Bòrd na Gàidhlig addresses failings

The public body responsible for promoting Gaelic in Scotland has tackled weaknesses in its leadership and governance, the Auditor General for Scotland has said, following a critical report two years ago.

A 2019 report on Bòrd na Gàidhlig, conducted by the national watchdog that oversees how public money is spent, identified multiple failings in the oversight and senior management of the organisation.

It said the Bòrd ‘must address a range of concerns, from a lack of openness to poor relationships and organisational culture’. It listed the public body’s ‘ineffective leadership’, ‘a lack of clarity over roles and responsibilities’, and ‘a lack of transparency in decision-making’.

A new follow-up report from the Auditor General for Scotland said in the two years since, the Bòrd has taken a number of actions, including: restructuring its leadership and management; significantly improving openness and transparency; clarifying roles and responsibilities; reducing the number of non-executive board members; and addressing skills gaps on its board.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig now needs to monitor the impact of these changes in the years to come.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: ‘Bòrd na Gàidhlig has made good progress in addressing the problems in its leadership, and it is now a much improved organisation. The scale of change and pace of improvement since 2019 is welcome.

‘Given the long-term change required, it is likely the full benefits of the improvements will only emerge over time.’

Bòrd na Gàidhlig is based in Inverness and employs around 21 staff. In 2020/21, it had a net expenditure of £5.6 million.