Corporate report

Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland Outcome Delivery Plan: 2021 to 2022

Published 15 July 2021

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Applies to Scotland

The Rt. Hon. Alister Jack MP
Secretary of State for Scotland

Laurence Rockey
Director, Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland

Foreword

In peacetime, this country has never faced a challenge such as we have all faced over the last year. In responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) continue to respond brilliantly, supporting the UK government to provide clarity, leadership and direction in the fight against COVID-19. Nowhere is this clearer than in the rollout of our vaccine programme which has provided much-needed hope that we will soon be out of lockdown and well on the way to economic recovery. The OSSS has also continued to play an active role in delivering the UK government’s ambitious agenda, as we move forward together to Build-Back-Better, level-up across the whole of our United Kingdom and make the most of the great opportunities for all.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland supports the Secretary of State for Scotland in promoting the best interests of Scotland within a strong United Kingdom, and fully representing Scottish interests at the heart of the UK government. It does this by providing direct access to the UK government for businesses and organisations across Scotland. This allows citizens and businesses based in Scotland to receive information and to understand, access and benefit from, UK government policies and services. The OSSS also plays an important constitutional role, as custodians of the devolution settlement in Scotland.

For 2021 to 2022, the OSSS will deliver against 3 priority outcomes:

• support economic growth in Scotland
• strengthen and sustain the Union and Scotland’s role within it
• increase the visibility of the UK government’s commitment to Scotland

This report demonstrates how the OSSS will deliver on these 3 priority outcomes.

In addition to these 3 priority outcomes, this plan outlines how we will continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the department. It sets out our positive approach to diversity and wellbeing, and continues our drive to make sure we continue to fully represent all of Scotland at the centre of a sustained, strengthened and successful United Kingdom, equipped to take full advantage of a Global Britain, with all the exciting opportunities that this presents.

The year 2020 to 2021 was an extraordinary one, for all parts of the UK and all sectors, including the OSSS, due to the impact of COVID-19 and the end of the EU transition period. It is impossible to exaggerate the impact of COVID-19, or the extraordinary measures that were required to be taken by the UK government, or the work of the OSSS, and the whole of Scottish society. The OSSS has promoted a co-ordinated, joined up approach across the UK, designed to protect lives and livelihoods. Taken together, the plans set out here will not only respond to the challenges of the crisis from which we are emerging, but will seize its opportunities to move us forward as a United Kingdom – unleashing national potential at the moment when we need it most.

The Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP
Secretary of State for Scotland
Laurence Rockey
Director, Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland

A. Executive Summary

Vision and mission

To maintain the integrity of the Union; to promote the best interests of Scotland within a stronger and sustained United Kingdom; acting as custodians of the devolution settlement in Scotland; and fully and effectively represent Scottish interests at the heart of the UK government. To support the implementation of the UK government’s and the Prime Minister’s priorities; and to ensure the delivery of the finest public services by attracting and developing the best public servants and improving the efficiency of government.

Our priority outcomes

This delivery plan sets out in detail how we will deliver our priority outcomes, how we will measure our success, and how we will ensure we continuously improve.

Our priority outcomes are:

1. Support economic growth in Scotland.
2. Strengthen and sustain the Union and Scotland’s role within it.
3. Increase the visibility of the UK government’s commitment to Scotland.

The department is also supporting the delivery of the following priority outcomes led by other departments:

Priority outcome title	Lead department
Ensure the benefits of the Union are clear, visible and understood by all citizens	Cabinet Office

Strategic Enablers

To deliver our priority outcomes - and reinforce the ambitions of the Declaration on Government Reform - we will use these 4 key enablers:

1. Workforce, Skills and Location
2. Innovation, Technology and Data
3. Delivery, Evaluation and Collaboration
4. Sustainability

How we will work to support these enablers is set out later in this report.

B. Introduction

1. Context

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) operates in a broad societal and government context and in addition to delivering against our priority outcomes, we will contribute to the delivery of wider government objectives and respond to future challenges.

For the OSSS, COVID-19 represented a huge change in our ways of working. In common with large swathes of the Scottish and UK population, almost the entire office worked from home for most of the 2020-21. We, along with many others across the UK, embraced new technology, learning to work on platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet. Throughout this period, the OSSS continued to provide support and advice to our stakeholders, and colleagues stepped up to the plate, juggling work with responsibilities such as homeschooling to ensure continuity of professional service from both our London and Edinburgh Headquarters. Over the course of 2021-22 we expect to see a phased return of more staff to the office, taking advantage of our fantastic new facility at Queen Elizabeth House, the UK government’s flagship headquarters in Edinburgh. The OSSS will experiment with hybrid and flexible ways of working in support of all our staff.

