Updated National Performance Framework heads to parliament with new outcomes
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 8th May 2024.
Scotland will see new measures of wellbeing implemented as proposed changes to the National Performance Framework undergo parliamentary scrutiny in the next stage of the ongoing review process.
The Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework sets out measures of success around Scotland’s wellbeing, with a series of outcomes and indicators that cover a range of areas related to social policy.
New outcomes around Climate Action, Housing and Care have been added, giving statutory recognition of the importance of these issues. The new care outcome is a success for carers, who have championed further recognition through the A Scotland that Cares campaign, with Oxfam now arguing that the government must ensure “Scotland’s ‘globally significant’ commitment to care delivers concrete changes”.
The NPF review began in 2022, with a public engagement phase and further development and analysis of the Framework. The result is the new outcomes, plus changes to almost all the existing outcomes and definitions.
SCDC is among the organisations who are members of the National Outcome Review Expert Advisory Group to assist government in developing the revised framework. We submitted our views as part of the formal consultation where we argued for more consistent measures to assess progress towards the national communities outcome, particularly around social capital.
We’ll continue to argue that action must be bolder across a range of outcomes, with more focus on the implementation of policy outcomes and priorities. However, the NPF is an important measure of success, and something we hope will help achieve the improved wellbeing we all want to see for everyone in Scotland.
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