Bòrd na Gàidhlig addresses leadership and governance weaknesses

Report cover

The public body responsible for promoting Gaelic in Scotland has tackled weaknesses in its leadership and governance. It now needs to monitor the impact of these changes in the years to come.

A new report from the Auditor General for Scotland follows up a 2019 report on Bòrd na Gàidhlig that identified multiple failings in the oversight and senior management of the organisation.

In the two years since, the Bòrd has taken a number of actions, including:

  • restructuring its leadership and management
  • significantly improving openness and transparency
  • clarifying roles and responsibilities
  • reducing the number of non-executive Board members
  • and addressing skills gaps on its Board.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said:

Bòrd na Gàidhlig has made good progress in addressing the problems in its leadership, and it is now a much improved organisation. The scale of change and pace of improvement since 2019 is welcome.

Given the long-term change required, it is likely that the full benefits of the improvements made will only emerge over time. The Bòrd must now monitor whether the changes are delivering long-term, measurable benefits, and make adjustments where necessary.