Report Summary
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) seeks to provide a guide to early and effective identification, and appropriate engagement, between the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland when it is considering a new and emerging strategy, policy or practice to improve the safety and wellbeing of persons, localities and communities in Scotland, and which are likely to be of significant public interest.
This updated MoU was presented at the May 2025 Authority meeting.
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6. Communication, Engagement and Deliver
Police Scotland and the Authority should consider the following.
• If appropriate, set out shared outcomes for the issue.
• Agree a critical path, to ensure that the development and testing of the issue is subject to regular oversight and discussion through the Authority and Police Scotland governance .
• Agree a plan to use existing bodies (for example, Police Scotland Ethics Panels or existing Local Authority or COSLA advisory or scrutiny mechanisms) to test any ethical, privacy and any human rights, and wider public or partner confidence issues associated the issue. Develop an engagement plan for the issue, to include communications and stakeholder management, to ensure (a) a full and transparent discussion of the issue, and (b) the most informed decision-making on next steps/approval. Early consideration should be given to the use of public surveys and convening interest or focus groups to promote debate and understanding of the issue.
• Ensure that the engagement and communications process include Staff Association and Trade Union views on the issue.
• Where possible, use best practice/available evidence from other
jurisdictions and sectors, engaging academic partners where
appropriate.
• Consider the appropriateness and value of a test deployment, and formal external or internal evaluation prior to full implementation.
• Plan to establish a baseline and post implementation review process to produce, within a reasonable time, a short Post-Implementation Report on impact evaluation, delivered or projected benefits and wider organisational learning.
The MOU will continue to be reviewed annually and approached as a flexible and learning focused process to maximise public engagement and understanding of the justification for changes to policing in Scotland.
