Background and approach

This section sets out the background to the NTS, followed by the rationale for conducting this study and the approach taken to deliver.

National Transport Strategy

In February 2020, the Scottish Government presented its 20-year NTS to the Scottish Parliament, committing Scotland to a vision of sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport. The NTS highlighted the central role that transport can play in four priority areas; namely, reducing inequality, tackling the climate crisis, delivering inclusive growth, and improving health and well-being. As such, the NTS sits at the intersection of a number of Scottish Government agendas and targets, including its statutory child poverty reduction targets, a green and fair recovery from COVID-19, and its commitment to achieving ‘net-zero’ by 2045. In a longitudinal perspective, its 20-year vision commits Scotland to long-term investment in bus infrastructure and active travel, and to the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railways by 2035, among others.

The first annual NTS Delivery Plan was published on 17 December 2020. The Delivery Plan brings together, for the first time, the actions the Scottish Government will take to deliver the NTS’s priorities and takes account of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak.

While the Delivery Plan sets out the actions being undertaken by the Scottish Government, work being taken forward by partners is crucial to the successful delivery of NTS.

To support this work, an NTS Forum has been established. This is the main engagement platform bringing together transport stakeholders (individuals and communities; national government; local and regional partners; the transport sector; and businesses) to work collectively on delivering the NTS’s vision and priorities.

The NTS Forum comprises a People’s Panel, a Business Group (transport sector; businesses; local and regional partners), and a cross-Government Steering Group, through which further and extensive engagement will be undertaken.

People’s Panel Pilot

The use of People’s Panels is a growing trend within the social and public policy process worldwide and have been used since the early 1980s.

These can vary in size from small numbers up to thousands of people. Panels can be short-term or ongoing as part of a rolling programme of research and consultation. In considering the effectiveness and innovation of citizen’s panels towards supporting democracy, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 2020) emphasised examples meeting three minimum criteria:

  1. Impact: The process must be commissioned by a public institution
  2. Representativeness: Participants are chosen through random selection with a demographic stratification
  3. Deliberation: Requires time, operationalised as a minimum of one full day of face-to-face meetings

During the pandemic, there was a rise in the number of panels convened by public bodies, taking place online.

Transport Scotland commissioned services for the creation and management of a People’s Panel, which will support the delivery of the NTS. This comprised recruitment of the panel, content design and facilitation of panel sessions, analysis of panel discussions, and reporting. Parameters were set around timescale and budget appropriate for a pilot during 2021-2022.

This pilot was Transport Scotland’s initial attempt to establish this type of forum. Therefore, the commission was designed with a view to learning from the process for future iterations of the public panels for this policy area.

People’s Panel Aims

Outputs from the NTS Forum will be used to inform the quarterly NTS Delivery Board. The aims of the NTS People’s Panel were to:

  • Work in collaboration with individuals to inform the implementation of NTS
  • Better understand the lived experiences of people across Scotland
  • Provide a deliberative space where members can share their views and experiences of the transport system in Scotland
  • Encourage members to consider and discuss potential policy actions that could be incorporated into the NTS annual Delivery Plan

The Panel was set up to consider thematic issues highlighted in the NTS under its four key priorities:

  1. Reduces Inequalities
  2. Takes Climate Action
  3. Helps Deliver Inclusive Economic Growth
  4. Improves our Health and Well-being

Therefore, Transport Scotland expected that this initial panel would convene at least four times where a spotlight session will be held on each one of the four priorities.

After each spotlight session, reports and discussion were set out to deliver:

  • High-level findings in the broader policy and research context
  • Overview of the approach
  • Presentation of research findings and conclusions that are supported by the evidence

Report

This final report is the culmination of the People’s Panel Pilot. Findings relating to transport are organised by each aim under NTS.