The Model Publication Scheme

All Scottish public authorities have adopted the Commissioner's Model Publication Scheme (MPS) as the basis for deciding what information they proactively publish.

Download the MPS

Download a copy of the MPS and the accompanying Guide for Authorities below.

Model Publication Scheme (updated March 2021)

Model Publication Scheme: Guide for Scottish Public Authorities (updated March 2021)

2021 Update

The above documents were both updated in March 2021, however, no substantive changes were made to the MPS or the Guide for Authorities; it is the documents that were updated, rather than the MPS itself. The changes consisted of:

simplifying aspects of the layout of the documents,
ensuring alignment between the two documents, and
amending outdated terminology.

Therefore, no action is required by authorities in response to this update - although you should of course continue to review your Guide to Information in accordance with Section 5 of the Guide for Authorities.

Adopting the MPS

When you first adopt the MPS, you need to send us a notification form.

Model Publication Scheme Notification Form

To adopt the Model Publication Scheme you will need to:

Make a formal decision to adopt the Scheme.
Identify the information your authority holds that falls into the Scheme's classes of information. Our guidance explains how to do this.
Produce and publish a Guide to Information – read more about Guides to Information, the information you should publish and how it should be made available (formats, charging, copyright, assistance, etc).
Notify the Commissioner that you have adopted the Scheme by sending us a completed Notification Form. Once you have notified us, you do not need to do this again unless there is a substantive change in your authority.
Finally, make arrangements to keep the Guide to Information up to date – see advice about reviewing and maintaining your Guide to Information.