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Public Appointments > Research and Reports > Our Research > State of the Nation Report 2025

State of the Nation Report 2025

11 September 2025

 

The Ethical Standards Commissioner has a statutory obligation to publish and promote a strategy to encourage increased board diversity and to consult widely in preparing it. The previous strategy was published in 2008, and it is therefore now being updated, shaping Scotland’s future approach to diversity in Public Appointments. 

The Commissioner contracted with a consultancy firm, Leading Kind, in order to assist with the work of revising the diversity strategy, and the first part of the contract was to produce a “State of the Nation” report, intended to: 

  • Review the progress achieved under Diversity Delivers.
  • Examine shifts in Scottish society, law, policy, and workplace culture since 2008.
  • Assess the effectiveness of public appointment practices.
  • Draw on data analysis, literature review, and interviews to identify barriers and enablers to greater diversity.
  • Offer prompts and perspectives to guide stakeholder consultation.

Key findings of this research report are:

Implications for governance: Evidence suggests that cognitive diversity (differences in perspective, skills, and experience) has the strongest link to board performance, but it is often overlooked. Boards benefit from diversity of thought when there is strong integration and an inclusive culture. Poorly managed diversity can lead to conflict or tokenism. Recruitment strategies must be merit based, requiring stakeholders to consider what ‘good’ means in the context of governance generally, but also to individual boards. Progress and continuing gaps: The number of women holding public appointments has improved significantly, with many boards now close to parity in terms of the proportion of men and women who sit on them. Incremental progress has been made in ethnic diversity, but boards still do not fully reflect Scotland’s population. Disabled people, younger applicants, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds remain consistently underrepresented. Urban–rural disparities are evident, with greater diversity in city-based boards. Recruitment and Appointment Practices:The introduction of the 2022 Code of Practice has created opportunities for more flexible, outcome-focused approaches. However, implementation is inconsistent. Positive action strategies and innovative assessment methods are permitted, but they are not widely or confidently applied. The process is often seen as overly bureaucratic, time-consuming, and inaccessible, limiting applicant diversity. Feedback provided to unsuccessful candidates is limited, weakening the pipeline of potential future applicants. Broader cultural and legal context: Scotland’s demographic profile has changed markedly, with greater ethnic and religious diversity, higher disability prevalence, and shifts in immigration patterns. Legal developments, including the Equality Act 2010 and recent judicial clarifications, shape the boundaries within which diversity initiatives must operate. Public attitudes towards equality, diversity, and inclusion are evolving, but tokenistic, compliance-driven or ideological approaches risk undermining trust.

Ian Bruce, the Ethical Standards Commissioner said:

I have pleasure in sharing this report, authored by independent consultants, Leading Kind. It is informed by detailed research and thoughtful analysis which has provided a helpful snapshot of the current state of the nation for diversity in public appointments, but more importantly, also provides a stepping stone towards discussion about what any future strategy should look like.

I am keenly aware of the importance of Diversity of thought, experience and perspective as a significant enabler for good governance on boards. I believe that our focus should be on creating the conditions for effective governance by ensuring that boards benefit from a range of perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking; because high-quality decision-making and public trust and confidence rely on diversity of thought. Differing viewpoints can challenge assumptions, increase innovation, give different insight to risk and strengthen scrutiny. This work is more important than ever, given the pressing need for public sector reform, which dictates that our public bodies will need to deliver public services differently and must be well placed to innovate, collaborate and engage meaningfully with the communities that they serve. This will sit alongside and complement the important work of continuing to monitor and increase the opportunities of those with protected characteristics, while addressing any inappropriate limitations experienced by these groups.