Business plan 2013-15
Introduction
This business plan sets out the key activities, and the investment we plan to allocate
to these activities, which will be the focus of our work in 2013-15, the final two years
of our corporate plan 2011-15.
One clear focus
Our corporate plan sets out one clear focus – that we will invest our time, expertise
and funding in developing a world class sporting system at all levels. This focus is
driven by our person and athlete-centred view of sport for Scotland, so that people
participating or wanting to participate in sport in Scotland will see the following
changes. They will:

be supported by a range of people, competent at the level they need, working
on the right kind of activities and in the right places.

have a more accessible network of places where they can take part in sport
with those places better meeting their needs and expectations.

find that getting in to sport, progressing and achieving in sport, and moving
between sports will be easier.

discover that making sport a part of life, throughout life, will feel more possible
with more of their friends, family and colleagues involved in it.

see, hear and read more about sport in their communities and about Scottish
athletes on the world stage.
We refer to these as the five changes we will see and everything we do aims to
maximise our impact on these changes. The majority of the programmes set out in
this plan have associated indicators to track progress towards the changes. For
those that do not, we are working actively towards this.
Sport for all
sportscotland strives to ensure that every person in Scotland has opportunities in
sport and as part of this commitment we are setting equality outcomes. We have
developed four equality outcomes, which focus on ensuring more people who share
the protected characteristics see the changes we strive for:

Awareness is increased around the needs of people who share protected
characteristics that are under-represented in sport.

The sporting workforce has the appropriate skills and knowledge to address
inequalities in sport.

People participating in sport are supported by a diverse sporting workforce.

Equality of opportunity to participate, progress and achieve in sport is
advanced.
The actions we will undertake to achieve these equality outcomes are integrated
within the programmes in this business plan.
Our journey 2011-15
This business plan marks the midway point of our corporate plan. It is an important
point for us to reflect on the progress we have made over the last two years. It is also
perhaps our last chance to ensure our plans for the next two years will deliver on our
ambitions of success in and a legacy beyond Glasgow 2014.
Our ambition, our one clear focus, is to accelerate a world class sporting system at
all levels for the people of Scotland.
The last two years have been landmark years for sport. The 2012 Olympics
exceeded all expectations in terms of the performance of Scottish athletes and the
feel good factor for the nation. We saw for the first time in some years, real increases
in the numbers of people participating in sport and with our partners we have made
significant inroads into developing a sustainable world class sporting system.

In school sport, our Active Schools programme has gone from strength to
strength with the most recent term data indicating the greatest number of
participant sessions ever delivered. We have been tasked with a greater role
in physical education (PE) offering us the opportunity to align and improve the
school sport and physical activity system.

In club sport, 70 community sport hubs are now up and running and making a
real impact for their communities. We have announced our greatest ever
investment in club development.

In performance sport, Scotland achieved its best ever result at both the
Olympics and Paralympics, exceeding all its performance outcomes in
relation to the number of Scots on Team GB and medals won. Scottish
athletes won 13 medals at the Olympics and 11 medals at the Paralympics.

We have seen excellent returns on our facilities investment with the opening
of truly world class facilities including the Emirates Arena and Sir Chris Hoy
Velodrome and the Royal Commonwealth Pool, which will inspire the nation
and offer quality sporting opportunities of which we can be proud.

The ‘new sportscotland’ is three years old, and not so new but still revitalised.
Organisational changes have bedded in and we are operating with greater
focus, efficiency, knowledge and skills. We have successfully introduced new
investment principles and systems, and enhanced our regional capabilities to
strengthen our impact with partners.
We have come a long way in two years but we know that there is much more we
must do in the next two to maximise the once in a lifetime opportunities that 2012 and
2014 present.
Our focus for 2013-15
This business plan for 2013-15 is the first two year business plan we have produced.
The plan has been developed by the sportscotland leadership team, with the support
of staff across the organisation, to provide a collective focus on what we will deliver
over the next two years. It continues our shift from initiatives to a programme-based
approach, focusing our efforts on a systematic approach to the development of sport.
This plan is about impacting where we said we would in our corporate plan and within
our more detailed frameworks for clubs, coaching and volunteering. It will also set the
foundations for 2015 onwards. We have ensured all of our work is effectively aligned
and focused to make the greatest impact on school, club and performance sport.
Success in these programmes is enabled by people, places, and partnerships and
planning. This is underpinned by sportscotland continuously striving to become a
more effective organisation.
The plan reflects the following key priorities:

