Back in 2007 when the Scottish National Party (SNP) first came to power, they made one of the better decisions since Scottish devolution. They set out a series of outcomes, targets and ambitions across all service areas by creating the National Performance Framework (NPF).

For the first time, a government could now be openly challenged on its performance across all its services, many central to the wellbeing of the Scottish people and its businesses. In stating short- and long-term objectives it also set a framework for the whole public sector to work within.