2020/01/23 by Ian Elliott · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering #Political Systems and Governance #Public Policy and Administration Research
paper · doi:10.1080/09540962.2020.1714206
openalex publication_date 2020/01/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/03/27
This paper is a case study of the establishment of the Scottish Approach to Public Services. This strategic approach to public services was developed through three key activities: reorganization of the Scottish Government; creation of Scotland Performs and the National Performance Framework; and significant investment in leadership development. The research comprised of 11 élite interviews with both current and former civil servants within the Scottish Government. Interviews sought to develop an understanding of the nature and rationale for the Scottish Approach, to explore implementation of the Scottish Approach, and to posit what lasting impact may result from this form of ‘strategic state’ in Scotland. There is a major gap in the academic literature in terms of empirical studies of the strategic state and this paper addresses this gap by presenting the context and background to implementation of a strategic state in a small country setting.