We will continue to strengthen the Active Schools Network to introduce and
inspire more children to enjoy sport for life. We will work with partners to lay
foundations for the next phase of Active Schools. Our work with education
partners will continue to be driven by the ambition of a systematic approach to
school sport.

We will deliver on our commitment to establish 150 community sport hubs by
2015. We will work with the hubs to enable them to make the greatest impact
and deliver a real 2014 legacy for local communities. We will also work with
partners on our new club development programme to set the foundations to
make a demonstrable difference for club sport for 2015 onwards.

We will ensure our athletes are the best ever prepared for success in
Glasgow and Sochi by providing quality performance sport services, and we
will work strategically and operationally to continue to strengthen our
performance sport system so it is fit for the future.

Skilled people operating in the right places are essential to a world class
sporting system and people development will be a priority for the next two
years. We will make significant developments in the performance, leadership,
and learning and development of our own staff to ensure we can realise our
ambitions and offer quality services to our partners and our staff.
This business plan for 2013-15 is perhaps our most ambitious to date. It is imperative
that at the end of it we can look back on our achievements with pride and
demonstrate not only that we have done what we said we would, but that through
greater access to quality sport we have realised positive and powerful changes to the
lives of people in Scotland.
Summary of programmes and key activities
School sport

A1: Lead and manage the Active Schools Network to build capacity, increase
quality opportunities, and motivate and inspire children and young people to
participate.

A2: Work with key partners in an integrated way to deliver physical education,
physical activity and sport.
Club sport

B1: Lead the development of a network of community sport hubs, working
towards a target of 150 hubs in the right places with the right people to
achieve maximum impact.

B2: Provide leadership and support on club development, working with
partners to grow membership, talent, capacity and improve the quality of
sporting experiences for people in clubs.
Performance sport

C1: Provide strategic direction and investment for performance programmes
to achieve shared performance goals. Manage our in-house programmes
effectively and in close partnership with Scottish governing bodies of sport to
achieve agreed performance outcomes.

C2: Deliver targeted expertise and support to identified sports and athletes
through the sportscotland institute network and continue to develop the
institute’s expertise in performance sport.

C3: Engage, support and recognise specialist high performance coaches and
practitioners with a focus on attracting and retaining home-grown talent.
People

D1: Plan, support, engage, and recognise and raise the profile of the sporting
workforce, and improve deployment across the sport system.

D2: Strengthen sportscotland’s capabilities, knowledge and skills through
people management, learning and development, leadership development and
workforce planning.
Places

E1: Provide expert advice, guidance and support to partners in the planning,
design and management of sports facilities, encompassing our work in the
area of outdoor and adventure sport.

E2: Invest strategically in an accessible network of quality sports facilities,
providing support at every level from school sport through to club and
performance sport.
Partnerships and planning

F1: Provide investment, training and support to key partners to ensure strong
foundations for Scotland’s sporting system.
Effective organisation

G1: Deliver priority information management solutions to improve access to
information, reporting capacity, efficiency and impact.

G2: Improve management processes and internal communications to
increase organisational integration, responsiveness, effectiveness and
efficiency.

