The Committee has agreed to undertake an inquiry into committee effectiveness. Committee effectiveness is about looking at how committees work and whether there are things which could help them work better.

To help the Committee find this out, it is looking for an answer to the following question:

“Are there changes to the Parliament’s procedures and practices which would help committees to work more effectively?”

To answer this question, the Committee will consider three themes:

Structure

The current structure of committees, the best size of membership and the number of committees. The remit of committees, including whether they should mirror the Scottish Government Ministerial portfolios or whether a different approach could be taken. The Gender Sensitive Audit set out a suite of proposals relating to quotas for committee membership. As a Committee we have agreed that as a minimum, there should be no single sex committees. We intend to propose this change take effect from the start of the next parliamentary session.

The key questions the Committee will seek to answer on this theme is:

• Are there structural and procedural changes which would improve committee scrutiny?
• Are there structural and procedural changes which would allow committees to be more effective with their time?
• Are there changes which would help committees better carry out scrutiny.

Elected Conveners

The Committee has already consulted on the practical operation of elected conveners. The Committee will consider what cultural changes it thinks elected conveners would bring to the operation of committees.

The key question the Committee will seek to answer on this theme is:

"Would elected conveners strengthen the committees of the Parliament, and if so, how?"

Evaluation

The Committee will consider how committees currently evaluate their work and whether there are changes or improvements which could be made.

This may include approaches to pre and post legislative scrutiny and considerations of how work is planned to build in evaluation and reflection.

The key questions the Committee will seek to answer on this theme is:

• Are there additional opportunities for committees to evaluate and reflect on work they undertake?
• How time can be built into work programmes for evaluation by committees of their own approaches, especially where these may be new?

Background

The Committee has considered the attached background briefing paper regarding research and data relevant to the inquiries remit.

Background Briefing paper

Committee Adviser

The Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee has appointed Dr Danielle Beswick as adviser to provide advice and assistance for its inquiry into Scottish Parliament committee effectiveness.