06 June 2008
The Scottish Government has imported ideas from the US state of Virginia in a bid to improve public accountability and enable people to assess how it is performing.
Launching a new website, scotlandperforms.com, on June 2, Finance Secretary John Swinney said the initiative was about 'responsibility and accountability' and removing barriers between government and the people.
The website aims to provide a snapshot or 'report card' of how Scottish public services are doing against targets set out in the 2007-2010 spending review.
Swinney said: 'By making the information easy to access and by showing exactly whether we as a country are doing well or need to do more, everyone in Scotland will have the ability to judge for themselves how Scotland is performing.'
The 'report card' describes the outcomes the government is seeking to achieve.
It lists five strategic objectives: enabling business and people
to increase their wealth; expanding opportunities for Scots to succeed; helping people to improve and sustain their health; helping communities to become safer places to live; and improving Scotland's natural and built environment.
Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Tavish Scott accused the government of acting as 'judge and jury' of its own performance.
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