We have a simple message to everyone working in public services - thank you.

For two decades, we have scrutinised Scotland’s public bodies, checked on the use of public money and reported impartially on what we’ve found in public. It’s our part of helping those services that we all rely on every day to be as effective as possible.

Today, on our 20th birthday, we want to say thank you to the people working in our public services and keeping Scotland going.

Like every other private, public and charity organisation across the UK, we have been working hard to manage the significant disruption of the past two weeks.

Alongside the immediate operational issues that we are all facing, Audit Scotland has been looking at how we can manage the work we do on behalf of the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission to give the people of Scotland assurance that public money is spent properly, efficiently and effectively.

Audit Scotland welcomes the Scottish Parliament's nomination of Stephen Boyle to become the new Auditor General for Scotland.

MSPs voted this afternoon (Tuesday 10 March) on nominating Mr Boyle to be recommended to Her Majesty the Queen to be appointed the next Auditor General.

Subject to the Queen's formal appointment, Mr Boyle will succeed the current Auditor General, Caroline Gardner, when her term finishes at the end of June this year.

Plans to boost early learning and childcare (ELC) hours have made steady progress but risks around buildings and staffing remain, say public sector watchdogs.

The Scottish Government and councils are working well together to increase ELC hours from 600 to 1,140 a year from August 2020. And the pace of the expansion is broadly in line with plans.

The organisation responsible for planning health and social care services in Fife is facing significant and ongoing financial problems, with recurring overspends.

The Accounts Commission, Scotland's local authority watchdog, reports that Fife Integration Joint Board (IJB) has had overspends in 2018/19 and in the previous two years. These overspends had to be met by the IJB’s two partners, NHS Fife and Fife Council.

Glasgow City Council has successfully delivered a challenging project to finance £500 million in equal pay claims.

A £3.3 billion investment programme in Scotland's infrastructure has enabled more public buildings and new roads to be built. But the Scottish Government needs to be clearer about how and when they use privately financed contracts.

Models for investing in public infrastructure, such as roads, schools and hospitals, using private finance have been in place since the 1990s, enabling additional infrastructure investment.

Highland Council must make significant savings and change the way it delivers services to ensure it can live within its financial means.

A report by the Accounts Commission, Scotland’s local authority watchdog, says in recent years the council has had a poor record of delivering on savings. It must also increase the current pace of change to realise budget savings of up to £77.3 million by 2023.

City deals have been positive for Scotland's economy, but the government does not have a plan to measure their overall long-term success, say public spending watchdogs.

City Region and Growth Deals have enabled economic development projects across Scotland that may not otherwise have gone ahead and sparked increased collaboration between councils and their partners. Eight deals worth £5.2 billion, mostly around infrastructure improvements, have been signed or agreed in principle, with more in the pipeline.

The National Audit Office has published a report today on HMRC’s administration of Scottish income tax, including the final calculation of Scottish revenues for the 2017/18 tax year.

The Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, provides additional assurance to the Scottish Parliament on the work of the NAO in this area.