Performance Framework (HTML)

As a Non-Ministerial Office within the Scottish Administration, accountable to the Scottish Parliament, Consumer Scotland is committed to monitoring and being transparent about its performance.

The Consumer Scotland Act 2020 requires it to commission an independent review of its performance after its first three years and every subsequent five years. Consumer Scotland also prepares and lays before the Scottish Parliament its Annual Report and Accounts, which are subject to independent audit.

Consumer Scotland ’s Performance Framework is the means by which we measure our functioning as an organisation and the impact that our work has. Our approach is to use that information to improve our future performance.

Like other public sector bodies we measure how we perform against a range of measurable indicators. In addition, Consumer Scotland’s statutory advocacy role involves influencing and inspiring change across the public, private and third sectors.

Measuring our role in influencing change can be challenging, as policy change takes time and is usually the result of many influencing factors. Recognising this, our approach to measuring our impact involves a range of activities, including tracking the impact of our recommendations, and case studies of our impact.

Consumer Scotland’s Performance Framework has two core components:

Performance assessment

Monitoring and assessment of Consumer Scotland’s influence and impact through:

• a recommendations register
• impact assessment reviews
• workstream monitoring

Organisational activity indicators

• quantifiable activity

Consumer Scotland seeks to work in collaboration with others. Our approach to assessing our influence and impact is based on contribution analysis which is reflective of the complexity of the sectors we work within and the broad range of actors within them.

Delivering and understanding impact is dependent on the knowledge, expertise and skills of our staff. Our approach to reviewing and evaluating impact is proportionate to the size of our organisation.

Consumer Scotland makes recommendations that are relevant to a broad range of public, private and third sector organisations. These recommendations are usually initially made in written form, in reports, letters or blogs, though they may also be made verbally.

By their nature recommendations may be of minor, moderate or major significance.

Consumer Scotland will establish and maintain a register of all recommendations of moderate or major significance. While there is inevitably an element of judgement in determining the significance of a recommendation, Consumer Scotland will establish criteria for that assessment.

Consumer Scotland will track the progress of recommendations, reviewing and recording progress at regular intervals. As well as a tool for tracking the outcomes of our work the Recommendations Register will help maintain our focus on them in ongoing advocacy.

An update on the recommendations register will be included each year in Consumer Scotland’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Consumer Scotland will conduct two in-depth impact assessment reviews per year. A case study approach will be adopted which will consist of a ‘deep dive” to evaluate the impact of our work in an area to date and identify any lessons to be learnt.

The impact assessment reviews:

• Consider our impact
• Build capacity in terms of delivering and evidencing impact

Impact is defined as evidence of the difference we make. It is the demonstrable contribution that Consumer Scotland makes to public policy, the economy, society, the environment and quality of life and wellbeing.

Consumer Scotland’s approach to impact is informed by the strategic theory of change overleaf. While a single theory of change cannot fully encompass all of our work, the theory of change we have developed is sufficiently broad that it can be applied on an individual project, programme or organisational basis.

An update on our impact assessment reviews will be included each year in Consumer Scotland’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Consumer Scotland has adopted a strategic theory of change model to help establish our influence.

The model establishes what we do, who we work with, how they feel, what they learn and gain, what they do differently and what difference it makes.

Our approach to monitoring impact will be underpinned by the gathering of relevant, robust and proportionate evidence across the breadth of our activity, on an ongoing basis.

This evidence will inform the selection and production of the impact case studies and the monitoring of the recommendations register. It will also support our corporate governance, management and reporting cycles, including our Performance Report in our Annual Report and Accounts.

We will use a number of tools, including data sources, feedback and reflection to gather the relevant evidence. We will review and adapt these tools on a regular basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose.

We have four overarching organisational activities:

• Strengthen the evidence base to enhance understanding of consumer issues
• Enable active participation through improved access to information and support
• Inspire and influence the public, private and third sectors
• Deliver effective governance and operations