Place guide: A process for improved place-based decision making

Scottish Futures Trust has published their new ‘Place Guide’

Living well locally is a key ambition of the Programme for Government.  Building the conditions to live well locally is about taking a place-based approach to needs, services and investment opportunities.

So the Scottish Futures Trust has been working with local authorities, public bodies and communities across Scotland to deliver a range of solutions to meet local needs taking a place-based approach.  Integration is at the heart of public service improvement in Scotland, tackling climate change and the Covid pandemic recovery. Better places connect people with greater opportunities and improved services allowing them to live better locally. The more that places are joined-up, the better the overall outcomes for communities, organisations and the economy.

To support stakeholders the Scottish Futures Trust this week published a new ‘Place Guide’ that builds on this shared learning. It is a practical, systematic approach to implementing the place agenda collaboratively.  The Guide seeks to get behind work already happening, and connect across Scottish Government and local agendas to provide clarity to effective place-based working.

The aim of the Guide is to provide clarity on:

• Purpose – why place-based approaches should guide the planning and development of investment in services and capital projects
• Collective leadership – how all local voices and collaborations influence decisions
• Prioritisation – how a place approach can provide clarity about what needs to be done, how that is prioritised and who takes ownership

An easy to read eight step summary of the Guide is available here supported by a briefing paper here.