1.1 EU transition and the Post-EU exit landscape

The OSSS continues to work with other UK government departments on the implementation of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (the ‘TCA’) and the end of the transition period. The OSSS will continue to be active with stakeholders in Scotland on the changes and opportunities following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. This includes the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and using the financial assistance powers for the benefit of all parts of the UK.

An excellent example of this work is the Scottish Seafood Exports Taskforce, chaired by Minister David Duguid and bringing together Ministers from the UK government, the Scottish government and representatives from the Scottish fishing industry. Actions initiated by the Scottish Seafood Exports Task Force will streamline the journey for Scottish seafood exports to the EU, as well as open up new opportunities for exports to the rest of the world.

1.2 Intergovernmental relations

The OSSS will continue to play a central role in leading, facilitating and supporting engagement between the UK government and the Scottish government, including through inter-ministerial groups covering areas of mutual interest.

1.3 Constitutional work

As custodians of the devolution settlement in Scotland, the OSSS works in partnership with the Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament to ensure that it works effectively in the interests of all of the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The Scottish Parliament is able to legislate in every area where the Scotland Act 2016 has given it the power to do so, making it one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world, as part of a devolution settlement that strikes a good balance. The UK government continues to work collaboratively with the Scottish government to implement these powers. Whilst significant progress has been made, progress has slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is still much to deliver in order to unlock the full potential of the Scotland Act 2016.

The UK government is ready to assist the Scottish government in realising all of the benefits of the devolution settlement. The OSSS already facilitates the implementation of the welfare powers under the Scotland Act 2016, through the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare. In 2020 the OSSS took 8 Scotland Act Orders through the UK Parliament. The OSSS worked with the Scottish government to pass a Scotland Act Order enabling the Scottish government and UK government to enter into an arrangement to permit the Joint Biosecurity Centre to function in Scotland. The programme of work continues. Scotland Act Orders demonstrate that the UK government remains committed to strengthening the devolution settlement and shows Scotland’s 2 governments working together.

1.4 Net Zero and COP26

We will continue to support work across government to achieve UK government net zero targets by communicating policies effectively to Scottish stakeholders and seeking and feeding back to relevant UK government departments the views of stakeholders in Scotland. We will also work to support the successful delivery of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), to be hosted by the UK government in Glasgow in November 2021.

2. Governance and delivery agencies

The OSSS and Office of the Advocate General (OAG) Joint Management Board complies with the Corporate Governance Code for Central Government Departments and the Offices’ governance framework supports the delivery of those objectives. The governance framework for the department has been designed to be proportionate to our size and role.

The Joint Management Board (JMB or ‘The Board’) supports the department and Ministers in achieving their aims by encouraging effective planning, managing performance regularly and raising delivery capability.

The management of the OSSS and OAG is overseen by the Joint Management Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Scotland. The JMB follows the enhanced departmental board model with membership derived from both the OSSS and OAG at Ministerial and official level. The Joint Management Board also includes Non-Executive Directors who provide an external view and bring experience, expertise and best practice from business, industry and specialist professions into the work of the Board.

There are 4 sub-committees that support the work of the Board:

• individual Senior Leadership Teams for both the OSSS and OAG
• the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
• the OAG sub-committee

The Audit and Risk Assurance Committee reviews the comprehensiveness of assurances and integrity of financial statements and assists the OSSS and OAG in managing and mitigating risk, ensuring that governance arrangements are sufficiently scrutinised. The Senior Leadership Teams support their respective Directors in managing the departments on a day to day basis.

Further detail on our governance and reporting arrangements can be found in our OSSS and OAG Annual Reports and Accounts on GOV.UK.

2.1 Arms length bodies

The OSSS is responsible for one arms-length body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Boundary Commission for Scotland has its own governance structure and produces its own annual report. Its funding falls within the ambit of the OSSS and the OAG single parliamentary vote, and the OSSS Accounting Officer is responsible to Parliament for its stewardship of public resources.

3. Overview of strategic risk

OSSS considers the following to be the key principal risks to delivery of our priority outcomes and key mitigating actions. It should be noted that some of the mitigating actions will assist in mitigating more than one key risk.

3.1 External influences

Key risks

• Queen Elizabeth House, the UK government’s flagship Headquarters in Scotland, doesn’t achieve the level of expected occupancy due to delays in UK government departmental appointments and relocations, in large part due to the impact of COVID-19.
• UK government departments do not maintain the required level of devolution capability and Scotland specific expertise needed to keep Scotland at the centre of UK government policy and decision making.
• OSSS are unable to respond effectively to immediate or emerging priorities or critical events, and at the same time, continue to deliver business as usual and maintain delivery of its business plan and priority outcomes.

