How Accountable are Public Bodies?
Although public bodies (NDPBs) operate at arm's length from Ministers they remain fully accountable to them and the Scottish Parliament for the money they spend and the services they provide. Each NDPB operates within a framework of controls which is monitored through a Scottish Government sponsor team.
Scottish Ministers are normally responsible for:
- approving the strategic and policy framework within which the public body works.
- ensuring that the body knows, understands and implements Scottish Government policies and priorities.
- approving public appointments to the board and setting levels of remuneration (where paid).
- approving the appointment and pay of the Chief Executive.
- determining the amount of public money which the body receives each year.
- setting an agreed set of annual performance targets for each body to achieve, and ensuring that these are monitored and reported on.
All public bodies are reviewed at least once every 5 years to:
- ensure that the work it does is still required.
- ensure that a public body remains the best way of carrying it out.
- identify ways in which to develop and improve future performance.
Public bodies can be called to account by the Scottish Parliament through submission and scrutiny of their annual report and accounts and appearance in front of Parliamentary Committees.
Public bodies also have a duty to improve and strengthen their links to those who use the services they provide and to the general public. They are required to be open about their work and to make the information they hold widely available.