Chief Executive’s Report to the SPCB June 2017 · Events and Exhibitions Team On Monday 15 May...

Chief Executive’s Report to the SPCB

June 2017

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Introduction This report looks at work carried out during (May and) June and includes the 2016-17 Q4 Performance Report. It also includes the SPCB financial report for Period 2 of the 2017-18 financial year. Some of the items to note include:

The Standards Procedures and Public Appointments Committee will propose a reformatted version of the Code of Conduct before the summer recess which aims to make the Code more accessible and user-friendly. The redesign will not alter or remove any of the current Code’s rules.

The First Non-Government Bills Unit-drafted Bill of the session, James Kelly’s Bill to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, was introduced on 21 June.

The first meeting of the Lobbying Register Working Group took place on 6 June.

The Presiding Officer hosted a picnic in the Members’ Garden for Members, staff, and the Holyrood community on 16 June for the Great Get Together in memory of Jo Cox.

The Prestonpans Tapestry is now on display in the Main Hall following a preview reception hosted by the Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP on 21 June. The tapestry will be on public display until 20 July.

The 2017 Festival of Politics programme will be launched by the Presiding Officer on 27 June. This year’s programme will be themed around “Rebellion and Revolution”.

If you have any comments or questions on any aspect of this report, I would be happy to discuss them with you. P E GRICE Clerk/Chief Executive

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OVERVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITIES Parliamentary Business Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee The SPPA Committee will, before the summer recess, propose a reformatted Code of Conduct with the aim of making it more accessible and user-friendly and removing duplicated, extraneous or ambiguous material. The redraft does not alter or remove any of the Code’s current rules.

The Committee will propose that the current four-volume Code be replaced with a single, standalone document which contains all of the rules that MSPs must abide by. This is to be accompanied by a guidance document to be used as a companion to the Code. It is hoped that separating these different elements of the current Code will provide greater clarity and ease of interpretation. Legislation Team The Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Bill completed its parliamentary passage on 20 June. Fifteen public bills are currently making their way through the various legislative stages. The Legislation Team has provided a number of briefing sessions for Members on procedures for scrutinising bills and continues to support Members in preparing amendments to give effect to their policy intentions. Non-Government Bills Unit The first NGBU-drafted Bill of the session, James Kelly’s Bill to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, was introduced on 21 June. NGBU is working on one other forthcoming Member’s Bill (where the Member has completed the proposal process successfully). Five other proposals have been lodged, and we have a list of 17 other MSPs and one Committee who have contacted NGBU about prospective proposals – these are at varying stages of development.

Three Private Bills have been introduced; the Edinburgh Bakers' Widows' Fund Bill, the Pow of Inchaffray Drainage Commission (Scotland) Bill, and the Writers to the Signet Dependants' Annuity Fund Amendment (Scotland) Bill. Three Committees have been established, all with the same three Members, to consider them. A fourth small Private Bill is anticipated in the autumn. Lobbying Register The first meeting of the Lobbying Register Working Group took place on Tuesday 6 June. The Group focussed on the creation of guidance on the operation of the Act, as well as looking at key lessons learned from the implementation of the register in the Republic of Ireland which has now been running for almost 2 years.

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The second meeting is on Friday 23 June which will continue discussions on the guidance as well as looking at progress on the new online Lobbying Register and ideas around communication, marketing and outreach. Education and Skills Committee As part of the Education and Skills Committee’s ongoing focus on inclusivity the Committee held focus groups and formal evidence sessions with teachers, in particular trainee teachers, to get a qualitative snapshot of teacher training and Scottish education. This complimented the nearly 700 questionnaire submissions from teachers and trainee teachers received by the Committee previously on the same issues. The findings of these sessions as well as the questionnaire responses were used as the basis of the Conservative and Unionist Party motion debated in the Chamber on 17 May. The Government supported this motion and amended it to strengthen its terms. The urgent actions agreed in the resolution is an example of Committee engagement work leading to tangible change. The Committee’s inquiry into Additional Support Needs received responses from over 100 parents of those with additional support needs. These responses were used as central evidence in the Committee’s inquiry. The 20 recommendations in the resulting report have caused the Government to pause its work in this area to ensure the recommendations are taken into account. Health and Sport Committee At its meeting on 13 June the Health and Sport Committee voted against the Mental Health (Absconding) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 [draft]. This is the first time that this has happened for 9 years. Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee The Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee has launched a call for suggestions as to which Acts it could scrutinise using its new post-legislative scrutiny powers. The Committee is aware of the consistent and long-standing demand from external groups to undertake better post-legislative scrutiny and has therefore invited suggestions from stakeholders and members of the public. Given the number of Acts passed since the Parliament was established, the Committee has agreed a checklist for people to consider before making suggestions. The Committee will also take account of other committees’ work on post-legislative scrutiny before agreeing on an Act to scrutinise. The outreach team will work to encourage public participation. Subject committees also undertake work in this area and the Local Government and Communities Committee has been conducting post-