Key mitigations include:

• using the UK government Headquarters in Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth House to support the delivery of the OSSS Union objectives and continue to encourage other government Departments to commit to locating staff in Scotland
• the OSSS working directly with the Places for Growth Team and UK government departments to increase awareness for relocation opportunities in Scotland to support local delivery
• linking into cross-government networks and working with the Constitution Group and the Union Directorate in the Cabinet Office, No.10 and the other Territorial Offices, to deliver on a cross-UK government policy on the Union
• use temporary resilience structures, operational delivery structures and best practice - to ensure we can manage the response to emerging critical issues (such as managing our response to the period after EU transition and to COVID-19 global pandemic as in 2020-21)
• enacting the OSSS and OAG Business Continuity Plans (BCP). These well-established and tested plans were enacted to support the smooth transfer at short notice of business delivery to staff and Ministers’ homes instead of from departmental offices, in 2020-21
• re-focusing our business plan and strategic priorities to support Ministers on their response to and decision-making about critical or major incidents
• create hybrid models and ways of working and training up of staff to be able to pivot to respond and deliver on emerging priorities or challenges, whilst maintaining delivery of business as usual.

3.2 Workforce strategy

Key risk

• OSSS does not have the resources in terms of workforce to deliver the OSSS priority outcomes.

Mitigating actions

• The OSSS will deliver a People Strategy co-created with involvement from the People Working Group as representatives of colleagues across the office and direction from the Senior Leadership Team - aligning the People Strategy with the OSSS Vision and Strategic Business Plan.
• The People Strategy will be underpinned by deliverable actions to ensure improvements are achieved across the key areas: leadership; diversity; talent management; learning and development and well-being and fairness.
• The outcome will be a skilled and highly motivated workforce, able to flexibly pivot to deliver business as usual and emerging challenges and priorities, whilst feeling valued and able to progress their own personal development and careers.

3.3 Financial environment

Key risk

• OSSS does not have enough funding to meet the current resourcing model and deliver its priority outcomes or immediate and emerging priorities and challenges.

Mitigating actions

• Review, maintain and improve existing organisational structures and our governance framework.
• Continually prioritise to ensure our resources are allocated to the right priorities at the right time, whilst ensuring the well-being of staff.
• Share best practice and resourcing models across Territorial Offices on shared projects and work streams to maximise resources and resilience.
• Continue to align with the work of the UK Governance Group in the Cabinet Office.

3.4 Stakeholders

Key risk

• We do not influence or get input from the right stakeholders at the right level at the right time and do not succeed in persuading other UK government departments to recognise the need to engage with stakeholders on Scotland, Scottish issues or policy delivery.

Mitigating actions

• Promote the work of the UK government in Scotland, supported by effective communication campaigns and messaging on social media channels.
• Encourage departments to use OSSS expertise to help land announcements effectively in Scotland and treat the OSSS communications team as an internal partner in planning.
• Provide training, support and insight for communications specialists in other departments to improve understanding of devolution, the Union, and of Scotland.
• Continually refresh and review our engagement approach to ensure we are meeting the right people and organisations.

4. Our resources

Our finances

• Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL): £11.384 billion
• Resource DEL (including depreciation): £11.444 billion
• Capital DEL: £0.050 billion
• Annually Managed Expenditure (AME): £0.00 billion

Control totals included in this document are in line with those presented in the Main Supply Estimates 2021/22. Any changes arising from the Parliamentary approval process will be reflected in due course.

(Source: Main Supply Estimates 2021/22)

5. Our people

As at 31 December 2020, the Office for the Secretary of State for Scotland had 82.2 full-time equivalent employees.

(Source: ONS public sector employment data / Release schedule: quarterly)

Since the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland is a small UK government ministerial department, and our staff generally work across multiple policy and delivery work streams, it is not possible to assign staff resources across outcomes or enablers.

