The Programme for Government references a 10-year public service reform with some specific suggestions, but what does productivity mean in the public sector?

This roundtable brings together key stakeholders to explore the challenges and opportunities in enhancing public sector productivity. Focusing not just on identifying problem areas, but on where The Productivity Institute and Prosper can add value, the discussion will inform a research proposal aimed at driving meaningful improvements in Scotland’s public sector productivity.

Speakers:

• Susan Love, Strategic Engagement Lead, ACCA
• Richard Robinson, Senior Manager, Audit Scotland
• Stuart Bain, Chief Officer for the Employers Team, COSLA
• Scott Barnett, Chief Information Security Officer, NHS National Services Scotland
• Bridgette Wessels, Professor of Social Inequalities, University of Glasgow, Co-Lead Productivity institute Scotland Forum

Clare Reid, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Prosper will chair the roundtable.

Agenda

09.30 – 10.00 Registrations and Networking

10.00 – 11.00 Panel discussion

11.00 – 11.30 Q&A

11.30 Close

Clare Reid looks after our Policy team and leads on government and stakeholder engagement, Peer Works and Stemovators. She loves working with our fantastic, talented team across all of these areas and getting to meet the most amazing array of people in her daily work. She really enjoys finding out about what’s going on in their worlds, uncovering future trends and bringing people from diverse industries, sectors and backgrounds together to make a difference.

Stuart Bain has worked in local government for 24 years and has been with COSLA for the last 6. He has been Chief Officer for the Employers’ Team since December 2023. Before taking on his current role he worked as a Policy Manager in the team on all its areas of work including, but not limited to, working on national pay negotiations, terms and conditions, pay modelling and calculations, supporting Employer’s work with Scottish Government, providing support to the Resources Spokesperson, and liaising with professional advisers in councils across Scotland.

Susan Love is the Strategic Engagement Lead for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in Scotland, the global professional body for professional accountants. Beginning her career working for former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir George Reid, and serving as an elected member of Stirling Council, have given her a wide-ranging knowledge (and occasional geekery) of government and public policy at both local and national level.

Prof Bridgette Wessels is Co-lead of the Scotland Forum of the ESRC funded Productivity Institute. She is Professor of Social Inequality at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on inclusive growth and improving prosperity for all. She has worked with private, public sector and third sector partners on projects that aim to improve outcomes for business, public sector, communities and people.

Richard is Audit Scotland’s performance audit lead for Scottish devolved fiscal powers, wider public finances and the reform agenda. In recent years this has included auditing the Scottish Government’s approach to Covid-19 spending, the public sector workforce and financial planning. Richard is a keen proponent of public sector reform, heading up Audit Scotland’s engagement with a wide variety of public sector leaders on reform activity and the role of public audit.

Scott Barnett is an established Information and Cyber Security leader, with strong people and risk management skills and a broad technical security knowledge. He has over twenty years cyber security experience in protecting the customers and partners of large and global organisations. Scott joined NSS in 2020 after 12 years in the private sector where he held various senior cyber security roles, including Deputy CISO at TSB Bank. Since joining NSS, Scott has driven the commission and creation of the Cyber Centre of Excellence by NSS, opening its doors in December 2022, with a mission to protect NHS Scotland’s patients and staff from cyber harm.