IT HAS been running the country since 1999, has a budget of £30 billion and is responsible for health, housing, transport, justice, and a host of other things.

So it probably came as a bit of a shock to the Scottish Executive that some members of a “citizens’ jury” it set up to examine its communications policies confessed they had never heard of it and knew nothing about what it did.

Some of the 24-member panel confused the Executive with the UK Government or the Scottish Parliament—even blaming it for the huge cost of building the parliament complex at Holyrood.

Independent researchers were asked to find out what the jury, a randomly selected group of Scots, thought ministers and officials could do better to get their message across to the public.

But it looks like the first job is going to be letting people know the Executive exists.

After learning more about the Executive and its work, all the jury members ended up agreeing that it was important and the wider public needed to know more about it.

A few members with a keen interest in news and current affairs were up to speed but others admitted they only took an interest when there was a scandal or a minister was sacked.

Some thought that “ministers spoke their own language, were focused on staying in power and therefore might conceal the truth,” the researchers said.

Members said that future communications should be clear, simple and accurate and rather than relying solely on the mass media to highlight their messages, ministers should also use new technology such as mobile phones, iPods and community TV.