5.1 Breakdown of resource by division

In this environment, the importance of our work has never been greater. We deploy our resources to do our work effectively and respond to new priorities as they arise. Table 5.1 shows how our resources are allocated to divisions across the department which deliver the priority outcomes. The OSSS does not allocate budgets against each of the OSSS priority outcomes as these are delivered in collaboration across the divisions that comprise the OSSS, and with support from other UK government departments. Budget is allocated against each of the OSSS divisions as set out in the following table:

Table 5.1

OSSS division	Budget (%)*
Constitutional Policy	9%
Communications	12%
Private Office	6%
Policy	14%
Corporate Services**	35%

(*Total is less than 100% as 25% of budget is allocated to the Office of the Advocate General)
(**Corporate Services budget includes departmental running costs including accommodation)

C. Priority Outcomes Delivery Plans

Priority outcome 1: Support economic growth in Scotland

Lead Minister
Secretary of State for Scotland, The Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP

Senior Sponsor
Rebecca Hackett, Deputy Director OSSS

Supporting departments: CO, HMT and all UK government departments with policy responsibility for issues relevant to Scotland.

1. Growth

The department will ensure that Scotland benefits from wider UK government plans to deliver growth and levelling-up opportunities across the UK.

This will include seizing the opportunities of leaving the EU, such as from taking back control of our fishing waters, negotiating new Free Trade Deals, and developing a new framework for delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Work across government to deliver on commitments for an oil and gas sector deal and a review of alcohol duties.

Deliver a strong and positive strategy for the UK government in Scotland. Ensuring that Scotland benefits from UK government plans to deliver growth and opportunity across the UK. Support the PM’s commitment to accelerate projects across the UK.

These commitments include, but are not limited to:

• Post-COVID-19 economic recovery (support jobs, growth and a green recovery), including ensuring Scotland benefits from UK policies on trade, research and innovation, migration, digital infrastructure.
• Ensuring the UK government supports key sectors in Scotland (ship building, manufacturing, agriculture & fisheries).
• Delivery of COP 26. As part of COP 26 and Net Zero, the OSSS supports projects such as decommissioning offshore assets, which should have a strong footprint in Scotland.
• Work with the oil and gas industry to deliver the North Sea Transition Deal.
• Negotiate remaining Growth Deals and continue delivery of deals across Scotland, as well as working with local partners and other UK government departments to implement the Levelling Up Fund, Community Renewal Fund, and forthcoming Shared Prosperity Fund.

Other key elements of our work to support economic growth in Scotland include:

• The Plan for Growth, which will drive the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, ensuring a levelling-up of opportunity, infrastructure investment, green growth and innovation.
• The Plan for Jobs, which builds on DWP’s Jobcentre Plus network, offering tailored support to help people find work, including through Youth Hubs, Restart, and Kickstart. The Plan for Jobs will support longer term recovery from the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19.
• Freeports will establish national hubs for global trade and investment in every part of the UK, promoting regeneration and job creation. Freeports will provide hotbeds for innovation that will intensify the economic impact of our ports and generate increased economic activity in areas in need of regeneration across the UK. The UK government remains committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Scotland as soon as possible.
• The UK Infrastructure Bank, which will provide financing support to local authority and private sector infrastructure projects to help meet UK government objectives on climate change and regional economic growth. It will also establish an advisory function to help with the development and delivery of projects.

2. Support for business

OSSS priority aims to ensure that the UK government has a clear strategy for supporting growth in Scotland. In order to ensure better awareness of existing support available for businesses in Scotland from the UK government, we have compiled a practical resource to help businesses in Scotland understand and navigate the wide range of UK government support available; this was published in March 2021. We will work with stakeholders across Scotland, together with other UK government departments, after the Scottish Parliament election period, to ensure greater access to the UK government, and better awareness of Scottish needs. We will seek to ensure the UK government better articulates our support for the Scottish economy.

The UK Internal Market Act gives the UK government the powers it needs to deliver on making the biggest changes to the way we support local economic growth in a decade; in order to regenerate our town centres and high streets; improve local transport links; and invest in local culture, while giving communities a stronger voice to take over cherished local assets that might otherwise be lost. The UK government will be able to act across the UK, in partnership with local authorities, business, civic society, communities and the devolved administrations.

At Budget 2021, the UK government launched 3 new investment programmes:

• the Levelling Up Fund
• Community Renewal Fund
• Community Ownership Fund

The Community Renewal Fund paves the way for the Shared Prosperity Fund, which will replace EU Structural Funding. These funds will be delivered through UKIM powers, to support communities right across the country, building on the success of our City Region Deals Programme. All share common challenges and opportunities, which the UK government is determined to address in collaboration with local partners.

These funds recognise that levelling up requires a multi-faceted approach, from supercharging city regions, to supporting struggling towns, to catalysing industrial clusters in the sectors that will drive the future economy – the UK government has set out a broad package of complementary UK-wide interventions.