G3: Continue to improve the processes, systems, facilities and services that
are essential to an effective and efficient national agency that adds value to
the sports sector.
Managing and reporting on this plan
This business plan is a key component of our planning and accountability
frameworks, which are outlined in Appendix 2. We will produce quarterly reports for
our Board and an annual report on our progress.
Programme details
This section provides a more detailed breakdown of what we aim to achieve and
what we will invest in 2013-14 under each programme. It provides the structure for
detailed plans that will be developed and managed through our performance
management system.
Programme: School sport
Our focus for 2013-15
We have focused our work in the school sport programme on two activity strands.
These incorporate projects and actions to develop the people, places and
partnerships essential to school sport.
Our top priority remains Active Schools, where we will strengthen the Active Schools
Network to introduce and inspire more children to enjoy sport for life. We will
enhance the Active Schools Network to develop a more systematic approach to
competitive school sport.
Our second key activity strand involves working with partners to influence a
systematic approach to the delivery of PE, physical activity and school sport. Our PE
support programme will work with partners to progress towards the two hour PE
target and drive the integrated delivery of quality physical activity and sport in
schools. We will deliver school sport awards to recognise school sport achievements.
We will explore the implications of the school estate audit and what we can do to
strengthen the quality of and access to school facilities.
Across school sport we will:

work with partners to shared outcomes including the Active Schools
outcomes agreed in local authority partnership agreements.

engage young people and be driven by their needs. We will work with
partners to drive the Young Ambassador and Lead 2014 programmes to
develop our young leaders. We will work with our Young people’s sports
panel and drive the development of Scottish Government’s Youth Sport
Strategy.

be informed by research, monitoring and evaluation, utilising Active
Schools monitoring data to inform and influence local planning.

target activity through programmes like Active Girls to effectively reach more
children and contribute to equality outcomes.

continuously improve shared indicators of the impact of our work.

prioritise people development, planning, engaging, supporting and
recognising Active Schools managers, coordinators, coaches and volunteers.
Our focus on continuous professional development (CPD) includes
embedding Positive Coaching Scotland, the multi-skills award and volunteer
management training.

use the 2014 legacy to accelerate our plans and raise the profile of school
sport.
Key activities
A1: Lead and manage the Active Schools Network to build capacity, increase quality
opportunities, and motivate and inspire children and young people to participate.
Budget: £11,700,000
A2: Work with key partners in an integrated way to deliver physical education, physical activity
and sport.
Budget: £3,250,000
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £14,950,000
Programme: Club Sport
Our focus for 2013-15
We recognise the significant impact clubs have on enabling lifelong participation and
in growing and developing talent. Over this plan will enhance our focus on club sport.
Our priority is to lead the development of a network of community sport hubs,
working towards a target of 150 hubs by 2016. Our other key activity involves
introducing robust club development and investment plans to grow membership and
talent, setting the foundations for a strengthened club infrastructure from 2015. We
will launch our new direct club investment which will provide a long term approach
and commitment to working with clubs. This will be complemented by an increase in
investment to Awards for All which will support the needs of local clubs.
Across club sport we will:

work with local and national partners to ensure a joined up approach in
delivering outcomes through club sport.

be informed by research, monitoring, evaluation and stakeholder
engagement, including developing a community sport hubs monitoring system
to capture data which can inform planning and practice.

target activities to meet varied participant and athlete needs, contributing to
equality outcomes including through building community sport hub and club
community engagement.

strengthen capacity, growing and focusing the regional infrastructure and
CPD on developing clubs.

embed continuous improvement, including through the development of an
online improvement tool for clubs and refreshed Help for Clubs website.

prioritise people development, planning, engaging, supporting and
recognising community sport hub officers, club development officers, and
other local and national partners working with coaches, officials, leaders and
volunteers. This will include delivery of Positive Coaching Scotland, club
leaders, mentoring, CPD programmes, multi-skills awards and officiating
development.

use the 2014 legacy to accelerate our plans and raise the profile of club
sport.
Key activities
B1: Lead the development of a network of community sport hubs, working towards a target of
150 hubs in the right places with the right people to achieve maximum impact.
Budget: £1,510,000
B2: Provide leadership and support on club development, working with partners to grow
membership, talent, capacity and improve the quality of sporting experiences for people in
clubs.
Budget: £7,986,000
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £9,496,000
Programme: Performance sport
Focus for 2013-15
Working closely with our key partners, we will continue to focus on achieving success
consistently on the world stage, with a particular emphasis on the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
We will fully support all our performance programmes in the lead into Sochi and
Glasgow as a major priority, ensuring Scottish athletes are the best ever prepared for
success in these events through the provision of high quality performance sport
services.
As part of the new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, we will work closely with UK Sport
to establish stronger partnerships and contribute to new performance goals for the
2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero.
We will work strategically and operationally to continue to strengthen the key
components of our world class high performance system so it has the flexibility to
ensure the right athletes are on the right programmes within the right environment.
Attracting, developing and retaining high performance staff will be a key focus for us
during this cycle.
Across high performance we will:

Provide targeted additional support to assist athletes who have medal
potential in Sochi and Glasgow.

