‘Deals must show value for money’
CITY Deals need to measure how projects will deliver inclusive growth and value for money, according to Scotland’s finance watchdog.
Audit Scotland has reported on the City Deals, including Glasgow’s £1 billion deal.
Many projects are under way using city deal cash including employability schemes to get people ready for and into work.
Most of the cash is expected to go on infrastructure projects, like the plan to link Glasgow Airport to Paisley Gilmour Street with the first phase of a Metro network.
It said while City Region and Growth Deals have enabled economic development projects across Scotland that may not otherwise have gone ahead, it said the Scottish Government has not set out how it will measure the programme’s value for money
The Scottish Government is recommended to “develop arrangements for measuring the impact of the overall deals programme, in particular how it has taken account of outcomes set out in the National Performance Framework and whether it has achieved value for money.”
They should also, he said: “Clarify for partners how they should plan for and then measure and report on the impact of individual deals, including their delivery of inclusive growth.”
The Glasgow Region City Deal covers eight council areas, with East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire councils joining with Glasgow to deliver the projects.
There are 12 Scottish city deals in place at various stages, with Glasgow the first to be signed in 2014.
Deals for Aberdeen, Inverness and Edinburgh have also been signed and are in the delivery phase.
Agreements have been signed for Tay Cities, Stirling, Ayrshire and Borderlands, while funding commitments made for Argyll and Moray.
Audit Scotland also said councils should ensure there is input from businesses and the third sector.
It said councils should: “Ensure a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including local businesses, voluntary organisations, communities and community planning partners, are involved in the deal development.”
Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “A significant amount of public money has been committed to city deals, but the programme’s lack of aims and objectives means opportunities may already have been missed to ensure deals contribute to national outcomes.
“The Scottish Government needs to show how it will measure deals’ long-term success and work with councils to improve transparency around the approval process for individual projects.”