Efficiency

Efficiency involves raising productivity and enhancing value for money to improve our delivery of public services. It isn’t about making cuts.

Examples of efficiencies include:

• making better use of our office space – including sharing it with other organisations
• developing more streamlined processes
• making use of new technologies

Advances in information technology can help us to create more efficient ways of working and improve access to information and services.

Read about our plans to develop our IT systems further in Shaping the Future of IS and ICT in NatureScot: 2014–2019.

Adding up our efficiency savings

The Scottish Government expects every public body in Scotland to deliver efficiency savings of at least 3% per annum and to report publicly on the action undertaken and results achieved.

In 2017–18, we secured efficiency savings of £1.688m (3.54%).

These savings resulted mostly from:

• our approach to shared services – in particular, our push towards co-locations with other organisations
• rationalisation of our assets – including office and fleet disposals
• greening measures – such as solar panels and renewable heat sources
• staff savings

Efficiency savings let us maximise our investment in the natural heritage.