There is growing interest, internationally, in developing more strategic forms of government. This is seen as essential in order to tackle complex challenges such as climate change, poverty and numerous public health issues such as rising levels of obesity.
In my latest research I explore how changes made within the Scottish Government around 2007-17 demonstrated the implementation of a ‘Strategic State’. Specifically these changes included development of the National Performance Framework, restructuring of the Scottish Government and significant investment in leadership development.
There are some key lessons from this research, particularly for small countries, in how strategic thinking can be fostered within government settings:
- The importance of having an appropriate organisational structure to support strategy implementation.
- The need for advocacy from political leaders to enable change.
- The need for strong administrative leadership and a clear vision for change.
- The importance of education and training of leaders at all levels of the organisation.
- A long-term emphasis on culture change.
My research in this area is ongoing. Projects that I am involved in include aspects of health and social care integration, the nature of work in local government and the nature of distributed leadership in government settings. This builds on previous work which showed how the aspirations for greater community empowerment require investment in communities. In taking forward this work I am looking at recent developments such as the refresh of the National Performance Framework. If you think you could contribute to this research do get in touch with me.
You can read my latest publication here:
Ian C. Elliott (2020) The implementation of a strategic state in a small country setting—the case of the ‘Scottish Approach’, Public Money & Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1714206
Or you can view my full research profile here: https://researchportal.northumbria.ac.uk/en/researchers/ian-elliott(a915f572-1e7b-4812-9325-b2fce9fdd55f).html
Or simply get in touch! Click here to email me
