Scottish Government

Section 2. The Policy Context for Best Value and Sustainable Development

2.1 The overall framework for government policy in Scotland is set by A Partnership for a Better Scotland, the Partnership Agreement by the coalition partners. This sets out the vision for Scotland, and the opening paragraphs include a determination "to improve public services" and a desire for "a Scotland that delivers sustainable development". These are subsequently elaborated: Public Service Reform is one of the four key themes in the Partnership Agreement, while contributions to sustainable development are flagged up throughout.

2.2 The Scottish Executive's Public Service Reform Agenda, articulated in Transforming Public Services: The Next Phase of Reform sets the challenge of transforming public services so that they are centred around the people who need and use them. It aims to achieve this through an agenda built around five key values set out by the First Minister:

• Increased personalisation and choice;
• Quality and innovation;
• Efficiency and productivity;
• Joining up; and
• Accountability.

2.3 The interlinked and complementary components for delivery of this reform agenda include Community Planning, Efficient Government, and Best Value. Best Value arrangements exist to secure continuous improvement in the performance of functions by public service organisations. Continuous improvement seeks to balance quality and cost considerations, and is achieved with regard to economy, efficiency, effectiveness, the equal opportunities arrangements, and sustainable development. The formal requirements for Best Value in public services are explained in section 3.

2.4 The policy and vision for sustainable development is set by the UK Framework One Future - Different Paths: the UK's Shared Framework for Sustainable Development, launched by the Prime Minister in March 2005; and Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy, launched by Scottish Ministers in December 2005.

2.5 A summary of the principles, vision, priorities, and key outcomes sought in Choosing Our Future are set out in Annex A.

2.6 The UK's shared framework for sustainable development is explicit that "to set the United Kingdom on a more sustainable track, we must know what we are aiming for". The previous 1999 strategy had used the well known international definition from the Brundtland Report (Our Common Future) of:

"Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

2.7 The new Framework common goal for sustainable development across the UK builds directly on the Brundtland definition:

"The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.

For the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations, that goal will be pursued in an integrated way through a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers high levels of employment, and a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal well-being. This will be done in ways that protect and enhance the physical and natural environment, and use resources and energy as efficiently as possible." (One Future - Different Paths, page 7)

2.8 Both the UK Framework and Choosing Our Future are based on five principles which will form a basis for sustainable development policy in the UK. These are:

• Living within environmental limits;
• Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society;
• Achieving a sustainable economy;
• Promoting good governance; and
• Using sound science responsibly (see Annex A).

2.9 These principles, which include good governance - "actively promoting effective, participative systems of governance on all levels of society; engaging people's creativity, energy and diversity" - dovetail with the characteristics of Best Value, which include sustainable development.