Following a Scottish referendum in 1997, the Scotland Act 1998 stated “There shall be a Scottish Parliament”. The Scottish Parliament was founded in 1999 with additional powers conferred to the Parliament by the 2012 and 2016 Scotland Acts.

We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary this year and the history of the Scottish Parliament continues. The on-going process of change and reform offers an exciting backdrop to our work at Holyrood. There’s a vibrant atmosphere at the Parliament and our work is interesting and meaningful. Everyone working at the Parliament can make a difference, and you too can be a part of our history. We place high value on operational excellence and we’re continually looking to improve how we work.

Our core purpose is to ensure that we represent the people of Scotland by debating issues of national importance, passing legislation and holding the Scottish Government to account. We’re not civil servants, we’re public servants and we work for the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (The SPCB). We provide impartial support to the Parliament and the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The SPCB is responsible for providing the Parliament with the property, staff and services required for the Parliament’s purposes, in accordance with the Scotland Act 1998.

Watch our video and click on the link to understand more about key differences beween the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

Our Organisation

Our Session 6 Strategic Plan sets out our parliamentary strategic priorities. We aim to provide MSPs with high quality support to allow them to excel in their roles as parliamentarians and representatives. We look to constantly improve our performance, invest in our staff and plan for the future. We deliver excellent resource management in line with our organisational values of Stewardship, Excellence, Respect and Inclusiveness.

As an organisation:

  • We’re honest and open
  • We value the diversity of our colleagues
  • We take pride in how we work
  • We celebrate success and learn from mistakes
  • We recognise and value the expertise we each bring to the organisation
  • We trust and support our teams to do their job and to take responsibility for their work
  • We celebrate and reward people who demonstrate our values
  • We also hold each other to account when we see behaviour that does not support our values
  • We collaborate, share knowledge and support each other
  • We look to continually improve our processes
  • We’re open to testing new ideas and challenging the way we do things

We have a strategic, professional approach to recruitment and ensure a fair and inclusive experience for candidates. Please see full details of our recruitment process for further information.

For more information about the structure of the Parliament, you can view our organisational chart and read about our Parliamentary Offices.

You’ll also find more information about working at the Parliament on our Staff Handbook hub.

MSPs

MSPs are employers in their own right. They employ small teams of staff to support them in carrying out their parliamentary duties and typical roles include administration, research or casework. Jobs can be based in Holyrood or in local constituency offices across Scotland. More information about working for an MSP can be found in individual job adverts.

Our Vision

The underlying goal of all our work is to make a positive difference to the lives of the people of Scotland. We’re committed to improving the way in which we involve people in our work. This means putting people at the centre of everything we do. Our approach requires each of us to value people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and demonstrate this commitment in our daily activities.

Our Values

We base our full recruitment process around our four values below:

  • Stewardship
  • Excellence
  • Respect
  • Inclusiveness

When applying for roles with us, we advise you to read and understand Our values and behaviours framework. This understanding will enable you to perform to the best of your ability throughout the recruitment process.

Our four values are a central part of our working culture and our people management processes. They’re used to recruit, manage and develop our staff. Each of our values are underpinned by a number of linked behaviours.

Our values represents the expectations we have of ourselves and each other, guiding our interactions and day-to-day decisions. These include the personal skills and attributes we bring to our roles. When combined with our skills and knowledge, they enable us to be successful in our roles.

If you’d like to contact us please email [email protected]