Scottish Government's fatal flaw revealed? Bad decision-making processes could lead nation to disaster – Scotsman comment

The string of ill-considered policies and decisions emanating from the Scottish Government is long and, it would appear, set to grow.

To the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and the named person’s scheme, both abandoned, and the ongoing issues of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill blocked by Westminster and the spiralling costs of two much-delayed ferries may soon be added an eye-wateringly expensive and bureaucratic national care service and a shambolic deposit-return scheme for drinks containers.

Criticism of the SNP’s record is often dismissed by means of an appeal to the politics of independence – problems are Westminster's fault, critics are just unionists looking to make trouble, and so on. However, it appears the real reasons may actually lie in a lack of attention to the dry, some would say dull, business of ensuring plans are properly scrutinised and assessed.

In evidence to MSPs, the Fraser of Allander Institute said its research had found that the Scottish Government’s decision-making processes often seemed “insufficient”. “Business cases were performed to the minimum standard or missing entirely. Impact assessments were taking place at the end of policy development, so they could not affect the policy direction, missing their intention entirely,” the institute said. “Incentives for robust decision-making processes were poor as there appeared to be a culture that prioritised ‘getting money out the door’ rather than identifying whether the spending was likely to produce value for money.”

If this judgment is correct, it reveals a recipe for disaster, with unintended consequences galore, wasted public money, and poor public services. A “national care service” makes a good soundbite because it echoes our much-loved National Health Service. It is still at an embryonic stage but if the reality turns out to be worse for the vulnerable people who need care, at a huge cost to the nation, it could turn out to be the worst of all the SNP’s mistakes. Can the Scottish Government be trusted to competently manage such a major undertaking?

Competence should also be key to the independence debate, given the size of the task of creating a new state. Any ministers dreamily contemplating a future utopia should quickly get their feet back on the ground and start paying greater attention to the nuts and bolts of good governance or Scotland will continue to suffer the consequences.