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legislative scrutiny of both the High Hedges (Scotland) Act and the Disabled Persons’ Parking Places (Scotland) Act. Parliamentary Engagement Web and Social Media

As part of our work to increase digital engagement we have further expanded our social media offering to include Facebook live streams. During the pilot the live stream of FMQs averaged nearly 81,500 viewers per week. We have seen a significant increase in followers of our social media channels and now have well over 70,000 followers on Twitter, over 25,000 followers on Facebook, and over 3,000 followers on Instagram. As part of the “Visit Parliament” campaign, the Web and Social Media team recently held the Parliament’s first “Instameet”. Instagram users were invited to apply to visit the Parliament for exclusive behind the scenes tours where they could photograph the building whilst it was empty using the hashtag #emptyparliament. The event proved to be popular with all tickets for the event allocated within 20 minutes of release. Twenty-four Instagram users, with a combined audience of 430,000, attended. This resulted in 64 posts, 8150 likes and 250 comments. The “Instameet” was an excellent and easy to organise way of raising awareness of the Parliament whilst reinforcing the message that the Parliament is free to visit and open to all. Events and Exhibitions Team On Monday 15 May Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP hosted the final of the Euroquiz in the Debating Chamber. This annual competition for P6 pupils from across Scotland not only helps young people to develop their knowledge of Europe and the EU, but also develops core skills such as teamwork and communication. The 2017 winner was Sciennes Primary School, Edinburgh. On Thursday 15 June the Presiding Officer chaired the final of the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Competition in the Debating Chamber. One hundred and twenty-eight teams from 85 schools across Scotland took part in the Debate this year. The 4 finalists were the High School of Dundee, Douglas Academy, Kelvinside Academy and Madras College. Douglas Academy were awarded first prize in the tournament. On Friday 16 June the Presiding Officer hosted a picnic for The Great Get Together in memory of Jo Cox. Members, staff, and the Holyrood Community came together for this event which was one of over 110,000 events taking place across the UK. On Wednesday 21 June Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP hosted the preview reception for The Prestonpans Tapestry. The event was attended by stitchers and guests from across Scotland. The Tapestry will be on public display until Thursday 20 July. During the Tapestry exhibition, we will be holding two Family Days on Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 July. These

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days will bring the Tapestry alive as families meet Jacobites and redcoats and hear stories of the battle from the Alan Brecks Volunteer Regiment. To coincide with the Tapestry exhibition artworks by Calum Colvin from his Jacobites by Name series will be loaned to the Parliament for public display from Wednesday 21 June to Saturday 7 October. On Tuesday 27 June the Presiding Officer will launch the 2017 Festival of Politics programme themed around “Revolution and Rebellion”. Amongst the many sessions planned for this the 13th programme, the Festival will explore aspects of the Arab Spring; the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution; the 500th anniversary of the Reformation; as well cultural rebellions from the 60s to the rave generation. A programme of free family films, exhibitions, music, dance and comedy will form part of the Festival Café Bar in the Main Hall for its duration from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 October. Visitor Services Guided tours were busy in May with 1,098 visitors joining public tours and an additional 161 Members’ guests being provided with tours. The 10 Minute Talks run by Visitor Services are continuing to be popular with visitors with 1,828 people joining these drop-by sessions in the Main Hall or Public gallery during May. Forward Look

