Clackmannanshire Council Online

Self-assessment & Continuous Improvement

Self-assessment & Continuous Improvement

We use a range of approaches to assess our performance, strengthen governance and identify opportunities to improve outcomes for our communities.

Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF)

We use PSIF to support organisation-wide and service-level self-assessment.  This helps us understand:

• What is working well
• How we compare with others
• What our customers tell us
• Where we need to improve

We also carry out themed PSIF assessment each year, focusing on key areas such as governance, performance and financial sustainability.  These provide a structured, evidence based review of how we are delivering Best Value, help identify improvement actions and support preparation for external audit, including the audit of annual accounts.

National Self-evaluation Framework (2026)

We are involved in Scotland’s National Self-evaluation Framework, launched in May 2026. This strengthens our approach by:

• Focusing on outcomes for communities
• Supporting evidence-based assessment
• Enabling shared learning and benchmarking

Governance and Assurance

We undertake an annual self-assessment of our governance arrangements.  This draws on evidence from themed PSIF assessments and audit activity.  It supports the Annual Governance Statement and ensures our systems of control remain effective as we identify areas for improvement to strengthen our governance framework.

Linking Improvement, Risk and Oversight

All external audit recommendations and internal improvement actions are tracked and aligned with our corporate risks where appropriate.

Progress is monitored through:

• The Corporate Risk and Integrity Forum
• The Audit and Scrutiny Committee, which provides member oversight and assurance

Together, these approaches provide a joined up framework for self evaluation, continuous improvement and strong governance, helping us demonstrate accountability, provide clear assurance to auditors, elected members and stakeholders, and deliver Best Value.

Additional Arrangements

There are additional service-specific self-assessment arrangements, such as in Education and Social Services (Wellbeing Directorate) some of which have the option of independent validation.  We are also involved in a wide range of national networks, with colleagues across different sectors who are dealing with the same issues and challenges, to support and learn from each other, and share creative solutions.