The National School of Government in Scotland
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About Us
The National School of Government in Scotland combines all the advantages of our position as the leading learning and development partner of the UK Civil Service with in-depth, local knowledge of the key priorities and challenges facing the public sector in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh and highly experienced in providing what’s needed to develop capacity and improve organisational performance, we offer training programmes, tailored and bespoke programmes and consultancy services. When even the very best organisations are under pressure to show continuous improvement, our hallmark is that we provide not only what is needed, but exactly what is needed now.
Key priority areas
How we can help
Our connections
Our clients
Our approach
Key priority areas
One of its first actions of the Scottish Government as a new administration was to streamline the resources of government to focus on creating a more successful country – their stated single purpose. By moving the whole of government to an outcomes focussed approach to performance, the whole of the public sector in Scotland is expected to contribute to this purpose. Organisations will be judged on results, the overarching one for which is that they reflect real and meaningful improvements in public services and quality of life for people in Scotland. Scotland Performs shows how Scotland is doing in this pursuit and to enable government priorities to be clearly understood, 15 National Outcomes have been articulated as to what the Scottish Government wants to achieve. One of these relates specifically to the need for public services to be high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people’s needs.How we can help
As the whole of the public sector in Scotland is assessed on how they contribute to the Government’s stated purpose, this is where the National School can be a valuable partner and ally. Our programmes, tailored and consultancy services are focussed on helping public sector organisations in Scotland improve in the areas which matter most and on which they will be assessed.These are:
- Service transformation – driving efficiency and value for money across the public sector
- Leadership - ensuring leadership structures are right for the challenges faced by the public sector and setting standards for behaviour
- Strategy – how public sector organisations are run – including their culture, people strategy and communications
Our connections
We work very closely with the UK & Scottish Governments, as well as the other devolved administrations, with unparalleled access to Edinburgh, Westminster and Whitehall. In fact Permanent Secretaries from the Scottish Government and Whitehall are members of our board. This unique position influences the content of all of our work which in turn helps you to do your job better. All of our work is continuously refreshed and reflects the current practical reality of working in government.These connections across government allow us to address issues of capacity and capability that no other organisation can and our clients enjoy the benefits that this informed view from the centre brings to the work we do for them.
Our clients
We have breadth and depth of experience across the public sector and in Scotland our clients include:- The Scottish Government
- Local authorities
- NHS Health Trusts
- Central government departments and agencies
- The police
Our approach
What defines our approach is a deep-rooted understanding of the public sector. Simply put, because we’re part of it we understand it better. Our approach when consulted about issues is to: look past the veneer and find and treat the cause, not merely the symptoms, all the while maintaining a focus on results and outcomes.A hallmark of our work is that it will always:
- Be highly practical and geared to the specific challenges faced by the Scotland public sector
- Be pragmatic, honest, ethical and rooted in best practice
- Uphold the strictest standards of ethics and integrity
Our high standards of service and people are a given and our consultants and trainers bring the widest range of functional public sector experience to bear on every assignment and project. Supporting you at all stages we can be relied upon to deliver demonstrable benefits cost effectively and on time. Our aim is to perform at such a high calibre that you will want to continue our working relationship into the future.