Bishops Consulting completed a best value review of sportscotland's central support services activity with a view to establishing their fitness for purpose and value for money in supporting their three delivery departments. The work involved extensive consultation with internal customers, service staff and senior management, as well as comparative benchmarking of structures and delivery arrangements in other organisations. These were used to generate a shortlist of options for the future delivery of the services.

Bishops Consulting developed a policy and performance management approach for National Museums of Scotland (NMS). This was introduced in full consultation with Trustees and senior managers across the organisation to ensure fit with the National Cultural Strategy, NMS vision and priorities, and the expectations of key stakeholders.

Bishops were engaged by Scottish Museums Council on two distinct projects. First, we reviewed the organisations' vision, priorities and structure in light of broader changes in the cultural sector.

Second, we assisted in the development of a national learning and access strategy for museums and galleries across Scotland. Both projects involved extensive internal and external consultation using semi-structured interview and focus group sessions.

Bishops Consulting assisted OSCR to develop a strategic corporate plan aimed at delivering the intended outcomes for the charities sector and managing the internal transition from Executive Agency to NDPB. This involved extensive desk-based analysis of the Scottish Executive's commitments on charities, mapping of the current sectoral landscape and identification of OSCR's critical role and contributions.

Bishops Consulting were engaged by Perth & Kinross Council on three specific projects. First, we worked with the Chief Executive and corporate management team (CMT) to refine the direction of the Council and the role of the CMT in the face of evolving national expectations on well-being, community planning and modernising government. This involved focused workshop sessions with CMT members, the redrafting of CMT roles and responsibilities and the refocusing of the Council's corporate plan.

Second, we supported the Council in the refinements of its arrangements for partnership working between social work services and the NHS. This involved establishing appropriate planning, delivery and evaluation arrangements for joint services, including the establishment of appropriate structures and robust and transparent accountabilities.

Third, we completed a Best Value review of the Council's Legal Services, examining resource requirements and service delivery options in the context of significant strategic change in service delivery mechanisms across the Council. Our work involved focus groups with all Legal Services staff, one to one interviews with Directors and senior elected members, and benchmarking of service delivery approaches, inputs and outputs in other councils.

Bishops Consulting worked with Glasgow City Council on a Best Value review of their corporate policy activity. The work involved extensive external and internal consultation and an element of structural benchmarking with similar organisations throughout the UK. The review took place in the context of additional Council responsibilities for promoting 'well-being' and leading the community planning agenda.

Bishops Consulting supported East Dunbartonshire Council in the development of a customer service strategy. This pulled together the Council's work on people, processes, technology, information and space into a coherent set of actions and policies aimed at delivering an agreed vision for customer service. The vision and strategy were designed by Bishops through extensive consultation with elected members, the corporate management team, service departments and the public (using established consultation channels).

Bishops Consulting worked on two focused projects for the Council. First, drawing on analysis of good practice from throughout the UK, we supported the Director of Development Services in the establishment of formal approaches to asset management and (capital) programme management. Second, we delivered a programme of workshop sessions to senior management on 'Meeting the Challenges Ahead' (focusing on the evolving strategic context and its implications for all Council services).

Bishops Consulting supported Williamsburgh Housing Association (in Paisley) with a best value-type review of their current organisation and operation. The approach involved extensive consultation with staff and management committee members, focus groups with key staff to develop and assess process maps, and comparisons with different organisational structures in associations across Scotland.

Benny and Derek worked closely with the Director, senior management team and management committee to review the organisational structure and reward process, update the approach to internal management planning and design a new outcome-focused approach to performance reporting. We are currently providing ongoing support to the Association to refine its structure, planning and operation in light of its Local Housing Organisation status.

Benny and Derek led KPMG's work on process mapping and re-engineering the Executive's financial decision-making processes (as part of the broader Changing to Deliver programme). Based on interviews with the Heads of the Executive's Departments and Ministers, this involved mapping the decision-chain from initial policy development, through financial allocation, to spend and impact assessment. A number of recommendations for refinement were made for consideration as part of the next Executive Spending Review.

Benny and Derek undertook two dedicated projects for sportscotland.. First, they led KPMG's review of the organisation's strategic and operational working with a view to improving its efficiency and effectiveness. This included a detailed analysis of their direction and priorities, strategic planning, core processes and subsequent performance. In completing the work, they assessed the impact of changes in national government focus, the effectiveness of activity to date, evaluated decision-making and service planning, issued an extensive questionnaire to all key stakeholder groups, conducted a number of structured interviews with a sample of stakeholders and ran a focus group comprising Lottery grant applicants. They made a number of recommendations revising the direction, decision-making, delegation, management and operation of the organisation.

Second, Benny led KPMG's work to identify appropriate performance measures for elite sport in Scotland, working across the activities of sportscotland and the Scottish Institute of Sport.

Benny and Derek led KPMG's review of the National Museums of Scotland. This led to the development of a new senior and middle management structure, revised strategic direction and updated corporate plan. The work involved extensive consultation with key internal and external stakeholders, the design and implementation of a matching process for filling posts in the new structure, and the development of a change management strategy to support implementation of the review recommendations.

A best value review of Leisure Services to identify demand, performance and options/opportunities. This involved an audit of existing provision, an extensive community consultation exercise and the progression of an option appraisal exercise.

Benny led KPMG's organisational and property review of Learning & Teaching Scotland. This work involved the appraisal of current business, staffing structures and complement, future opportunities and challenges and the potential for reconfiguration and relocation of its business. The process of managing change included engaging and consulting with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, high level options generation and detailed testing of short listed options against weighted criteria.

Benny led KPMG's assessment of the effectiveness of the Paths for All Partnership. This involved extensive consultation with partners, focus groups with staff and a detailed analysis of past performance against each of the balanced scorecard perspectives. The team prepared a series of options for SNH, setting out the strengths and weaknesses of each one against a set of agreed criteria. The future structure, priorities and funding levels of the Partnership were agreed as a result.

Derek and Benny assisted Communities Scotland to design a balanced set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to inform the organisation's managers and other stakeholders of its effectiveness in addressing its strategic aims and objectives. A logic modelling approach was used in close liaison with Communities Scotland's senior management team and the Scottish Executive to prepare a shortlist of KPIs to the Minister for Social Justice.

Derek has recently completed a structural review of Warrington Borough Council on behalf of KPMG. The work involved an analysis of current structural arrangements across the Council, with a move to a more modern and integrated approach linked to the Council's key corporate objectives. This included the development of a more strategic role for Housing ahead of stock transfer to an arms length management organisation.

Benny and Derek worked with the SURF Board to identify the key challenges facing the organisation in light of Communities Scotland's new roles and responsibilities for social regeneration, and broader changes in the activities of the Scottish Executive and other public agencies. This activity underpinned the organisation's business planning priorities for the following financial year.