Public Value

This year’s conference focuses on the theme of colleges creating value.

Our understanding of value will be helped by debating the emerging framework of public value. We anticipate that this
will encourage a broader understanding and recognition of the full value of colleges in learning and skills development.

Public value theory was first developed by the US scholar Professor Mark Moore (Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University) who was concerned that very often public services were “hitting the target but missing the point”. This work has been taken forwards in the UK by Professor Benington and his colleagues. It is currently being explored by a wide range of academics, practitioners and leaders in a number of public policy fields including health,education, policing, culture and sustainable communities, as well as learning and skills. It can offer a framework from which those tasked with leading and providing public services in partnership with others can:

* Engage with their stakeholders
* Understand the needs and preferences of the public they serve
* Plan, deliver and evaluate the impact of services through on-going involvement with users and stakeholders.

Agenda

Thursday 5 June


13:00 Registration and lunch

14:00 Introduction and welcome to the conference
Ian Macpherson MBE , Chairman, Association of Scotland’s Colleges

14:10 Keynote speaker: Public value, learning and skills
Going beyond performance targets and achieving wider outcomes for the public good
Professor John Benington , Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management
Including Q and A

15:15 Building public value
How the BBC built public value going into the digital age
Atholl Duncan , Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland
Including Q and A

15:45 Refreshments and exhibition viewing

16:10 Group discussions

16:30 Panel session
Chaired by: Howard McKenzie , Acting Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Colleges
Panel members:
John Benington, Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management
Atholl Duncan , Head of News and Current Affairs, BBC Scotland
Martin Fairbairn , Director of Governance and Management, Scottish Funding Council
Ian Graham , Principal, John Wheatley College, Vice Chair, Association of Scotland’s Colleges

17:15 Close of session

Evening
An excellent opportunity to make new acquaintances and renew existing ones in a relaxed and informal setting.

19:00 Drinks reception

19:30 Dinner

21:15 After-dinner speech
Roger McClure , Former Chief Executive, Scottish Funding Council

21:45 Music by Dundee College

Friday 6 June

09:30 Registration and refreshments

10:00 Introduction and welcome
Ian Macpherson MBE, Chairman, Association of Scotland’s Colleges

10:05 Forward together
Colleges have enabled 100,000s of people to reach for and achieve their potential, what is the potential of Scotland's Colleges and what would enable the Colleges to increase their potential?
Howard McKenzie, Acting Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Colleges

10:30 Keynote speaker: Leadership within the public value context
Leadership for a purpose? Creating value?
Irwin Turbitt , Institute of Governance and Management, Warwick Business School
Including Q and A

11:30 Speakers on the elements of public value:

Economic growth –Liz Cameron , Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Efficient government – Martin Fairbairn, Director of Governance and Management, Scottish Funding Council
Social inclusion and equality – Rowena Arshad , Chair, Equality Forward
Sustainability – Duncan McLaren , Chief Executive, Friends of the Earth Scotland
Collaborative partnerships and networks – Peter Malcolm , Depute Principal, Jewel and Esk Valley College

12:30 Lunch and exhibition viewing

13:45 Workshops
Each of the five workshops will examine a different public value theme with a view to taking Scotland’s colleges forward. Delegates will each attend one workshop. There will then be a short session after lunch feeding back the outcomes of all the workshops.

Workshop A - Economic growth
Workshop B - Efficient government
Workshop C - Social inclusion and equality
Workshop D - Sustainability
Workshop E – Collaborative partnerships and networks

14:45 Refreshments and exhibition viewing

15:15 Feedback and conclusions from workshops and audience discussion
Howard McKenzie, Acting Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Colleges

15:45 Keynote speaker
Alex Salmond MSP , First Minister of Scotland, The Scottish Government
Including Q and A

16:30 Closing remarks and Close of conference
Ian Macpherson MBE, Chairman, Association of Scotland’s Colleges