What the legislation says

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About the outcome improvement process 

If a public body agrees to your participation request it must let you know how you will be involved in helping to improve the service. This is called the ‘outcome improvement process’, and there are some basic requirements that must be met.  

Minding our language 

This guide focuses on what the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act says. Because of this we have used some of the jargon from the Act, which helps to ensure what we say is accurate. We have explained what the main terms mean in our jargon buster.

Setting things up 

If your participation request is accepted, The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act places a duty on the public service authority (PSA) to establish an outcome improvement process within 90 days of accepting your request and to maintain the process.  This means that the PSA must start working with you to improve your outcome, either through setting up a new outcome improvement process, or inviting you to get involved in an existing process.   

The outcome improvement process is a solution-based process where your group and the PSA will discuss how you can work together to make things better.  You will be able to contribute your ideas and hear suggestions from others.  You should work together to solve problems and find solutions.   

The PSA is also responsible for maintaining the process.  This can include making sure there are regular meetings to progress discussions and monitor actions to keep the process alive and ensure it is working towards a positive outcome. 

Whether your group is invited into a new or existing outcome improvement process, the PSA must provide you with the following information: 

  • How the process will work 

  • How your group will be involved 

  • Who else will be involved

Setting up a new outcome improvement process 

If a new outcome improvement process is being set up, then the PSA will send you information on the proposed process.  You will have up to 28 days to reply with any suggested changes you would like to make to the process – this could include other people you think it would be useful to involve, or different ways of meeting.  This is the start of you working together on the process.  However, although you are invited to suggest changes, it is worth noting that it is the public service authority who decides what the outcome improvement process will be in the end.  

Joining an existing process 

If you are invited to participate in an existing outcome improvement process, then the PSA is telling you that they will work with you to improve the outcome through that route.  Your outcome improvement should therefore become part of the agenda and work of the existing group or process.   

For example, if your outcome is about improving road safety in your community and you are invited to join a community safety group, then how road safety can be improved in your community should be dealt with within that group. 

 

Other requirements 

The PSA must publish information about the outcome improvement process on a website, or other electronic means. This should include the following information: 

  • the name of your group and any other organisations that are taking part 

  • the outcome to be improved 

  • how the process will work 

The PSA must consult with your group if they want to change the process at any point. If any changes are made, these changes must also be published as described above. 

 

Going beyond the legislation 

The legislation and accompanying statutory guidance don’t say much more about how the outcome improvement process should work than what is described above.  

However, the outcome improvement process is probably the most important part of participation requests so it’s vital to get it right.  

Therefore, we strongly advise any groups who have made, or are thinking of making, a participation request to read more on the outcome improvement process… 

 

Links to more information

  • See our guide and activities on What makes a good process which can help to ensure you are meaningfully involved in any process to improve services. 

  • The resources in the Building Collaboration section of the Social Studios PR Toolbox complement our information on outcome improvement processes. In particular, it may be good to start by looking at the Mission Control pdf.