Publication: The Accounts Commission’s role in supporting reform

Last month, I was pleased to attend two of the key events in Scottish local government: Solace’s annual conference, and the COSLA conference and Excellence awards.

While both events reinforced the huge challenges facing councils, what I also saw and heard was a real willingness to tackle these issues and to learn from others. And the Excellence awards provided great examples of innovation and transformation.

The case for urgent reform of public services has been made by many, including by us on the Accounts Commission, where it has been a key theme in our reports.

Earlier this month, we published our report on the progress of transformation in local government. In it we recognise the work councils have done to make changes and find savings and efficiencies. But what we need to see now is a major step up at local, regional and national levels in the pace and scale of reform to protect essential public services.

The Auditor General has made similar calls at a national level, saying the Scottish Government can’t keep relying on short-term fixes. And last week Holyrood’s MSPs debated measures from raising taxes to further devolving revenue-raising powers to local government.

Many leaders across local government are clear about the changes that need to be made. But they face the challenge of trying to do the ‘day job’ of delivering vital services and coping with both increasing demand and expectation, and at the same time as trying to undertake major reforms.

A key question is what can others, including the Accounts Commission, do to drive and support the changes needed? One factor is political commitment and decision-making at a local and national level over the long term, not just election cycles, and recognising that changes take time and can be painful. Another is open and honest two-way conversations between councils and their communities, so citizens understand and accept the need for reform and can even help shape it.

The Commission can use its convening powers, and the insights and analysis from our work to support and inform reform. Yes, our primary role is to hold local government to account, and we will always strive to do this to the best of our abilities for people and communities across Scotland.

However, in Public audit in Scotland, our joint statement of purpose with the Auditor General and Audit Scotland, we have also committed to drive change and to support and advocate for improvement.

Our audit work provides a wealth of data and insights that can help inform approaches, and examples of good practice we can share.

And through reports such as our review of transformation, we can spark and drive the conversations between all the partners needed to examine the barriers and discuss the potential ways ahead.

I am looking forward to some stimulating and challenging conversations with a range of key local government stakeholders, including the third sector and the Scottish Government, in the weeks and months ahead. I am also looking forward to further putting the Commission’s unique position and influence behind transformation.