Strategic Review - 2005 (July - December)
Below is a record of discussions, recommendations and Council decisions on the Strategic Review. Click on the red link to download the documents.
Strategic Review and Core Funding application
In July an application for core funding was circulated to all CFOs to complete and return by 30 September 2005.
Funding for 2006/07 had already been confirmed.
A covering letter with the application pack confirmed details and process timelines for the Strategic Review to consider how resources could be best used to meet our aims. Council’s discussion and consultations with the sector, so far, had arrived at outcomes which were outlined in the accompanying briefing paper.
At this stage, the Strategic Review process was where we were developing a number of scenarios to respond to the outcomes in the briefing paper. These included an optimum scenario (the basis of our Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) bid to the Scottish Executive in the autumn), and mirrored the aspiration for increased investment expressed by the Cultural Commission.
Core Funded Organisations were invited to describe their artistic vision for the next three years, such as how the work of the organisation fulfils a significant function in an international, national, regional, and/or local context. This information would also inform a positive bid to the Scottish Executive for the CSR.
Similarly, the role the organisation plays in relation to a particular artform/s; how their vision contributes to our aims and policy development areas, and to wider strategic considerations was requested.
Download:
Council considered and approved paper S/C05m4p2 (Strategic Review: Quality Framework) which asked Council to approve the three categories of strategic fit (essential, important and partial) for the purposes of the strategic review.
Download:
Diagram illustrates the complete assessment and decision making process for the Core Funded Organisations between 30 September (receipt of application) and 28 February (Council’s decision).
Download: CFO process Flow Sept 05 - PDF
The framework for the Core Funded Organisations assessment. Key characteristics for considering CFOs in relation to the Strategic Review process are those related to their strategic significance, financial, managerial and governance aspects of the organisation. The performance criteria used to inform the assessment and decision making process in detailed in the QF Key Assessment criteria document below (for download).
Download: QF Key Assessment Criteria FINAL Oct 05 - PDF
Lead officers assessed each CFO using the organisation’s application and portfolio of evidence against the quality framework and performance criteria. Each was initially assessed as high, medium or low against the performance criteria.
With recognition of the initial assessment, Heads of Departments then placed the CFOs as essential, important or partial against the artform scenario and against the balanced portfolio of the Scottish Arts Council's current three aims.
Download: Assessment template version 131005 blank for committee - PDF
Jim Tough (Head of Arts) gave a short verbal history of the evolution of the Strategic Review through:
- national network
- 20:20 vision
- Joint Council/Committee workshops held over the last year
- Evolution of ecosystems metaphor
- consultation with Committees and specialist advisers
- development of optimum scenarios
Morag Arnot (Head of Planning and Communication) gave a run down of the process involved in the Strategic Review and distributed packs containing:
- quality framework information including what was sent to CFOs
- the key assessment criteria
- assessment template
- Process timeline
She explained the timeline and what further information Committee would receive, what their involvement would be in the process and what the role of lead officers, departmental heads would be.
The committee discussed a number of points which they felt required clarification. The major points were:
- What is the role of the committees in the process
- What process would be used to ensure that Committees can make their judgement
- Concern about tight timescale
Download: Creative Arts Committee: 18 October 2005 (S/CA05m1 – Public Minutes) - PDF
Jim Tough (Head of Arts) gave a short verbal history of the evolution of the Strategic Review through:
- national network
- 20:20 vision
- Joint Council/Committee workshops held over the last year
- Evolution of ecosystems metaphor
- consultation with Committees and specialist advisers
- development of optimum scenarios
Morag Arnot (Head of Planning and Communication) gave a run down of the process involved in the Strategic Review and distributed packs containing:
- quality framework information including what was sent to CFOs
- the key assessment criteria
- assessment template
- Process timeline
She explained the timeline and what further information Committee would receive, what their involvement would be in the process and what the role of lead officers, departmental heads would be.
The committee discussed a number of points which they felt required clarification. The major points were:
- What is the role of the committees in the process
- What process would be used to ensure that Committees can make their judgement
- Concern about tight timescale
Download: Performing Arts Committee: 18 October 2005 (S/PA05m1 – Chairs Report) - PDF
Council considered and approved paper S/C05m5p1 (Strategic Review - Optimum Scenario Draft Framework) which asked Council to:
- approve the proposal for the optimum scenario to be outlined in the form of a published advocacy document, the proposed presentation of this at a date to be confirmed in November
- mandate the Group Heads, in consultation with the Chair, to complete the task of summarising the detailed content of the Departmental scenarios
Council considered, commented on paper S/C05m5p2 (Strategic Review - Scenario Frameworks) and approved a final version of the draft Scenario Frameworks (Artform scenarios, artist scenario, audience scenario, arts participants scenario, education and equalities) while agreeing that the scenarios should be kept to a minimum by amalgamating possibilities and that Council should be kept informed of developments.
Council considered paper S/C05m5p3 (Quality Framework - The strategic review and the need for future development) and:
- approved the Quality Framework and process for the Strategic Review
- agreed that the Audit Committee should oversee the development plan for the Quality Framework.
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Council considered paper S/C05m6p1 (Strategic Review - Corporate Scenarios) setting out the two scenarios (the Artists scenario and the Participants scenario) in turn and addressed the following questions:
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of each scenario?
- How does each of them address our purpose as defined in the Royal Charter?
- How would it ‘read’ politically?
- How would the idea of ‘hubs’ serve this scenario?
- How would it impact on the CFOs as they stand?
Council were also provided with a set of briefing papers S/C05m6p2 (Briefing Pack for Council Meetings) including the following papers:
- Global Trends
- Scottish Arts Council: Funding Patterns for past 10 Years
- Scottish Arts Council: Cross Council Policies
- Scottish Arts Council: Finance Briefing
to allow them to contextualise the detailed scenario work against a more expansive strategic context.
They also received paper S/C05m6p3 (Strategic Review A framework for development -
Large Scale Performing Arts Companies) which sought Council’s views on the Scottish Arts Council’s relationships with the large scale performing companies in the context of the Scottish Executive’s proposals in response to the Cultural Commission and the Strategic Review.
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Both Committees (in joint session) received an initial verbal briefing from the Council Chairman. They then received paper S/CA05m2p1 (Corporate and Cross Council policy issues) including briefing papers on:
- Global Trends
- Scottish Arts Council: Funding Patterns for the Past 10 Years
- Scottish Arts Council: Cross Council Policies
- Scottish Arts Council: Finance Briefing
to allow them to contextualise their comments and questions.
They also received paper S/CA05m2p2 (Strategic Review Corporate Scenarios - (Introductory Paper for Committees on Scenarios and CFO placements) together with the individual artform scenarios relevant to the two committees
Creative Arts Committee - download below
- Crafts – S/CA05m2p3
- Visual Arts– S/CA05m2p4
- Literature– S/CA05m2p5
- Cross Council– S/CA05m2p6
Performing Arts Committee - download below
- Cross Council –S/PA05m2p3
- Drama –S/PA05m2p4
- Dance –S/PA05m2p5
- Music –S/PA05m2p6
- Large Scale Performing Arts Scenario –S/PA05m2p7
The two committees then split and individually considered the artform scenarios relevant to their remits and were asked to:
- Test the coherence of the artform scenarios and their supporting arguments
- discuss and confirm the placement of individual organisations in relation to the scenarios
- comment on what they saw as key themes and issues across art form and cross council policy areas.
Download:
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