The Levelling Up Fund, the Community Renewal Fund and the Community Ownership Fund represent the first stage of this UK government investment. Investment from EU Structural Funds will continue to be spent by the Scottish government until 2023. The new UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to be launched in 2022, will operate throughout the UK and play a part in uniting and levelling up the whole country.

To prepare for the Shared Prosperity Fund the OSSS is starting work now, with the UK Community Renewal Fund providing additional funding to help support local areas to pilot imaginative new approaches and programmes. This revenue funding will complement the capital funding being provided by the Levelling Up Fund, which is a major new investment stream of £4.8 billion over the next 4 years (up to 2024-25), with at least £800m set aside for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at least 9% of total UK allocations set aside for Scotland in the first bidding round.

The Community Renewal and Levelling Up Funds will be delivered through local authorities in Scotland; recognising their key role in driving local growth and the most appropriate level for deciding on needs and working with a range of partners. The Community Ownership Fund will provide funding directly to community groups, enabling them to take over important local assets. OSSS will ensure that Scotland benefits to the maximum extent possible from these new opportunities, and that delivery successfully supports growth, prosperity and employment outcomes across the whole of the country.

Furthermore, OSSS supports work ensuring Scotland builds on the opportunity of COP26 and its legacy to drive the aim of net-zero economic growth. Cross-departmental efforts are needed to ensure appropriate investments in Scotland and alignment of priorities to support Scotland’s economy in the most beneficial way.

The City Region and Growth Deal Programme, delivering local priorities in a partnership between local authorities and both of Scotland’s governments, is a great example of the success of our work. Implementation has continued at pace and the investment commitment from the UK government now exceeds £1.5 billion. Key to the success of the City Region and Growth Deals Programme is continuing engagement from both of Scotland’s governments with local partners through the delivery phase.

Programmes intended to support economic growth and recovery in Scotland, such as City Region and Growth Reals, digital infrastructure in rural areas, road infrastructure, and Freeports have a clear regional focus. These are supporting disadvantaged areas by creating jobs and employment opportunities.

3. How this outcome is being measured

• GDP per capita in Scotland (£)
• Percentage of businesses that are innovation-active in Scotland
• Value of exports from Scotland
• Percentage of premises passed with a gigabit connection in Scotland
• Fiscal deficit per capita in Scotland (£)

4. Milestones and deliverables

Development of Economic Strategy for Recovery and Renewal - aim to publish in autumn 2021.
Aim to continue implementation of City Region and Growth Deals in Scotland - further deals to be signed over the course of 2021.

5. Projects and programmes (supporting the delivery of manifesto commitments)

• City Region and Growth Deals programme
• UK Internal Market programme
• UK government presence in Scotland

6. Contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The OSSS has no direct responsibility for policy or delivery of specific SDGs. However, recognising this is a universal agenda, the OSSS endeavours to model the behaviours and values underpinning the SDGs and will work with UK government departments and the Scottish government to:

• encourage consideration of the SDGs when reviewing policy and engaging internationally
• promote greener economic growth in Scotland through UK government investment

Priority Outcome 2 - Strengthen and Sustain the Union and Scotland’s role in it

Lead Minister
Secretary of State for Scotland, The Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP

Senior Sponsor
Nick Leake, Deputy Director OSSS

Supporting departments: CO, HMT and all UK government departments with policy responsibility for issues relevant to Scotland.

Our strategy for strengthening and sustaining the Union is to:

• ensure there is a strong and visible UK government presence in Scotland
• improve the capability and capacity of UK government to deliver effectively for all citizens in Scotland, for example by setting up new spending powers
• improve the relationships and frameworks that underpin the working relationships between the UK government and the Scottish government - via a broad range of activities such as upskilling civil servants and improving the cross-government structures between the UK government and the devolved administrations (these 2 causal chains are jointly expected to produce benefits for all parts of the UK, and ultimately improve people’s views on the Union)

This strategy is supported by the following:

1. Output, activities, projects and programmes

Strengthening and sustaining the Union is at the heart of the OSSS and the UK government’s work programme. The OSSS is a key contributor and driver of this work and, together with our UK government colleagues, we are working to deliver an ambitious agenda for Scotland and the UK in 2021-2022.

In the current context work on COVID-19 recovery is a particular priority at present. The UK government has already provided significant support and initiatives to help businesses and citizens across the UK, including vaccine procurement and economic support. The OSSS will continue to promote recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Beyond this, there are specific projects that the OSSS is working with other parts of the UK government to deliver. These are set out below.

