18 November 2005
Many of Scotland's public bodies do not have clear leadership policies and have no idea whether the millions of pounds being spent in this area are having an effect, Audit Scotland has found.
In a report published this week, the public spending watchdog called on the organisations to make sure their spending on leadership, amounting to more than £5m a year, results in better managed organisations and better public services.
Auditor general for Scotland Bob Black said it was encouraging to find some excellent Scottish examples of leadership investment programmes. But he added: 'The picture across Scotland is highly variable. There needs to be a more rigorous approach to tracking this investment and evaluating whether it is improving public sector organisations.'
The report, How government works: leadership development, emphasises that good leadership is essential to ensure high-quality services and effective management of public resources.
Audit Scotland surveyed 145 public bodies, covering central government, its agencies, non-departmental public bodies, further and higher education institutions and emergency services.
It found clear examples of good practice and of collaborative working, particularly between the NHS and councils. But three-quarters of the public bodies were unable to say what impact their spending on leadership development had on their organisation's performance.
Sixty per cent of organisations had no policies to direct their spending and one in five did not know how much was spent on leadership development. Levels of investment varied widely, even in comparable organisations.
The report found that bodies rarely shared their examples of good practice or experiences and expertise with the rest of the sector.
Black called on the Scottish Executive to develop a clear policy framework to ensure a consistent and effective approach. 'I hope that this report will help to encourage and inform thinking about how to deliver effective leadership development across Scotland's public sector,' he said.
He added: 'Working with other employers, the Executive might consider sponsoring a co-ordinating body that can support the development of cross-sector training and spread best practice.'
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