Shared Risk Assessment evaluation

16 June 2011

Response to Ipsos-MORI Scotland: Research report on reviewing the Shared Risk Assessment (SRA) process in Scottish councils.

Background
The Crerar report published in 2007 set out recommendations for reforming external scrutiny of Scottish public services. Responding to the Crerar report the Scottish Government stated it would establish a simplified and coherent approach to local government scrutiny involving more co-ordinated and streamlined scrutiny. The Accounts Commission was asked to undertake a gatekeeping role for co-ordinating and streamlining scrutiny. It established a strategic group involving the heads of the scrutiny bodies for local government to establish priorities and oversee the development of the approach.

The Shared Risk Assessment (SRA) process was developed as the mechanism for ensuring that scrutiny was streamlined and coordinated. The process was also intended to ensure that scrutiny resources were targeted using a risk based approach as an alternative to the then existing cyclical approach to audit and inspection.

Following the first round of the SRA process in 2010, Audit Scotland commissioned Ipsos-MORI to review the process. The overall objective of the review was to assess the effectiveness of the SRA process.

What next?
The findings from this review were used to improve the approach adopted for the 2011/12 SRA refresh. A further action plan has been developed and this will inform future development of the SRA process and the wider review of the scrutiny improvement agenda in summer 2011.