Summary of recommendations from the independent review of Regular Funding 2018-21

In July 2018 Wavehill Ltd was appointed by Creative Scotland to carry out an independent evaluation of the 2018-21 Regular Funding process (RFO process). The aim of commissioning the evaluation was to provide Creative Scotland with an objective insight on the end-to-end process which was run and to produce a set of recommendations that would help to inform the development of future funding models.

The main objective of the evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of Creative Scotland’s approach to, and delivery against, the stated aims and guidance for the 2018-21 Regular Funding process, including the application of a single model of regular (or multi-year) funding across a wide range of organisations.

Research Methodology

The research was conducted in July and August 2018. The Evaluation Team used a mixed-method approach that drew on qualitative and quantitative data and cross-referencing to enable the interpretation of different perspectives provided on the RFO process.

Key elements of the evaluation included:

Review of documentation

A summary of the key documents accessed and reviewed by the evaluation team is provided below:

• Published guidance and application material
• Feedback from applicants from the 2015-18 RFO process
• Assessment guidance resources and templates
• Correspondence from and to the Culture, Tourism, European and External Relations Committee (CTEER)
• RFO 2018-21 funding agreements
• Complaints documentation relating to the 2018-21 RFO process
• A sample of assessment reports provided to applicants
• A detailed profile of the 2018-21 RFO Network
• Auditors report on staff responses to the Regular Funding process
• Staff responses to an internal survey on the Regular Funding process
• Creative Scotland’s Complaint Investigation Reports
• Board papers and minutes of Board meetings

Stakeholder consultations

The Evaluation Team undertook semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of Creative Scotland’s Senior Leadership Team and Board members. Specialism Leads and teams provided written responses to the Evaluation Team structured against a number of research questions. The Evaluation Team have, where necessary, sought clarification and feedback from non-assessing teams including Knowledge & Research, Communications, Funding and Finance.

Survey of applicants

An online survey was used to obtain feedback on the published guidance, application and assessment process for the 2018-21 Regular Funding programme.

A total of 105 organisations completed the online survey, representing 57% of the 184 organisations that applied to the Regular Funding programme. Of the 121 organisations that were successful in their application to Regular Funding, 72 responded to the survey - a response rate of 60%. Of the 63 organisations that were unsuccessful, 33 responded to the survey – a response rate of 57%.

Telephone consultations with applicants

All respondents to the survey of applicants were asked whether they would be willing to speak with a member of the Evaluation Team. The purpose of these in-depth telephone consultations was to explore particular points or views provided during the body of their response. The Evaluation Team completed a total of 21 telephone consultations with applicants, of which 15 were from applicants that were funded and six from applicants that were not funded.

Review of comparable funding models

To support a process of understanding what alternative funding models could be explored or developed by Creative Scotland, the Evaluation Team has consulted with staff from Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Wales.

Summary of Recommendations from the evaluation

A summary of the key recommendations from the evaluation includes:

Design of the RFO process

• Creative Scotland should explore the feasibility of using investment bands within the design of future funding models.
• Creative Scotland should discuss the implications of extending the duration of the current Regular Funding cycle with Scottish Government as well as engaging Arts Council England to learn from their experiences.
• The design of future funding models should more explicitly consider the interplay and links between the alternative funding options available including Open Project Funding.
• Creative Scotland should provide clarity on the rationale and benefits of including sector support organisations within the RFO process and/or consider the relative merits of developing a separate process for funding sector support organisations.
• Creative Scotland should explore the use of an account management model in the design of future Regular Funding programmes.

Development of the RFO process

• Creative Scotland should review all application guidance and access support arrangements to ensure that this is compliant with relevant good practice guidelines.
• Creative Scotland should undertake a detailed training needs assessment as part of the development phase of future funding models as this will help to ensure consistency of assessment approach and also support the professional development of staff.

Stage 1 and 2 of the process

• Creative Scotland should reconsider the current closed nature of the RFO process and identify options to enable dialogue with applicants without undermining the transparency and integrity of the process.
• Creative Scotland should undertake a review of the resourcing requirements for future funding models to ensure that workloads and pressure exerted on staff during any assessment process are carefully managed.
• Consideration should be given to using external assessors to supplement aspects of the assessment process where appropriate and where this enables staff to adequately discharge other aspects of their substantive roles.
• Creative Scotland should explore options for the use of a two-stage lighter-touch application assessment process with more detailed information requested only from organisations that are recommended to progress to the next stage.
• Future guidance documentation for applicants should consider outlining expectations of what constitutes acceptable conduct following any announcement of funding awards.
• All assessment reports should be thoroughly checked prior to dissemination and a more robust system of moderation put in place to ensure a greater degree of consistency in the language and tone used in the assessment reports.

Stage 3 of the process

• Creative Scotland should ensure that applicants are more clearly signposted to relevant sector reviews in future funding models to enable them to better reference how they would address specific sector priorities rather than a more general statement of how they would contribute to the higher-level ambitions outlined in Creative Scotland’s 10-year plan.
• Creative Scotland should ensure that the approach to assessing multi art form organisations is reviewed as part of the design phase of future funding models.
• Creative Scotland should ensure that more capacity is allocated to providing guidance and oversight for specialist team discussions for future funding models to ensure consistency of approach.
• Creative Scotland should lead a process of reviewing the distribution models for future funding that is based on a balanced assessment of both historic levels of funding and the existing and future needs of each art form and creative area.

Stage 4 of the process

• Creative Scotland should enter into dialogue with the sector to explain how the balancing the network processes operate and how decisions are taken, whilst at the same time stressing the ‘commercial in confidence’ nature of staff discussions.
• Given the lack of certainty regarding future budget settlements it is important that the innovative ideas put forward in Stage 4 discussions are not discarded but used to facilitate ongoing dialogue both internally within Creative Scotland and more widely with the sector.
• The option of using external observers should be revisited for future funding models.
• Creative Scotland’s Leadership Team should ensure that future funding models include sufficient feedback briefings for staff on the different scenarios and modelling considered as part of the balancing the network stage.

Stage 5 of the process

• There is a fundamental need for the Leadership Team and Board to reflect on the RFO process. This is likely to require a review of the lines of communication between both parties and also a discussion on the parameters of the Board’s role and support needs with regards to future funding models.
• Future funding models should allow for a suitable gap between Board meetings at which funding decisions are taken and their subsequent public announcement.
• The approach to funding and supporting key organisations that are deemed to be integral to the national cultural infrastructure needs to be factored into the design of future funding models and requires a wider dialogue between Creative Scotland, Scottish Government and the sector.
• Creative Scotland should review future funding models to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken so that staff involved in the assessment process aren’t placed in potentially compromising positions.
• Guidance should be included for applicants to future funding programmes around making direct approaches to the Leadership Team or Board members during a live assessment process.

Stage 6 of the process

• The process of notifying applicants of the outcome of future funding models should ensure the provision of better communication and support for staff involved in the feedback meetings.

The work to review our approach to funding is already well under way and we will be scheduling public consultation sessions across Scotland in the early part of 2019 to discuss ideas and options on priorities and the best funding approaches.

Following that public consultation process, we aim to have agreed and announced our updated strategic priorities and future funding approach as soon as possible in 2019.

Whilst we consult on the future funding model, we will continue to operate our other funds.

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