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National Performance Framework

In 2007 Scottish Government established a National Performance Framework, which has an overall purpose, 5 strategic objectives, 15 national outcomes which Government wants to see achieved, and 45 national indicators or targets by means of which progress towards these goals can be tracked.

SNH is a government-funded organisation, supporting the work of Government and helping to deliver its functions in relation to the natural heritage. Our Corporate Strategy 2008-13 sets out how the five strategic priorities in our work contribute towards these outcomes, and towards the indicators and targets - see this Website under 'What we do'.

Here is a summary of the National Performance Framework, including the indicators and targets relevant to SNH's work.  SNH reports annually on three of the indicators on behalf of Scottish Government.

Overall purpose

Creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth

Strategic Objectives

  • wealthier & fairer: enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth
  • smarter: expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements
  • healthier: help people sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care
  • safer & stronger: help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer places to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life
  • greener: improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it

National outcomes

  • We live in a Scotland that is the most attractive place for doing business in Europe
  • We realise our full economic potential with more and better employment opportunities for our people
  • We are better educated, more skilled and more successful, renowned for our research and innovation
  • Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens
  • Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed
  • We live longer, healthier lives
  • We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society
  • We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk
  • We live our lives free from crime, disorder and danger
  • We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need
  • We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others
  • We value and enjoy our built and natural environment
  • We take pride in a strong, fair, and inclusive national identity
  • We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production
  • Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs

National indicators and targets

Those relevant to SNH's work are:

  • improve public sector efficiency through the generation of 2% cash releasing efficiency savings per annum
  • improve people's perceptions of the quality of public services delivered
  • increase the social economy turnover
  • reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their body mass index outwith a healthy range by 2018
  • reduce mortality from coronary heart disease among the under 75s in deprived areas
  • increase the percentage of adults who rate their neighbourhood as a good place to live
  • reduce overall ecological footprint
  • increase to 95% the proportion of protected nature sites in favourable condition
  • biodiversity: increase the index of abundance of terrestrial breeding birds
  • increase the proportion of journeys to work made by public or active transport
  • increase the proportion of adults making one or more visits to the outdoors per week
  • 50% of electricity generated in Scotland to come from renewable sources by 2020 (interim target of 31% by 2011)
  • improve people's perceptions, attitudes and awareness of Scotland's reputation

Scottish Natural Heritage reports annually on behalf of Scottish Government on progress on the three indicators  in bold type.