Council performance reporting

The Accounts Commission has a statutory power to define the performance information that councils must publish for performance comparison and benchmarking purposes. It fulfils this power by issuing a Statutory Performance Information (SPI) Direction to councils.

In recent years the Commission has used the power to emphasise what it sees as the prime importance of councils reporting performance to their citizens and communities. The Direction sets out the performance information that the Commission requires councils to publish.

Statutory Performance Information Direction

The current Direction was published on 21 December 2021 and applies to reporting performance for the three years from 1 April 2022.

 

Current council performance

Current performance information for individual councils can be found on each council's own website.

Comparative performance information can help the public to better gauge the performance of their council. It also helps a council to identify how it can shape and improve its services. In issuing its Direction, the Commission encourages councils to publish benchmarking information. In particular, it encourages the use of the Local Government Benchmarking Framework, which is run by the local government community through SOLACE and the Improvement Service.

Until 2012/13, the Commission published information about the comparative performance of councils across Scotland. Please contact us if you require this information.

Planning Roundtable

In February 2019, Audit Scotland and the Improvement Service co-hosted a round table event with planning officers and key stakeholders to understand and highlight what needs to be done to reposition planning to its role of delivering places that enables improved physical and mental health, better connectivity and increases capacity for inclusive growth.

More information

For more information, please visit our contact pages to get in touch.