Continue working closely with British partners in the UK to secure additional
investment and support for sports such as curling and cross-country skiing
beyond Sochi.

Continue to refine and develop our investment evaluation and review
process to ensure it continues to support strong, strategic decision-making
that will ultimately lead to success on the world stage.

Enhance the quality of our delivery to ensure we can deliver world class
services to our sports and athletes throughout our network.

Prioritise data management and its effective use across high performance
by progressing and completing the final two phases of our Smartabase
project.

Prioritise people development, supporting the performance coaches,
specialist practitioners and performance managers that are an essential part
of a world class system. Examples include delivery of Performing People,
Coaching Matters, and Inspire and Aspire programmes.

Develop the existing and future athlete pool in Scotland and the UK by
building on the talent health check process to establish world class pathways
that provide optimum learning environments and tools for our athletes and
their coaches.

Continue to drive forward new innovation and special projects that
enhance our high performance knowledge, develop practitioner expertise and
provide performance impacting technology and application.
Key activities
C1: Provide strategic direction and investment for performance programmes to achieve shared
performance goals. Manage our in-house programme effectively and in close partnership with
SGBs to achieve agreed performance outcomes.
Budget: £7,349,000
C2: Deliver targeted expertise and support to identified sports and athletes through the
sportscotland institute network and continue to develop the institute’s expertise in performance
sport.
Budget: £6,325,000
C3: Engage, support and recognise specialist high performance coaches and practitioners with
a focus on attracting and retaining home-grown talent.
Budget: £444,000
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £14,118,000
Programme: People
Focus for 2013-15
Skilled people operating in the right places are essential to a world class sporting
system and people development will continue to be a major priority for the next two
years and beyond.
Many of our externally-focused people development projects have been aligned to
deliver specific outcomes for school, club and performance sport. Those in this
programme area are cross-cutting and essential to enabling quality experiences
across the whole sporting system.
We will continue to provide strategic direction to ensure a planned approach to the
education, development and deployment of coaches, volunteers and officials in sport,
ensuring that the sporting workforce is supported by a range of high quality,
affordable education and development opportunities. We will focus on recruiting and
retaining quality people in sport, and recognising and rewarding their success.
We will make significant developments in the performance, leadership, and learning
and development of our own staff to ensure we can realise our ambitions and offer
quality services to our partners and our staff.
Across the programme we will:

operate in line with the coaching, volunteering and club frameworks.

be informed by research, monitoring, evaluation, understanding workforce
needs and seeking feedback to develop and improve our support.

strengthen our leadership, developing a leadership programme so
sportscotland managers and directors are prepared and equipped to lead
sportscotland and to contribute to effective leadership of a world class
sporting system in Scotland.

plan effectively to ensure sportscotland has the right people in the right
place at the right time with the right skills, matched to available resources.

use the 2014 legacy to accelerate our plans and raise the profile of people
working and volunteering in sport
Key activities
D1: Plan, support, engage, and recognise and raise the profile of the sporting workforce and
improve deployment across the sport system.
Budget: £2,410,000
D2: Strengthen sportscotland’s capabilities, knowledge and skills through people
management, learning and development, leadership development and workforce planning.
Budget: £250,000
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £2,660,000
Programme: Places
Focus for 2013-15
Our work in this area focuses on developing an accessible network of places of the
right quality and with the right capacity to meet the needs of sport. We will continue to
work with partners to plan strategically and invest in facilities which support school,
club and performance sport through the Sports Facilities Fund and the Legacy 2014
Active Places Fund. We will engage with the national and local planning process to
ensure the needs of sport are protected and promoted.
Across the programme we will:

work in partnership with all 32 local authorities and the SGBs to ensure our
investment in sports facilities projects is strategic and demand led. We will
support partners in the development of facility and pitch strategies and
provide strategic planning advice and support to ensure that an integrated
approach is taken to the planning and development of sports facilities across
Scotland.

