Scotland Excel Conference 2020 – Inclusive Growth

Inclusive growth has been a feature of the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy for the past five years, with governments across the globe agreeing that it can help address some of society’s most pressing challenges.

But what does it mean at a practical level?         

We have chosen inclusive growth as the theme of our 2020 conference to look at growth priorities and what local organisations can do to support this agenda.  In particular, the conference will consider how public procurement can act as key driver of local economic growth.

Delegates will have the opportunity to hear from expert speakers and participate in practice focused workshops.  The conference will aim to bring together local economic development and procurement professionals to unpack strategies and plans, examine best practice and foster collaborative working. 

The conference will take place on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st February at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow.  Further details of our packed agenda can be viewed on the conference website at
https://scot-excelconference.holyrood.com/

How to Book

There are two price points for the conference - £99 + VAT for the two days for delegates from Scotland Excel member and associate member organisations and £129 + VAT for the two days for delegates other public sector organisations.  Bookings can be made online on the conference website.

Parking at the Venue

Discounted parking is available across the road from the hotel at NCP Oswald Street, G1 4PA. To enjoy a rate of £15 for 24 hours, take your ticket from the Oswald Street car park and have it validated at the hotel reception desk before returning.

Accommodation

The Radisson Blu is centrally located close to Glasgow Central Station. If you need accommodation, the hotel features on all the major accommodation booking websites as do alternative budget options.       

Scotland Excel Supplier Excellence Awards

These awards recognise suppliers who go the extra mile to support the delivery of key public services.  The awards ceremony takes place on the first evening of the conference, and delegates can purchase tickets for this prestigious event at an additional cost of £99.  For further information and to book tickets, please visit https://supplierexcellenceawards.holyrood.com/.

Scotland Excel is the Centre of Procurement Expertise of local government.  You can find more about our organisation at http://www.scotland-excel.org.uk/ or email communications@scotland-excel.org.uk.

Audit Scotland's Report on Scotland's City Region and Growth Deals

Audit Scotland have published their report on Scotland's City Regions and Growth Deals.

City Region and Growth Deals have enabled economic development projects across Scotland that may not otherwise have gone ahead and sparked increased collaboration between councils and their partners. Eight deals worth £5.2 billion, mostly around infrastructure improvements, have been signed or agreed in principle, with more in the pipeline. 

But the Scottish Government has not set out how it will measure the programme's value for money. It is also not clear why some deal projects were approved for funding over others, while local communities have had very little involvement in deals. These two factors have limited transparency around the process. 

How accountability would work around individual deals if something went wrong also remains untested. And there is a risk that councils and their partners could struggle to deliver deal projects alongside the other challenges facing Scotland's public sector.

Graham Sharp, Chair of the Accounts Commission said: 
"City deals have had a positive effect across Scotland, strengthening relationships between councils, government, business, our universities and other partners. 

"It's early days, but it's important lines of accountability for deals are now made clearer and that the right staff are in place to develop and deliver deals at a time of considerable financial pressure for councils and the wider public sector."

Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: 
"A significant amount of public money has been committed to city deals, but the programme's lack of aims and objectives means opportunities may already have been missed to ensure deals contribute to national outcomes.

"The Scottish Government needs to show how it will measure deals' long-term success and work with councils to improve transparency around the approval process for individual projects."



The report is available here.

Notice of updated Privacy Policy: January 2020

We have recently conducted a routine review of our privacy policy and data storage practices, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016. This has involved some incremental updates to how we manage and store personal information.

For more information about these practices, you can view our privacy policy here, and you also have the right to request a copy of our data audit should you wish to view this.