FOI20/21 137 Stakeholder Research Finance

Date published: 27/11/2020

I would like to request the following information under FOISA:

1.         How much, in total, has the SQA spent on services from Ashbrook Research & Constultancy since 2001?

2.         How much, in total, has the SQA spent on services from Ashbrook Research & Consultancy each year since 2001?

All information about SQA Procurement is available on our website and can be accessed here.  SQA has a contract to provide an ongoing programme of stakeholder research. 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. The current version of the contract expires in March 2022, although SQA has an option to extend it for a further year.

Ashbrook Research & Consultancy currently hold this contract and have carried out SQA's stakeholder research under this and previous contracts.  The stakeholder research programme is longitudinal, so allowing SQA to track changes in views over time and to gather feedback from SQA's stakeholder groups. In the past, a considerable focus for the programme was the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence. Ashbrook also carry out a range of smaller ad hoc pieces of research for SQA which are procured in line with public sector procurement policy.

Research work is also recorded in SQA's annual PSRA submission to Scottish Government.

The overall spend on services from Ashbrook Research & Consultancy since 2006 is £2,291,456.90.  SQA does not hold information from 2001 as you request.  This figure is broken down by year, below, as requested.

 

2006 - £3,452.87

2007 - £98,131.88

2008 - £89,451.71

2009 - £94,678.66

2010 - £134,037.82

2011 - £98,139.15

2012 - £180,339.29

2013 - £217,387.38

2014 - £194,368.12

2015 - £215,731.28

2016 - £204,918.58

2017 - £193,915.16

2018 - £205,050.80

2019 - £213,516.16

2020 - £148,338.04