FOI20/21 138 Scottish Stakeholder Research Programme

Date published: 27/11/2020

In the SQA News publication in May 2020 the following information was provided:

Ashbrook Research & Consultancy

Every year, we ask Ashbrook to carry out a programme of research among our key stakeholders. Even though the current social distancing measures are proving a challenge to us all, we still need to ensure that you have the opportunity to share your views with us.

This research will commence with employers and training providers over the next couple of weeks. We will carry out the school and college fieldwork in early June so that the research doesn't clash with the 29 May deadline for submitting National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher estimates.

Carrying out this research helps us to measure how we support you and identifies improvements that we can make. If you are contacted by one of the Ashbrook researchers and are able to take part in their short survey, we will be extremely grateful, as you will be helping to shape the way in which we continue to support you.

Under FOISA I would like the SQA to release material relating to the research referred to above.

Please provide all internal communications discussing the content of the report on the research detailed above.

The research referred to in your quote above from the SQA News Publication in May 2020 is part of our Scottish stakeholder research programme.   SQA has a contract to provide an ongoing programme of stakeholder research to inform the work that SQA carries out. This is awarded under the Scottish Government Marketing Services framework. All research companies on the framework are asked to tender for the contract as and when it comes up for renewal, in line with the framework rules.

There are three tranches of research for this programme every year, of which the research mentioned above is the first of 2020. We ask a core set of questions which are asked in all three tranches. The report that covers these questions are only provided to SQA once all three tranches have been completed. This happens annually, and the report should be complete in February 2021.

Since the final report has not yet been provided to SQA there is no internal communications discussing the content of this report.  Section 17 of FOISA provides that where an authority does not hold information requested then it should notify the requester to that effect.