be informed by research, monitoring and evaluation, we will continue to
grow and develop our knowledge, ensuring we can provide our partners with
expert advice and support in the planning, design and management of sports
facilities.

target our resources where the need and impact are greatest and the
outcomes are clear. Our increased focus on outdoor and adventure sport will
ensure we make progress towards our ambition of improving access to the
natural resources we have for sport.

embed continuous improvement, ensuring we continue to improve the
contribution our work in this area makes towards school, club and
performance sport.

use the 2014 legacy to accelerate our plans and raise the profile of
Scotland’s world class natural and built sport facilities.
Key activities
E1: Provide expert advice, guidance and support to partners in the planning, design and
management of sports facilities, encompassing our work in the area of outdoor and adventure
sport.
Budget: £145,000
E2: Invest strategically in an accessible network of quality sports facilities, providing support at
every level from school sport through to club and performance sport.
Budget: £15,078,481
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £15,223,481
Programme: Partnerships and planning
Focus for 2013-15
We will continue to develop our relationships with local and national partners who
contribute to school, club and performance sport. This will include an emphasis on
strengthening partnerships at a regional level to drive the strategic and operational
delivery of sport.
Across the programme we will:

support a systematic approach to strategic planning to improve the
quality of integrated planning with local and national partners.

invest in partners to deliver outcomes against agreed priorities.

develop shared indicators with partners to measure our progress.

provide SGBs with training and development opportunities, as well as
expert support and advice in the areas of human resources, finance and
legal.

support SGBs to widen access to their sport through the Equality Standard
for Sport

ensure our new CRM system supports our integrated investment process
and associated management information.
Key activities
F1: Provide investment, training and support to key partners to ensure strong foundations for
Scotland’s sporting system.
Budget: £4,292,000
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £4,292,000
Programme: Effective organisation
Focus for 2013-15
We will continue to deploy our resources and assets as efficiently and effectively as
possible to enable sportscotland to maximise its contribution to the development of a
world class sporting system in Scotland. This means concentrating on projects that
will support the organisation to deliver on outcomes for school, club and performance
sport.
We will improve our information management infrastructure so it supports better
reporting, more responsiveness, greater efficiency and continuous improvement
across of all areas of the organisation. We will also continue to enhance
organisational integration, responsiveness and efficiency by developing management
processes and internal communications.
Across the programme we will:

deliver quality business services to our partners and staff.

embed continuous improvement through our processes, systems, services
and facilities to increase the impact of our work and improve our efficiency.

develop a more systematic and robust approach to risk management to
support outcomes across all programmes.

