National Performance Framework: Inquiry into proposed National Outcomes

Closed 28 Jun 2024

Opened 13 May 2024

Contact

Finance and Public Administration Committee

FPA.committee@parliament.scot

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

National Performance Framework

The Scottish Government explains that the National Performance Framework is Scotland’s wellbeing framework. 

The National Performance Framework aims to get everyone in Scotland to work together to deliver on the National Outcomes. This includes: 

  • national and local government
  • public and private sectors
  • voluntary organisations
  • businesses
  • communities

What are National outcomes?

The Government explains that National Outcomes are part of the National Performance Framework and are the broad policy aims which, with the National Performance Framework, describe the kind of Scotland “in which we all want to live”.

The Scottish Government must, by law, review the National Outcomes for Scotland at least every five years. In 2023, it began the current review and consulted on whether the existing National Outcomes are the right ones, and what changes the Government should consider making.

The Scottish Parliament must be consulted on proposed National Outcomes and also considers the consultation the Government has carried out. The Scottish Government’s Report on proposed National Outcomes and its consultation was laid on 1 May 2024.

Committee Scrutiny

The Finance and Public Administration Committee is leading in considering the proposed National Outcomes, although some other Committees will wish to consider evidence in their areas of interest. There is one consultation for all Committees which seeks your views on the Government’s proposed National Outcomes. 

What happens next? 

Once the consultation has closed, the responses will be analysed, and that analysis will be sent to the relevant Committee to consider. It will be for each Committee to consider what action they may wish to take, including whether to publish their views in a letter or a report to Parliament.

The Finance and Public Administration Committee is leading this scrutiny and will publish a report setting out its views on the evidence it considers. That report and any other Committee reports on the proposed National Outcomes will then be debated in Parliament. 

Proposed National Outcomes

The Scottish Government has proposed new outcomes along with changes to existing National Outcomes.  It has set these out in its report called Consultation with Parliament in connection with the Review of National Outcomes. That report also identifies the current National Outcomes.

On 19 June 2024 the Scottish Government published its impact assessments on how the proposed National Outcomes will impact on equalities, island communities, child rights and fairer Scotland.

Sharing your views

To help achieve its purpose, the National Performance Framework sets out 13 proposed ‘National Outcomes’. These outcomes describe the Scottish Government’s vision for Scotland. 

At present, the National Performance Framework purpose is “To focus on creating a more successful country with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish through increased wellbeing and sustainable and inclusive economic growth”. The Scottish Government proposes to update the National Performance Framework’s purpose to “To improve the wellbeing of people living in Scotland now and in the future”

Questions

  1. What are your views of this updated purpose for the National Performance Framework?

    In relation to the following questions, we have listed the Scottish Government's proposed National Outcomes - you can read more about each one in the Scottish Government’s report on Consultation with Parliament in connection with the Review of National Outcomes.

    In completing the submission form you can select whether your response relates to specific National Outcomes or all the National Outcomes.

  2. In your view, do the proposed National Outcomes match the purpose of the National Performance Framework? Please explain your answer.

  3. What do you think of the changes being proposed?

  4. Are there any policy priorities that should be reflected in the proposed National Outcomes but which, you consider, are not? 

  5. What are your views on the Scottish Government’s consultation on the proposed National Outcomes?  

    In deciding on its proposed National Outcomes the Scottish Government must consider how the outcomes will reduce inequalities. 

  6. How do you think the proposed National Outcomes will impact on inequality? 

    The United Nations (UN) has set a series of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are part of an internationally agreed performance framework to be achieved by 2030. The Scottish Government says that the National Performance Framework is Scotland’s way to reflect the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.

  7. Do you think the proposed National Outcomes align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Please explain your answer.

    The Scottish Government says that through the National Outcomes, the National Performance Framework provides a framework for working together and planning of policy and services across the whole range of Scotland’s civic society, including public and private sectors, voluntary organisations, businesses, and communities. 

  8. To what extent do the proposed National Outcomes support joined-up policy making in Scotland?

    The Scottish Government has committed work with wide range of others during the development of an implementation plan to ensure the success of the National Performance Framework across the Scottish Government, the wider public sector and beyond. 

  9. What should the implementation plan contain to make sure that the National Outcomes are used in decision-making?

How to submit your views

Please submit your views using the online submission form, linked to below.

We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. 

The Committees are inviting views by the deadline of 28 June 2024.  

Interests

  • FPA