundation to strengthen the working dynamic between scrutiny bodies, local and central government.  The project was established to work with councils and scrutiny bodies across Scotland to re-invigorate the aspirations and recommendations of the Crerar review (2007).

In the Scottish Government’s Public Reform Strategy: Delivering for Scotland (19 June 2025) one of the four commitments made is as follows:

“Workstream 2: Accountability and Incentives 

We recognise that our current system of accountability does not enable the ways of working we want to see. We have to fundamentally rethink how we hold organisations and leaders to account. We need to empower leaders to operate with appropriate control and monitoring, but within a framework that enables them to act and take risks, creates the right incentives for change and builds a culture where trying, testing and learning is the engine for improvement.

We will:

  • Refresh and renew the National Performance Framework in 2025. This will ensure a clear connection between outcomes, ways of working and accountability across Scotland.
  • Re-design our approach to accountability across Scotland’s public sector to enable collaboration, and the investment of resources and capacity in collectively achieving priority outcomes. We will engage closely with Audit Scotland and other scrutiny partners to build on their expertise and work closely with colleagues across the system to deliver the necessary change. This will align to the work to develop a new monitoring and accountability framework with local government, as set out in the Verity House Agreement.
  • Undertake a review of reporting and scrutiny requirements on Scottish Government and public bodies to improve efficiency and effectiveness and ensure a focus on outcomes that aligns with the refreshed National Performance Framework.”

Consequently, this resource exists to support a renewed ownership of the responsibilities for self-evaluation and continuous improvement across Scotland’s local authorities.  By enhancing self-evaluation and continuous improvement in local authorities, we expect to see external scrutiny become more proportionate and risk-based, and reduced overall.

In addition, the reporting and scrutiny landscape is extremely complicated for local authorities.  There are numerous scrutiny bodies, operating in sometimes different ways, alongside significant reporting requirements for funding or policy drives to Scottish Government.  Some local authority service areas must report to other regulators or statutory bodies on their performance, and staff must report on progress and performance to elected members regularly.  The Scottish Local Government Assurance and Information Framework (SLGAIF) sets out the expansive landscape of governance, reporting, performance improvement, audit and scrutiny that relates to local government. It is designed to help both local and Scottish governments gain a better understanding of accountability and assurance arrangements.

This resource uses the extensive information in the SLGAIF to propose how local authorities can integrate these requirements into their self-evaluation and continuous improvement activity.

The Case for Change

Local government in Scotland is well placed to take control of self-evaluation for improvement because it is closest to communities and therefore best understands local needs, challenges, and strengths. When councils lead their own evaluation processes, they can create more flexible, context-sensitive approaches that respond directly to citizens’ priorities rather than relying on national, one-size-fits-all approaches. Local ownership also strengthens accountability, as elected members and local leaders can more clearly connect evidence of performance with decisions about resources and services. Moreover, empowering councils to drive their own improvement encourages a culture of learning rather than compliance, enabling staff to innovate, share good practice, and implement changes quickly. Overall, placing self-evaluation in the hands of local government supports more responsive, effective, and community-focused public services across Scotland.

This resource exists to support a renewed ownership of the responsibilities for self-evaluation and continuous improvement across Scotland’s local authorities.  By enhancing self-evaluation and continuous improvement in local authorities, we expect to see external scrutiny become more proportionate and risk-based and reduced overall.

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