Education (Scotland) Act 2025

16 Corporate plan of Qualifications Scotland

(1) Qualifications Scotland must submit a corporate plan to the Scottish Ministers as soon as reasonably practicable after the day on which this section comes into force.

(2) Before the corporate plan is submitted to the Scottish Ministers, it must be approved by a vote of the members of Qualifications Scotland, in which a majority of those voting cast their vote in favour of it.

(3) A corporate plan under this section—

(a) must set out—

(i) the main objectives of Qualifications Scotland,

(ii) the outcomes by reference to which the achievement of those objectives will be assessed,

(iii) a general description of the main activities which Qualifications Scotland plans to undertake,

(iv) what Qualifications Scotland intends to do to satisfy—

(A) the requirements of section 7,

(B) the expectations set out in its charters,

(b) may include such other material as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate.

(4) Despite subsection (3)(a), a corporate plan need not include details of objectives or activities which relate to the function conferred by section 4(1) (but see section 24).

(5) Before preparing a corporate plan Qualifications Scotland must consult—

(a) such persons who are undertaking, or have recent experience of undertaking, a Qualifications Scotland qualification as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate,

(b) such persons who are providing teaching or training in respect of a Qualifications Scotland qualification as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate,

(c) such employers as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate,

(d) such other persons as Qualifications Scotland considers appropriate,

on how Qualifications Scotland can, in the exercise of its functions, align with the economic, social and environmental priorities of the Scottish Ministers.

(6) The Scottish Ministers must—

(a) approve the corporate plan,

(b) approve the corporate plan with any modifications they consider appropriate, or

(c) reject the corporate plan.

(7) Where the Scottish Ministers intend to approve the corporate plan with modifications, they must consult Qualifications Scotland before doing so.

(8) Where the Scottish Ministers reject the corporate plan—

(a) the Scottish Ministers must publish their reasons for rejecting the plan, and

(b) Qualifications Scotland must, as soon as reasonably practicable, modify the corporate plan and resubmit it to the Scottish Ministers.

(9) As soon as reasonably practicable after a corporate plan is approved by the Scottish Ministers—

(a) Qualifications Scotland must publish it, and

(b) the Scottish Ministers must lay a copy of it before the Scottish Parliament.

(10) Qualifications Scotland—

(a) may submit a new corporate plan to the Scottish Ministers at any time, and

(b) must do so when so required by the Scottish Ministers.

(11) Subsections (2) and (6) to (8) apply to a new corporate plan, and to a modified corporate plan submitted under subsection (8)(b), as they apply to the corporate plan submitted under subsection (1).