2. UK government in Scotland

The creation of a ‘UK government in Scotland’ operation based at the Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh - the UK government flagship Headquarters in Scotland - is one of the key ambitions of the Secretary of State for Scotland. It will consist of senior policy and communications professionals from across UK government departments, co-located in Queen Elizabeth House, and working to a shared business plan coordinated by the Head of Place for Scotland.

UK government in Scotland will:

• increase the visibility, presence and effectiveness of the UK government in Scotland
• coordinate the UK government department’s efforts to support the Union as part of a coherent strategy
• make the UK government and the Union easily and quickly accessible to stakeholders, business and the general public
• enable local delivery of key UK government priorities such as Levelling-Up and Shared Prosperity
• improve policy making through greater understanding of Scotland and devolution across UK government departments, greater regional diversity of senior professional civil servants, and new ways of working
• improve partnership working with the Scottish government and support shared ownership so that joint work to promote growth, prosperity and employment in Scotland and across the UK are greater than the sum of their parts

A cross-UKGiS Delivery Board at senior civil service level will own the strategy and implementation of UK government activity in Scotland. This will support the UK-wide priorities of their home department alongside UKGiS priorities. Initially, the UKGiS will be virtual, but ultimately the greatest benefits will be realised from co-location, working to a matrix structure.

All UK government departments, including traditionally departments focused on England and Wales, will need to expand their role to cover the whole of the UK. The UK Internal Market Act and UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides tools for the UK government to work together with local authorities, business, civic society, communities and the Scottish Government to create real benefits for Scotland and across the UK. The UK government in Scotland will govern, as well as spend, working with stakeholders to deliver growth, prosperity and employment for all.

OSSS plays a coordinating role alongside a team from Places for Growth. As well as Places for Growth mechanisms to monitor progress, the Union Strategy Committee and the Union Policy Implementation Committee take a strong interest in delivery of these outcomes. The key assumption is that the key priority departments for the UK government in Scotland will have teams in Queen Elizabeth House by autumn 2021.

3. UK government delivering effectively for all citizens in Scotland

The UK government is steadfast in its commitment to the Union. Over the course of 2021 the OSSS will support the UK government’s work to deliver for Scotland through policy, communications, delivery and improvement. This will include:

• Implementing the Union Strategy for Scotland - OSSS will play a role in shaping and delivering this work.
• Setting up new spending powers (see priority 1) - OSSS will play a key role in shaping this agenda in Scotland.
• Enhancing devolution capability.
• Improving the cross-government structures between the UK government and the devolved administrations.

3.1 Implementing the Union Strategy for Scotland

The OSSS will work with UK government departments to implement the Union strategy. Our primary focus will be on COVID-19 recovery. We will also work to Build- Back- Better, deliver a Green Agenda, and level up communities across the UK. In particular we will enhance our relationships and work with local authorities in Scotland.

Improving policy: ensuring all UK government policies fully take into account their impact in Scotland.

To make sure that the machinery of government within the UK government and between the UK government and devolved administrations is fit for purpose and a forum to share best practice and that devolution is factored into UK government policy making.

The OSSS will achieve this by active involvement in the UK government’s legislative agenda, delivery of manifesto commitments and by building and maintaining key relationships with UK government departments and Scottish government, as well as stakeholders in Scotland. Furthermore, it will continue to lead the UK government work on Scotland Act Orders (secondary legislation under the Scotland Act 1998) and constitutional policy advice.

3.2 Setting up new spending powers

See priority 1.

3.3 Enhancing devolution capability across UK government

Improving the capability and capacity of UK government civil servants - OSSS will continue to be a source of advice for other UK government departments and will contribute to the Cabinet Office’s ‘Devolution and You’ initiatives.

3.4 Improving and enhancing the cross-UK government structures between the UK government and the devolved administrations

The OSSS will play an active role in intergovernmental relations and forums with the devolved administrations. We will continue to work with the Scottish government and the Department for Work and Pensions to transfer welfare responsibilities under the Scotland Act 2016.

4. Civil Service capabilities and Places for Growth

Continuing with our commitment to the UK government Edinburgh Hub, Queen Elizabeth House, and working across UK government departments to increase staff numbers, with appropriate representation in Queen Elizabeth House.

Promoting the visibility of UK government departments in Scotland and continuing to make the UK government relevant to Scottish stakeholders for the benefit of Scotland.

Continuing to make the case to UK government departments who have not yet committed to placing staff in Queen Elizabeth House to commit to doing so, contributing to a strong and visible UK government presence in Scotland.

5. Enhancing devolution capability across UK government

Ensuring all UK government policies fully take into account their impact in Scotland.

