35.Section 16 makes provision about Qualifications Scotland’s corporate plan. This must be prepared by Qualifications Scotland as soon as reasonably practicable after this section comes into force.
36.The corporate plan must set out the main objectives of Qualifications Scotland, the outcomes which will be used to assess whether those objectives have been achieved, a general description of its planned activities, and what it intends to do to meet the requirements set out in section 7 and the expectations set out in its charters. The charters which must be covered for this purpose will include the learner charter under section 11 and the teacher and practitioner charter under section 12, as well as any other charters produced (e.g. under section 14). The corporate plan may also include such other material as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate. However, the corporate plan need not include details of objectives and activities which relate to the activities of the Accreditation Committee, because it is required to prepare its own corporate plan under section 24.
37.Before preparing a corporate plan, Qualifications Scotland is required to consult with a variety of persons on how Qualifications Scotland can, in the exercise of its functions, align with the economic, social and environmental priorities of the Scottish Ministers. The groups from which consultees must be sought are persons who are undertaking (or have recent experience of undertaking) a Qualifications Scotland qualification, persons who are providing teaching or training in respect of a Qualifications Scotland qualification, employers, and such other persons as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate. When consulting, Qualifications Scotland is only required to consult with such persons in these groups as it considers appropriate.
38.Once a plan has been prepared, it must be put to a vote of the members of Qualifications Scotland. In order to be approved, a majority of those voting must cast their vote in favour of the plan. The plan must then be submitted to the Scottish Ministers. Ministers can approve the plan without any modifications, approve it with modifications (following consultation with Qualifications Scotland), or reject it. If it is rejected, the Scottish Ministers must publish their reasons for rejecting the plan, and Qualifications Scotland must submit a modified plan as soon as reasonably practicable. Any modified plan will be subject to the same approval requirements as the plan that was initially submitted. Furthermore, the same options for responding are available to the Scottish Ministers in respect of a modified plan.
39.As soon as reasonably practicable following approval of the corporate plan, Qualifications Scotland must publish it and the Scottish Ministers must lay a copy of it before the Scottish Parliament.
40.Once a corporate plan is approved, it remains in force until such time it is superseded by a new corporate plan. Qualifications Scotland can opt to prepare a new corporate plan at any time, or it can be compelled to do so by the Scottish Ministers. In each case, because a new corporate plan is still a corporate plan, its content must satisfy the requirements of subsection (3) and it must be published and laid before the Scottish Parliament under subsection (9). Further, by virtue of subsection (11), the same rules about approval apply as applied to the first corporate plan.
Overview of the Act Accountability of Qualifications Scotland Section 16 – Corporate plan of Qualifications Scotland