SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE REPORTS AND WORKPLANS (ScotStat 4/04)
Aim: to summarise the reported progress against 2003/4 Work Plan submissions made by each individual ScotStat Committee to the Secretariat, identifying the main progress, and outstanding issues.
Issues for discussion:
- How can the Board encourage more joint working/thinking between committees?
- Are there opportunities for data sharing between members of a committee/between committees which have not yet been realised?
Background: The ScotStat Board requested that each Committee complete a work plan template at the beginning of each year, and to provide an interim report on work in progress for the January Board meeting, followed by a full report on progress for the June Board meeting. The purpose of this process is to allow the Board to consider the range and type of work carried out by each individual Committee, to identify where gaps are emerging and issues arising.
Proposal: The ScotStat Board is asked to consider the reports on progress against 2003/4 work plans and to;
- note the progress which has been made in forming new committees and re-structuring existing committees
- comment on the progress against plans for 2003/4 and identify any issues which are not being addressed
- comment on the emerging structure of committees and raise any concerns
- confirm whether or not they wish to have this paper presented at every Board meeting.
Comments on Committee Reports and Plans
The detailed reports and workplans, where they have been provided, are attached at Annex A.
1. Built Environment
There has not been much activity during 2003, however a seminar on housing need and supply statistics, and a committee meeting with a comprehensive agenda are planned for April 2004. Sub-groups have taken some work forward, discussing timetables and plans for 2002 household estimates, and the development of a landlords database. While there is reference to the development of sources and methods to support household projections, there is no mention of the need to liaise with the population committee on the parallel development of population projections - however the link to this committee is noted. The committee has asked Communities Scotland to consider area office representation to extend the membership.
2. Crime and Justice
The committee is currently considering ways of increasing its membership to includes representation from the academic sector. It has updated its remit which is attached for information. From the work in progress report, it is not entirely clear which of the reported activities/outcomes for 2003/4 have been achieved, and which are still in progress or outstanding. Some of the reported outcomes would appear to be statistical outputs of the relevant Executive branches rather than outputs of the committee itself. It would be useful to seek clarification from the committee on this, and from the Board on what they would like to see. Cross cutting issues covered include Neighbourhood statistics and modernising government. Would there be any benefit in developing links with Social and Welfare, and possibly Labour Market? This committee reports a large number of links to sub-groups and other related groups.
3. Education & Training
No report submitted.
4. Economic, Business and Commerce, and Local Government Finance
There have been major issues to consider in this area over 2003/4, not least resulting from ONS activity/errors/reviews, and the growing awareness about the inadequacy of regional economic statistics for policy making and support. The committee has kept abreast with this issues, and has been recommending action, and agreeing priorities for the limited analytical resources. In particular the committee is playing a major role in agreeing methodological approaches to chainlinking the GDP index, analysing the Global Connections Survey and creating a single, official, manufactured exports estimate for Scotland, responding to the Allsopp and Wroe recommendations, and agreeing to a major Scottish Economic Statistics seminar in 2004. While links to other committees have been established, there is still scope for considering how joint working might increase understanding and quality of analysis. Data sharing between organisations could also be considered?
5. Health & Care
As reported at the last ScotStat Board plans are being laid to form a new committee to cover the interests of health and social care. Progress on this has been delayed however and it is now expected that an interim group, comprising representatives of health and social work, ISD and the SE, will be convened early in 2004 to consider the way forward towards establishing a viable and useful committee.
6. Natural Environment
The committee has met twice this year, and has recommended improvements to the Key Environment Statistics publication, advised on the need for neighbourhood level information (supported by a half day seminar on May), and considered the exchange of environmental information between the various relevant bodies. While it is recognised that any further activity is not likely to produce results until 2004/5, the committee's report highlights plans to further discuss dissemination, expansion of the scope of National Statistics, exchange of information, targets/key statistics, to more fully engage with users and to consider the future of the Environmental Accounts work.
7. Neighbourhood Statistics
No report submitted, but continued progress following launch of initial dataset in March 2003.
8. Population & Migration
With the launch of the 2001 census, the committee has overseen the implementation of SCROL website, and has established a new population projections sub-group. The agenda for the remainder of 2003/4 is challenging, and includes evaluation and comment on the 2001 census, future census strategy, improvements of migrations statistics, mortality rate methodologies, and the development of links between population and household estimates and projections. It is also expected that the committee will contribute to the Executive's current project to understand better the implications of demographic change for service demand and delivery.
9. Social and Welfare
After an uncertain year in 2002/3, this committee has gathered some momentum, and met twice in 2003, and the need for strong links across all ScotStat committees has been recognised. Due to the broad, and diverse nature of the topics covered by this committee, it decided to take its agenda forward through small, topic specific, working groups. In particular, a very successful Income Seminar was initiated by the committee, and hosted by the Executive, resulting in a clear work programme for the development of income statistics over the next few years. Other topics considered so far include, urban/rural classification, ethnicity seminar, indices of deprivation and Social justice milestones.
10. Transport and Travel
This committee has made good progress against it s 03/04 plans, addressing issues relating to methodology and publication which arose during the quality review, and considering relevant key statistics and targets. The working groups take forward a significant amount of the work, and it is expected that the main group will not meet again until Sept 2004. In the mean time, some of the planed work for 2003/4 might fall into 2004/5. Links to economy (tourism) and environment committees have been established. It is possibly worth considering whether a more general link to the economy committee would be beneficial.
11. Agriculture
First meeting of this new committee scheduled for January 2004. A remit, membership and workplan will be submitted as soon as possible thereafter.
12. Fishing
No report submitted. While it has been agreed, in principle, that this committee should be formed, there has not yet been a meeting.
13. Labour Market/Skills and Lifelong Learning
This new committee met for the first time in 2003, and is still developing its remit and workplan. It was decided that the 2 strands would be best served through separate working group, reporting coming together occasionally to consider joined up issues.
Conclusion
Many of the Committees are now making good progress, with appropriate agendas, and real value added activity. Links between committees are slowly being established in a number of areas, and consideration of cross-cutting issues, and targets/key statistics is evident in a number of reports. While some of the newer committees are still in the early stages of their formation, there are clear signs that we now have a fairly comprehensive, and transparent coverage of the range of statistical themes - some areas still need a bit of thought (e.g. lifelong learning/higher education, local government finance, environmental accounts).
One of the main issues emerging from this set of progress reports is that we need to think about how to make the cross- linkages deliver some real benefits. A number of committees have made links, but there is little/no evidence that this is resulting in any new thinking or joined-up working. The Board might wish to consider how this might be encouraged (e.g. Social and Welfare has recorded a need to create links with ALL committees - how can we ensure that this is reciprocated, and that it results in the social/welfare agenda being taken on board in other committee agendas?).
Another issue is that of data sharing. One committee (Natural Environment) reported work on data sharing between organisations. Are there further opportunities to reach agreements within and between bodies on other committees about how to make more of the range of existing data sources?
Finally, it should be noted that while the progress in setting up new committees (including the proposed re-structuring of Health and Care) is to be welcomed, the pace at which these are developing is not as fast as we would wish. As a result, there are significant areas which still have no forum for external consultation/dialogue. The board will wish to encourage these areas to move forward quickly, with a view to proposing a real work programme for 2004/5.
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE JANUARY 2004