Promoting organisational excellence in the Scottish public sector

As part of the UK’s major policy of constitutional devolution, the first Scottish Parliament in 300 years was established in Summer 1999. This paper examines how that decentralisation of political decision making is connected to organisational excellence in the Scottish public sector via Governmental policy on public management. The paper focuses on both UK and Scottish Government management of the wider Scottish public sector. Some policies and practices arise from devolution; some are coincident with it. Overall, they comprise an unprecedented mix. The paper concludes that, following the establishment of the Parliament, no single policy promotes organisational excellence; devolution has already led to significant change; territorial policy discretion is an important factor; overall, the pursuit of organisational excellence in the Scottish public sector is enjoying considerable attention; existing discussion of “new public management” may have to be updated.