Best Value in Public Services - External Reference Group
Meeting 3 November 2005- Minutes
In attendance:
Heather Koronka - Scottish Executive (chair), Ian Carmichael - Scottish Enterprise, Eddie Turnbull - General Register Office for Scotland, Ross Loveridge - Scottish Executive, Nicola Bennett - Scottish Courts Services, Gordon MacDonald - Crofters Commission, Chad Dawtry - Communities Scotland, Ricky Mallon - Scottish Children's Reporters Administration, Maidie Cahill - Scottish Qualifications Authority, Hannah Graham - Scottish Executive (minutes)
Apologies:
David Hunter - National Libraries Scotland, Andrew Menzies - Scottish Legal Aid Board, Jane Neville - Royal Botanic Gardens, Shelia McClure - National Museums Scotland
Introductions
- The chair thanked everyone for attending and welcomed the practical input of members to support the roll out of Best Value within public services.
Agree remit, membership and methods of working
- The Executive provided an update on the wider public service reform agenda and reassured the group that Best Value arrangements will work within existing legislative requirements. Ministers are keen to see a bottom up approach to reform and whilst the legislative route is still open in the longer term, existing frameworks can be developed to pursue Best Value in public services.
- Members approved the advisory status of the group and the proposed remit. It was agreed that the method of working should centre around the capacity of members.
- The issue of membership from Health Boards was raised. The group was advised that the Executive is currently looking into ways to engage and involve health boards in the Best Value dialogue.
- The Executive clarified that "public service organisations" can be taken to mean, "the Scottish administration"
Feedback of key messages from stakeholder engagement seminars
- Concern was expressed from the group around how public bodies would be audited on Best Value. There was broad agreement among members that a stand alone Best Value audit as per local government would be too resource intensive. The Executive is to liaise with Audit Scotland around assessment/enforcement/audit and will explore how Best Value can be captured in existing audit arrangements.
- Members agreed upon the need for a self assessment framework and there was discussion around what format this should take, perhaps making use of technology to provide a score/rate to demonstrate year on year improvement.
- Various performance tools need to be mapped onto the Best Value principles to avoid duplication of work/cross referencing. There was broad agreement that this could be carried out as a group exercise. Scottish Executive quality schemes handbook and matrix map of key messages from seminars to be circulated to members before next meeting.
Identification of key issues to be addressed in materials produced
- The Executive clarified that outputs from the stakeholder engagement seminars demonstrated agreement with the nine principles of Best Value and a need for practical guidance. There is also scope to clarify the Best Value sections (written in italics in the draft guidance) in the Public Finance Manual.
Agreement of proposed approach to production of materials
- The group discussed the proposed model of generic high level guidance on Best Value coupled with specific advice notes for thematic issues. Such a model would be designed to meet a range of needs with signposts and web links to practical information. There was general agreement with this approach.
- Members agreed that there must be a clarity in the guidance to ensure that organisations achieve aims instead of purely justifying current activity.
- There was concern expressed that a Best Value system which is audit and reporting driven will not necessarily improve service delivery, but will be a paper filling exercise and the group therefore had reservations about the prescription of minimum standards.
- The form and frequency of meetings was considered. It was suggested that the group need not stay together at all times but that work could be allocated out to sub groups. The Executive needs to scope out and agree on how this will break down and it was agreed that blocks of time (half or whole days) should be set aside for specific tasks.
Date of next meeting
- The next session will last one day to work on the draft framework of the high level guidance and unpack each principle. The 5th of December (9.30-4.30) was set as the date, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. Members contact details, draft 2003 guidance, links to local government advisory notes and the Scottish public finance manual to be circulated before this meeting.