Letter from the Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training
9 March 2022
Dear Convener
I am writing to advise you that today the Scottish Government has published the Shared Outcomes Framework for the work of Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council, detailing the collaborative projects that contribute to delivery of overarching skills outcomes.
The Shared Outcomes Framework is the means by which Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will monitor and report on these projects and is set in the context of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) and the missions of the Future Skills Action Plan, in particular around the alignment of economic demand with current and future provision. The actions outlined in this framework also contribute to delivery of the outcomes in the National Performance Framework and recognise the findings of the SFC’s review of coherence and sustainability in tertiary education and research.
The Framework defines the collaborative projects that are geared towards the strategic intent of supporting enhanced alignment of provision with economic need, resulting in a more agile and responsive system, including a more balanced portfolio of provision where the evidence supports this being needed.
As noted in the Auditor General’s engagement with the Committee, this Framework, and the governance structures that it reports into, were developed over December of 2021. The Shared Outcomes Framework has been in development since before the publication of the Audit Scotland Report – Planning for Skills, and addresses one of the key recommendations. That;
“the Scottish Government should clearly set out its strategic intent for skills alignment, the outcomes it aims to achieve, and how it will measure progress – ensuring that this is consistent with relevant objectives and outcomes in its national strategies and plans”.
The Shared Outcomes Framework is a live framework that is published here in its first iteration. It has been agreed with and is supported by the Chief Executives and Chairs of SDS and SFC and will form the basis for regular performance monitoring through the Shared Outcomes Assurance Group and through my regular 6 weekly meetings with the senior leaders of both agencies.
This document will be updated as we develop further measures to track the impact of the projects and will continue to evolve as the projects progress, and to align with the delivery and governance structures for the delivery of the NSET. The document can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at this link: https://www.gov.scot/publications/shared-outcomes-framework/
I know that the Committee will recognise the important step of publishing this Shared Outcomes Framework, and I would be happy to discuss it with you in due course.