They cited the thinking of the OECD and the UN, whose sustainable development goals set out a policy coherence target, and the need for those who provided scrutiny to recognise coherence or at least be able to identify “incoherence and trade-offs".iOfficial Report, 13 Jan 2022, Col 2
They were encouraged that the Scottish Government had recently established a ministerial working group, the purpose of which was to encourage policy coherence.iiOfficial Report, 13 Jan 2022, Col 9However, they also alluded to a company in FifeiiiIt was suggested by a member of the Committee that this was an indirect reference to Raytheon UK, a defence company account managed by Scottish Enterprise - Official Report, 13 Jan 2022, Col 13 in receipt of government subsidy and which in their view raised questions over “negative international impact”—
“The reality is that choosing domestic jobs over international impact is part of an uncomfortable conversation that processes around policy coherence would force us into.”ivOfficial Report, 13 Jan 2022, Col 8
Policy coherence was not a focus on “finding the perfect solution” but about seeking greater efficiency and doing so by making the most of sustainable development impact assessment tools – “for example, the tool that was developed by the Scottish Parliament information centre in the previous session of Parliament” – to ensure “value for money is achieved across any area of policy when it comes to international impact”.iOfficial Report, 13 Jan 2022, Col 2
They also referenced “Outcomes-focused Policy Making in Scotland”, a document and toolkit created in partnership between the Scottish Government and an EU-funded project.