Best Value report published

Audit Scotland describes Best Value as “ensuring that there is good governance and effective management of resources, with a focus on improvement, to deliver the best possible outcomes for the public.”

The duty of Best Value applies to all public bodies in Scotland. It is a statutory duty for local authorities, such as councils.

Today, 22 Oct 2020, the final report was published.

It says council officers and councillors work well together, local residents are positive about services, finances are well-managed and there is a strong emphasis on partnership working with other public and third sector bodies. But it goes on to say we need “clearer and more decisive leadership”. The commission says it is hard to see what the council intends to achieve from its high-level priorities. While many areas of Aberdeenshire are thriving, the council needs to increase its focus on neighbourhoods with higher levels of deprivation. This is now more urgent to mitigate the additional impact of Covid-19, and to address the significant gap in educational attainment between poorer areas and others.

The full report is on our website.