Education Scotland Corporate Plan for 2026 to 2031: Strategic priority 3: Organisational performance, culture and impact

 Strong organisational performance and culture are essential to delivering our priorities. This strategic priority focuses on strengthening systems, governance and ways of working, while fostering an inclusive, supportive and improvement and performance-oriented environment. By improving how we evidence and communicate our impact, and harnessing digital tools to improve efficiency, joined up working and decision-making, we will embed Public Service Reform priorities and ensure our work delivers clear value and sustained improvement.  

We will achieve this by:

1. Improving Education Scotland systems, processes, and ways of working, consistent with Public Service Reform and wider obligations.
2. Continuing to ensure effective, proportionate governance and meet all statutory and regulatory requirements.
3. Improving how we evidence, demonstrate, and communicate our impact.
4. Fostering an inclusive, supportive, and improvement-oriented culture across the organisation 

Success measures 

Objective 3.1 

A programme of new ‘ways of working’ is implemented and evaluated, with at least 2 processes reviewed annually against defined success criteria, demonstrating measurable improvements in organisational processes, with findings used to refine and strengthen practice over time.

Objective 3.2 

1. Increase year-on year, the percentage of audit recommendations implemented on time from a 2026/27 baseline.  
2. Education Scotland’s annual report and account will receive an ‘unqualified opinion’ by external auditors annually. 

Objective 3.3 

Increase year-on-year from a 2026/7 baseline, the percentage of Annual Delivery Plan programmes and projects able to demonstrate measurable impact against defined objectives and agreed success measures.

Objective 3.4

From 2025/26 baseline, staff survey results will be maintained in years 1 and 2. From 2028/29, there will be year-on-year improvements in key culture measures, including access to the right learning and development opportunities and organisational communication. 

Contribution to National improvement framework outcomes

Young people experiencing the benefit of schools and early years settings working in excellent partnerships with wider children’s services and other partners, families, and communities, in line with the GIRFEC approach.