Director Public Service Reform
John Ewing
The Public Service Reform Directorate (PSRD) is headed byJohn Ewing. It is structured into four divisions:
Local Government, which has responsibility for the structures and funding of local government
Public Service Delivery; which has responsibility for supporting the delivery of positive local outcomes (principally through Single Outcome Agreements) and effective governance and management in local government (principally through Best Value)
Efficiency and Transformational Government, which promotes and enables greater efficiency and use of technology in public services
Third Sector, which supports and promotes a thriving and enterprising Third Sector.
Our Goal
The Directorate aims to contribute towards the achievement of the Government's Purpose and a range of National Outcomes - in particular that our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs.
The Directorate does this by supporting Ministers in reforming public services including through moving to a smaller and more streamlined government that delivers efficient and effective public services.
Objectives
- Oversee the relationship with local government enshrined in the Concordat
- Provide a fair funding settlement for local government and maintain a financial framework conducive to efficient financial management
- Provide accountancy advice and regulatory advice in relation to local government finance
- Oversee, promote and, where appropriate, administer a fair and effective framework for local taxation
- Work with bodies including the Standards Commission and the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee to improve public administration and services
- Wider Directorate links: encourage public service reform, including by developing and promoting new models and sharing best practice, and work with external partners to improve public administration and practice
- Facilitate the implementation of Single Outcome Agreements
- Promote the opportunity for citizens to have a say in local decisions
- Efficient government: Facilitate and monitor the delivery of cash savings that allow the people of Scotland to benefit from services of the same of better quality (outcomes) for the same or reduced costs
- Efficient Government: Promote and enable efficient and effective public services
- Transformational technologies: Support and enable the transformation of public services in Scotland to seamless, citizen-centric efficient services fully maximising opportunities provided by technology
- Thriving Third sector: secure the development of an innovative, sustainable and inclusive Third Sector which supports communities to be more cohesive, and contributes to high quality public services and increased sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.