Ensuring that the machinery of government within the UK and between the UK government and the devolved administrations is fit for purpose and a forum within which to share best practice.

6. Communications

Working with UK government departments to ensure that departments are committed to locating communications resources in Scotland, to amplify and maximise key UK Government messages about the benefits of Scotland to the Union, and to Scotland from the Union and build improved relationships with stakeholders and media.

To work with all of the UK government departments to ensure that communications activity promotes the policies and work of the UK government in a way that is relevant to all parts of the UK, including through training and secondment opportunities.

7. Cabinet committees

Working with the Cabinet Office Union Directorate, Constitution Group and Cabinet Secretariat, to deliver a strategy for increasing UK government presence and visibility in Scotland, including:

• embedding the commitment that all UK government departments have made to strengthening the Union in their policy making
• ensuring that all UK government departments have senior policy and stakeholder engagement staff in Scotland
• ensuring that the contributions of the UK government in Scotland are effectively communicated

Working closely with, and supporting, the Union Policy Implementation Committee and Union Strategy Committee, whose role it is to support delivery of the government’s priorities in relation to the Union of the United Kingdom.

8. How this outcome is being measured

Publicly available indicators for support for the Union - including opinion polls (percent).

9. Milestones and deliverables

The Union Policy Implementation Committee and Union Strategy Committee will in due course determine policy priorities for strengthening the Union, with a focus on improving UK-wide policy development economic growth, increasing UK government presence in Scotland, and policy delivery and communications that strengthen the Union communications and engagement. We will work in support of the Committee’s deliverables, plans and timescales.

10. Projects and programmes (supporting the delivery of manifesto commitments)

UK government presence in Scotland.

Priority Outcome 3 - Increase the visibility of the UK government’s commitment to Scotland

Lead Minister
Secretary of State for Scotland, The Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP

Senior Sponsor
Anna Macmillan, Deputy Director OSSS

Supporting departments: CO, HMT and all UK government departments with policy responsibility for issues relevant to Scotland.

1. Strategy for the delivery of the priority outcome

In conjunction with the Cabinet Office, No. 10 and all UK government departments, delivering an effective UK government communications strategy for Scotland.

Ensuring that the value and benefit of the Union to Scotland is understood and appreciated by stakeholders, businesses and the wider public.

Putting our department’s communications function at the heart of activity in Scotland and in promoting UK government presence and visibility in the Scottish media and with businesses and the public.

Working with UK government departments to ensure that they are committed to locating communications resources in Scotland, to amplify and maximise key UK government messages about the benefits of Scotland to the Union, and to Scotland from the Union and build improved relationships with stakeholders and media.

Working with all UK government departments to ensure that communications activity promotes the policies and work of the UK government in a way that is relevant to all parts of the country, including through training and secondment opportunities.

Fully communicate and gain recognition for the development and delivery of a jointly owned UK government Scotland Business Plan and Economic Strategy.

The OSSS will work with the Cabinet Office and across the UK government to demonstrate and communicate the economic, cultural and policy benefits for all parts of the UK of being part of the Union, such as work on climate change (COP26), COVID-19 recovery and security issues.

2. How this outcome is being measured

Edinburgh Hub, Queen Elizabeth House: other UK government departments’ staff numbers and type.

3. Milestones and deliverables

In 2021 to 2022 the UK government and OSSS will continue to actively promote the positive benefits of the Union and the UK government’s work in Scotland.

Alongside policy capacity and presence in Scotland, key departments to have committed communications experts to tell the story of their departments work and build the necessary relationships with media and communicators in other agencies and stakeholders.

The OSSS Communications Division, part of the Government Communication Service Union Hub, will help to advise and support departments to communicate with people in all parts of the UK.

This activity is captured in a dashboard that is collated by the Union Directorate and presented to Ministers and the Executive Director of Government Communications.

Polling outcomes.

4. Projects and programmes (supporting the delivery of manifesto commitments)

4. 1 Union Connectivity Study Scotland contributions

Description: In June 2020, the Prime Minister announced the launch of the Union Connectivity Review, an independent study into transport connectivity in and between the 4 parts of the UK. The review is being led by Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, with the secretariat function being provided by the Department for Transport.

Objective: The aim of the Union Connectivity Review is for Sir Peter Hendy to undertake a detailed review of how the quality and availability of transport infrastructure across the UK can support economic growth and quality of life across the whole of the UK.

Project milestones: The interim report was published in March 2021, and the final report is expected in late summer 2021.

