SNP MSP Mairi Gougeon asks about the skills shortage, and what is actively being done.

Alex Paterson replies that they are investing in skills and hope to see the benefits coming out around spring next year.

He explains three things they have been working on:-

• Working with CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), and seeing how skills can come more of an integral part of training
• Expanded apprenticeship programmes - "We had 10 apprentices finish training last year and we took them all on"
• We have an intern programme and place them with small businesses.

Mr Paterson explains the four key areas they have focused on:-

• conservation of existing sites
• visitor experience
• Preserve the cultural significance of our sites
• how does investment leverage wider benefits

Alex Paterson from Historic Environment Scotland tells the committee about the success of the merger with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS).

He says: "We have benefited from increased budget, to invest in new experiences.

"Staff and security of employment has been maintained.

"The merger itself had a budget attached to it and was delivered within it.

"There were savings made.

"We have managed to improve visitor experience.

"We have also been able to put money into other areas, such as digital archives."

Image source, Historic Environment Scotland

The committee willl now hear from

• Alex Paterson from Historic Environment Scotland, external
• Donella Steel from Historic Environment Scotland, external

Image source, bbc

Historic Environment Scotland is the lead public body established to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment., external

"We lead and enable Scotland’s first historic environment strategy Our Place in Time, external, which sets out how our historic environment will be managed. It ensures our historic environment is cared for, valued and enhanced, both now and for future generations.

"We’re a non-departmental public body with charitable status. We're governed by a Board of Trustees, external, who were appointed by Scottish Ministers.

"We’re responsible for more than 300 properties of national importance. Buildings and monuments in our care include Edinburgh Castle, external, Skara Brae, external, Fort George, external and numerous smaller sites, which together draw more than 3 million visitors per year.

"We’re also responsible for internationally significant collections including more than 5 million drawings, photographs, negatives and manuscripts, along with 20 million aerial images of locations across the world."

Read more here., external

The first session concludes with Ian Nicol being asked about the Malawi applications and the number which were considered red or amber, rather than green.

Mr Nicol says: "It was a surprise the amount of applications that were in the amber and red.

"There were a lot of organisations that were expected to be better.

"The size of an organisation does not always mean a better application."

John Mooney confirms the applications for Rwanda had a better success rate.

Image source, http://luvcharity.org/

Kirsty Norris from the Corra Foundation talks about the Luv+ project.

Ms Norris says: "It is a good example of an area you wouldn't hear much about, around leprosy.

"Managed to make connections, it started off a church based project."

She adds it is a "highly stigmatised" area.

Ms Norris says: "It is helping people to generate income that they didn't have access to before."

Read more here, external

Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton asks what discussions the Corra Foundation have with the Scottish government.

Kirsty Norris explains: "We have regular communication at key points in the funding progress.

"We will speak to the government around areas where the applications that we're not 100% sure with, usually around the criteria.

"We write a recommendation report, give justification for scoring and RAG ratings."

Image source, Corra Foundation

The Corra Foundation, external (previously known as the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland) is responsible for managing:

• the Malawi Development Programme
• the Zambia and Rwanda Development Programme
• the Small Grants Programme
• the Humanitarian Aid Fund.
• the Climate Justice Fund which is funded from another element of the Scottish government budget.

Kirsty Norris from the Corra Foundation outlines the application process for the main grants.

Ms Norris describes it as a "rigorous process".

• E-mail through the application inbox
• Basic criteria check
• Consent note process
• Due diligence checks
• Previous years expenditure and incomes looked at. What types of fundings used and how they're managed.
• An assessment of the consent note. Look at key areas outlined in consent note.
• Challenge process. "This is where we meet as a term, minimum of four people, and look at all the assessments we've carried out. We can then come up with final scores."
• The ones recommended then go forward to the team at the Scottish government.

It is a lengthy process but we feel it stands up to external and internal scrutiny.

According to the Scottish Government, the International Development Fund: “Supports development programmes delivered by a range of organisations in Scotland, working with partners overseas, clearly focused on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and now the new Global Goals.

"This currently includes funding for: the Malawi Development Programme; the Sub-Saharan African Development Programme; and the South Asia Development Programme.”

Image source, bbc

The International Development Fund (the Fund) supports the Scottish government’s International Development Strategy and in particular the Strategy’s work with the 4 partner countries

• Malawi
• Zambia
• Rwanda
• Pakistan

It also supports the Small Grants Programme.

Image source, bbc

Green MSP Ross Greer how projects can apply for funding.

Claire Tynte-Irvine head of the international division with the Scottish government says: "We cast the net widely."

Ian Nicol,the Malawi development programme manager, says the look to organisations that work with the Malawi government's priorities.

John Mooney, the Rwanda development programme manager, agrees there is a very wide net.

Image source, First Aid Africa

Committee convener Joan McAlpine asks for examples of how the funding has been spent on innovative projects.

Claire Tynte-Irvine uses the examples of 'First-aid Africa' which was started by Heriot-Watt University students.

Read more here, external

Image source, bbc

Claire Tynte-Irvine head of the international division with the Scottish government says the emphasis is on partnership.

Ms Tynte-Irvine says the international development fund is part of the government's aim to be a good global citizen.

She says it is a small budget despite increasing over the years and it must be managed to maximise its impact.

Image source, Scottish government

The Scottish government’s approach to international development is outlined in its International Development Strategy, external.

The Strategy is supported by its International Development Fund.

The International Development Fund has been worth £9 million annually since 2009-10 and rose to £10 million for the 2017-18 budgetary year

Kirsty Norris from the Corra Foundation begins by talking about the small grants fund.

Ms Norris says: "The fund enables small companies to access institutional funding.

"We see the fund as building the small business sector for the future.

"Some of these are very impactful and cost-effective groups."

The purpose of today’s evidence session with officials from the Scottish government’s international development team and the Corra Foundation is to examine how the Scottish Government’s international development fund is managed and what outcomes it achieves.

The evidence session forms part of the Committee’s pre-budget scrutiny ahead of publication of the Scottish government’s draft budget for 2018-19 in December.

The Scottish government and the Corra Foundation have submitted written evidence which provides details of the how funding is awarded to projects and how the outcomes from the funding are monitored and evaluated.

The Corra Foundation has also provided two examples of case studies showing the outcomes from the international development budget. These written submissions are included in paper 2.

Image source, bbc

SNP MSP Joan McAlpine and committee convener Joan McAlpine gets us underway.

She introduces

• Kirsty Norris from Corra Foundation
• Claire Tynte-Irvine head of the international development minister Scottish government
• Ian Nicol from the Malawi development programme manager
• John Mooney from the Rwanda development programme manager

The External Relations Committee will take evidence from:-

• Kirsty Norris from Corra Foundation, external
• Claire Tynte-Irvine, Head of International Division
• Ian Nicol, Malawi Development Progamme Manager
• John Mooney, Rwanda Development Programme Manager

Then later by:-

• Alex Paterson from Historic Environment, external
• Donella Steel from Historic Environment, external