Accountability

A range of mechanisms have been put in place to make the delivery of SNAP accountable and transparent.

Monitoring and evaluating progress through SNAP will increasingly be linked to existing monitoring at international, UK, Scottish, local and organisational levels. Over time this will help to ensure that human rights are embedded into monitoring and accountability systems, including international human rights reporting as well as the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework.

The Leadership Panel will agree an Annual Report on SNAP's implementation, drawing on the work of the Monitoring Group and the Human Rights Action Groups. This report will be presented to the Scottish Parliament through its Justice Committee.

Each year, on 10 December, International Human Rights Day, National InterActions will provide an opportunity for people and organisations affected by SNAP's work to collaborate to ensure accountability and address challenges in implementation. In 2014, this InterAction comprised an innovation forum on tackling poverty through human rights and a series of local outreach events with voluntary and public sector organisations. In 2015, it is likely that local engagement events will take place in the run-up to 10 December with a national event focused around Scotland's international human rights obligations.

SNAP has been developed as a framework to implement recommendations of international human rights bodies. Therefore, reporting to these bodies will form a key element of accountability in implementing SNAP. The UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UK's progress on implementing its human rights obligations will be an opportunity to report on progress in implementing SNAP. The next UPR will take place in 2016/17.

An independent evaluation of the process and outcomes of SNAP will be commissioned to inform the development of a second National Action Plan in 2017.