OSSS Involvement: OSSS Ministers have met with Sir Peter Hendy to discuss the review, and also suggested relevant Scottish stakeholders to be contacted for their input into the UCR. OSSS Minister Iain Stewart MP also wrote to all Scottish local authorities to ask them to contribute to the public Call for Evidence, which was held in December 2020. OSSS continues to engage with the Department for Transport on the progress of the Union Connectivity Review.

Dependencies outside OSSS: This is an independent review with secretariat function provided by DfT. The outcome of the review is not known nor guaranteed to be implemented.

How our work contributes to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Priority outcome

Link to SDGs

PO 1, 2, 3

The OSSS has no direct responsibility for policy or delivery of specific SDGs. However, recognising this is a universal agenda, the OSSS endeavours to model the behaviours and values underpinning the SDGs and will work with UK Government departments and the Scottish Government to encourage consideration of the SDGs when reviewing policy and engaging internationally. There are therefore no specific policy projects or programmes which contribute to development of Sustainable Development Goals.

D. Strategic enablers

1. Workforce, skills and location

Our vision: To equip our staff with the skills they need to fulfil their roles and to be a flexible resource so that the OSSS is able to respond to emerging priorities as well as being able to continue to deliver its strategic priorities. Create a dynamic and confident workforce who feel valued and are excited about and committed to working at the OSSS.

We will do this by:

• training staff on ‘core’ transferable skills
• undertaking workforce planning for current and future priorities
• taking a flexible approach to role location so that staff can choose where to be based
• co-locating key personnel such as Scotland specific communications specialists and Press Officers in the UK government Headquarters in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth House, alongside other UK government departments
• considering and implementing shared services with other Territorial Offices
• promoting OSSS and the other Territorial Offices as key placements in senior career plans
• creating resilience and agility and promoting new skills through setting up virtual teams on specific issues, such as our Winter Hub which coordinated advice to Ministers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
• taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by the Places for Growth programme
• creating and implementing the OSSS People Strategy and the OSSS equality and diversity policy

People survey engagement score

Year	Engagement score
2020	76%
2019	68%
2018	64%

Source: Civil Service People Survey / Release schedule: annually.

Representation of female staff, ethnic minority staff and disabled staff

Year	Total number of staff as at 31 March (FTE)	Female	Ethnicity	Disabled
#2020	79.1	60.5%	*	*
#2019	79.4	52.4%	*	*
#2018	65.2	48.5%	*	*

(*Protected characteristics relating to staff Ethnicity and Disability are not held by OSSS. Such information is held centrally by the parent employers of staff. This is to ensure the data remains anonymised, given the small number of staff in the department.)

Source: Civil Service diversity and inclusion dashboard / Release schedule: quarterly.

2. Innovation, Technology and Data

Our vision: To identify and use new ideas from across the OSSS, wider government and external sources as well as taking advantage of developments in technology and to enhance collaborative and efficient working relationships.

We will do this by:

• taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by our recent transition to an new IT platform to improve our collaboration with other UK government departments, in particular to underpin delivery of our cross-cutting outcome (XC2 - Ensure benefits of Union are clear, visible and understood by all citizens)
• adopting data driven digital and communications strategies to ensure messages cut through to the target audience

3. Delivery, Evaluation and Collaboration

Our Vision: To achieve a clearly agreed and shared set of objectives across the Offices’ of the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales, and the Northern Ireland Office where appropriate, and with the Cabinet Office, to support delivery of departmental outcomes without divergence or duplication. Ensuring our staff understand our values, vision and strategic objectives and how they contribute to achieving these shared goals.

We will do this by:

• increasing collaboration between the Offices of the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland Office to align positions where appropriate
• collaboration on shared cross cutting outcomes with a formal governance framework which allows for focus and avoids silos and duplication of effort

4. Sustainability

Vision: For the work of the OSSS to support the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We will do this by:

• making a commitment to deliver an OSSS Sustainability Strategy which will underpin our outcomes, support the UK government’s Net Zero ambition and deliver real efficiency savings
• leveraging the opportunities for increasing our sustainability afforded by our recent move out of the previous OSSS Headquarters office location from Melville Street in the West End of Edinburgh to the UK government flagship Headquarters in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth House, a purpose built sustainable building

Greenhouse gas emissions

Due to the size of the OSSS, and the arrangements for occupation of the buildings it occupies, the department does not hold this information.

E. Our equality objectives

We have set objectives to help us advance equality. These are to:

• develop a practical Diversity and Inclusion Strategy that promotes a community where we can all be ourselves in the work environment and succeed on merit
• make the organisation more reflective of the communities we serve
• develop our data collection and monitoring to better understand our demographics