Publication: Local government in Scotland: Challenges and performance 2020

Each year the Accounts Commission publishes two reports that set out a review of local government in Scotland. The first report assesses the financial position and is published in December 2019. The second report sets out the challenges facing councils and their performance. It will be published in April 2020.

It will consider:

• The current landscape for local government in terms of national policy and priorities.
• The challenges councils face, such as the financial pressures arising from reducing budgets and increasing demands on services.
• How well councils are responding to the challenges, for example through transformation and improvement programmes.
• How well councils are performing by considering the impact these challenges have had on the services they provide and the outcomes for local communities. This will include a focus on planning services as a case study.
• The progress being made by health and social care integration authorities.