Centre of Expertise on Appraisal and Evaluation – Improving the use of public money

The SG Centre of Expertise in Appraisal and Evaluation was established in 2024 to ensure that we learn which SG’s policies and interventions work and if they offer value for money. The intern will lead on a project(s) in relation to advancing the SG’s approach to evaluation. Examples of these projects include: carrying out an SG staff Appraisal and Evaluation Skills […]

Employability pathways in prisons: understanding the current employability provision in prisons and how it supports people prior to release

The project will work with community justice policy staff, as well as research staff, and will focus on SPS’s current employability provision for people in custody, including mapping the breadth and impact of current provision as well as how this supports people prior to release. The suggested methodology for the study is as follows:    A proforma will be sent out […]

Balancing Safety and Wellbeing: Comparative Research on Personal Items in Use in Custody

The intern will work with the FAI taskforce team and research colleagues, and will focus on: • Mapping current SPS policies and practices regarding personal items in use, with particular attention to recent changes and their operational impact. • Gathering staff perspectives especially from governors and frontline staff on the challenges, opportunities, and practicalities of implementing these policies. Noting that existing […]

SPS prisoner complaints process: understanding variations in practice & differing prisoner experiences of the process across the Scottish prison estate 

The project will focus on SPS’s complaints mechanism for people in custody only, although other complaints, communications and feedback channels exist for both people in prison, visitors, solicitors and staff. The project will focus on understanding how prisoner complaints are handled across different establishments within SPS. This includes all stages of complaints handling, including receipt, logging, investigation, resolution and feedback.    The suggested methodology for […]

Exploring Policy Insights Through Scottish LEO Data

An analytical project using existing Scottish LEO data, with a flexible scope to explore a wide range of policy issues that could be better understood through this data —such as intersectional analyses across protected equality characteristics. The exact focus will be shaped by stakeholder input and policy priorities. This project will involve detailed data analysis, background research and […]