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Public Appointments > Latest News > 12/09/2025

State of the Nation Report Published

12 September 2025

We are pleased to announce that a State of the Nation Report, written by the consultant group Leading Kind, has been published today as part of the Commissioner’s work to refresh the Diversity Strategy for Public Appointments in Scotland. This report is written with the intention to: 

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

Responding to the findings of this report, 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."

 

Building on the report’s findings, Leading Kind will, working closely with us and the Scottish Ministers, begin to develop a new Diversity Strategy for Public Appointments in Scotland that better reflects Scotland’s current needs and the ongoing requirement for significant public sector reform, and which continues to put the interests of the Scottish people at the heart of our public bodies’ governance. As part of this, they are keen to consult widely on what this new strategy should look like. If you have any thoughts on the questions proposed at the end of the State of the Nation Report, you are welcomed to provide your views via Leading Kind’s feedback form. If you wish to provide more general views on the report and on the strategy’s wider development, please email us at appointments@ethicalstandards.org.uk.