lead and support appropriate research and communications activity that
adds value to the sports sector, raising the profile of sport and supporting the
delivery of our priority programmes.
Key activities
G1: Deliver priority information management solutions to improve access to information,
reporting capacity, efficiency and impact.
Budget: £666,800
G2: Improve management processes and internal communications to increase organisational
integration, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency.
Budget £50,000
G3: Continue to improve the processes, systems, facilities and services that are essential to an
effective and efficient national agency that adds value to the sports sector.
Budget: £3,140,479
Total resource allocation 2013-14: £3,857,279
Appendix 1 – Budget summary 2013-14
Estimated income
Source
Scottish Government Grant-in-Aid
Scottish Government Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund
Scottish Government CashBack for Sports Facilities Award
Scottish Government Physical Activity Projects Funding
Award
Scottish Government Top-up Swimming Award
Scottish Government additional funding for Sochi / Glasgow
National Lottery income
Utilisation of National Lottery reserves
sportscotland institute of sport income (from UK Sport)
Rental income from Caledonia House
Cash carried forward
Total projected income
Amount
£34,100,000
£3,750,000
£2,200,116
£1,200,000
£300,000
£1,000,000
£29,220,000
£1,341,884
£784,000
£160,000
£250,000
£74,306,000
Planned expenditure
Programme
School sport
Activity
A1
A2
Budget
£11,700,000
£3,250,000
Total
Club sport
Total
£14,950,000
£1,510,000
£7,986,000
£9,496,000
£7,349,000
£6,325,000
£444,000
£14,118,000
£2,410,000
£250,000
£2,660,000
£145,000
£15,078,481
£15,223,481
£4,292,000
£4,292,000
£666,800
£50,000
£3,140,479
£3,857,279
Total programme budget
Delivery costs
Trust Company Subvention
Total planned expenditure
£64,596,760
£7,431,650
£2,257,000
£74,285,410
B1
B2
Total
Performance sport
C1
C2
C3
Total
People
D1
D2
Total
Places
E1
E2
Total
Partnerships and planning
F1
Total
Effective organisation
G1
G2
G3
Appendix 2: Planning and accountability frameworks
Planning framework
This diagram illustrates the overall approach to strategic planning at sportscotland,
the lead accountabilities, the level of plan and the key issues addressed in each.
Impacts for Scotland
Healthier, Wealthier & Fairer; Greener; Smarter; Safer,
Outcomes for Scotland
A More Active Nation
More Participation
More Performance
More Success
A strategic approach to planning for sportscotland
Directors
(lead accountability)
Outcomes for sportscotland by 2015
2015
(the difference we will make)
Corporate plan
success measures
Outcomes for sportscotland in each of 2011-15
(the changes we will see)
Team heads
(lead accountability)
measures
Corporate plan
plan
programmes
Outputs from sportscotland teams in each of 2011-15
(the activities we will deliver –
high level programmes with outline content)
Inputs from sportscotland teams
(the investment of our time, money and other resources)
Line Managers
(lead accountability)
Specific priorities and contributions of individuals
(what individuals will be doing and what difference they are making)
Annual business
plan activities
Projects and actions
supporting activities
Performance and
development reviews
Application of sportscotland values and operating principles
(evidence of consistent standards and a sportscotland culture)
Our corporate plan 2011-15 sets out the difference we seek to make by 2015 and the
changes people will see as we work towards that. It outlines six programmes that
reflect the focus of our investment. Directors have lead accountability for
performance relating to the corporate plan. There will be a review of our corporate
plan at the end of 2015.
Our annual business plan outlines key activities for each programme, which are the
strategic focus of our work each year, and the investment we plan to allocate to these
activities. The key question at this level is ‘are we doing what we said we would do’.
Team heads and directors have lead accountability for performance relating to the
business plan.
Sitting under and feeding up to the key activities in the business plan are a series of
projects and actions, which are held in our performance management system.
Accountability for performance at this level lies with a range of managers appropriate
to the scale and scope of the projects and actions.
Below this is personal objectives and work plans, which outline the specific inputs
and outputs of projects and actions and the application of consistent behaviours in
line with sportscotland’s values.
The progress of projects and actions is used to generate an overall traffic light for
each key activity. On a quarterly basis our board receives reports on programme
progress and budgets. The focus of reporting is on exception reports for amber and
red lights, with particular notes of success on green lights also being drawn to the
attention of the board. Our board also receives an annual out-turn report on the
business plan.
Accountability framework
Table 1 below illustrates how each level of the planning framework is measured, the
key accountabilities, frequency and form of reporting.
Table 1 – Accountability Framework
Outcome
Level
Leads
Reporting
Performance
Measure Focus
Questions
Answered
Corporate
Plan
Directors
Corporate
Review 2015
Success
Measures
Did we achieve
what we set out
to achieve?
Annual outturns 2012-15
Changes People
See
Are we seeing
the changes we
need to see?
Business
Plan
Team
Heads
Quarterly
Reports
Key Activity and
Inputs
Are we doing
the things we
said we would
do?
Programme
Plans
Team
Heads
Covalent
Programme
Activity and
Inputs
Are we doing
the things we
said we would?
Project Plans
Lead
Managers
Covalent
Project Activity
and Inputs
Are we doing
the things we
said we would
do?
Personal
Objectives
Line
Managers
PPP system
Personal
Performance
Are we
behaving and
contributing to
expected
standards and
values?