On Thursday 3 August the Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP will host the preview reception for this year’s World Press Photo exhibition, on public display in the Main Hall until Saturday 26 August. This year saw the 60th contest take place with entries from over 5,034 photographers in 126 countries. On Friday 4 August former World Press Photo winner Tom Stoddart will give a talk to invited students and members of the public. SPICe

Internally, across a wide range of offices, an increasing number of staff are now involved in data visualisation work. Data visualisation is the representation of information in the form of a chart, diagram or picture. In recent years, SPICe has enhanced the quality of the charts and diagrams in its briefings and standalone infographics and, through external collaboration, has introduced some interactive elements to its output. SPICe is now seen as a leader in the field both within the Parliament and by external organisations. SPICe staff recently set up the Scottish Parliament Data Visualisation Network, to bring staff from across the organisation together and allow the sharing of best practice. The first meeting took place on 5 June 2017. Alongside a number of other actions that it will take forward in the coming months, the Network intends to develop guidance and standard templates for use across the Parliament.

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International Relations Office The International Relations Office has facilitated Presiding Officer meetings with:

His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan;

Kristin Hannesdottir, Dean of the Consular Corps of Edinburgh and Leith; and

John Smith Fellows.

Outward visits have included:

Kenneth Gibson MSP attendance at Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Regional Conference in St Kitts; and

Ash Denholm MSP attendance at a modern slavery project workshop in Entebbe, Uganda.

Parliamentary Services Business Information Technology As part of BIT’s ongoing efforts to reduce operational costs, two contracts were identified where there was potential to reduce costs incurred by the Parliament. The two contracts identified were the IT contract, used to provide network and server support, and the mobile voice and data contract, used to provide smartphones, tablets and mobile voice and data services. The IT contract, currently held by CGI, has now completed a successful tendering exercise which will see the Parliament change supplier to Leidos, an international systems integrator with a presence in Scotland. The new contract is expected to be signed before 30 June and once fully operational at the start of 2018, will realise a six figure saving annually when compared to the current contract. A successful retendering of the mobile voice and data services contract has recently been undertaken in collaboration with several other Public Sector Bodies. The result of this exercise is that the Parliament will start to move its mobile contracts from Vodafone to EE Ltd. This will result in savings of up to 50% on standard tariffs. Once fully operational the contract is expected to save approximately £25,000 per annum when compared to the current contract. Internal Audit The Parliament’s Internal Auditor will shortly commence his annual round of

visits to Members’ offices. He will contact the Members selected to make

arrangements to visit local offices at a time and date that is convenient to

them.

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SPCB FINANCE REPORT Period 2 – May 2017

1. This report is to inform SPCB of general financial activity and expenditure

trends in 2017-18.

Executive Summary

Performance against Budget (year to date variance)

a) Total SPCB revenue and capital expenditure

Para 2 & 6

b) Total SPS expenditure

Para 8

c) Total project expenditure

Para 9

Operation of Financial Controls

d) Key reconciliations up to date

Para 4

Other Key Indicators

e) Payment performance

Para 4

Key: RAG Status

Financial Commentary

2. The Scottish Parliament’s total revenue and capital expenditure for the 2

months of 2017-18 of £12.3m represents an underspend against budget of £0.6m (4.6%) which is within the SPCB’s target range of 0% to 5.0% (as shown in green in the Executive Summary chart). The overall underspend is lower in absolute and percentage terms than the comparable position for 2016-17 of expenditure of £14.3m which represented an underspend against budget of £0.7m (5.0%).

3. We have incorporated an early reallocation of the SPCB’s 2016-17 budget

within the period 2 figures to reflect known adjustments between the budget setting process in November 2016 and the start of the financial year. The first full year reforecast will take place in period 3 and will provide an opportunity to incorporate changes to the monthly phasing of operational and project budgets.

4. There will be a delay in completing key reconciliations for period 2 due to staff

absence and prioritisation on the annual accounts. All reconciliations will be up to date for period 3. Payment performance within contract terms for the year to date exceeds the 99% target. The equivalent figure for payment within 10 days is 98.6% for the year to date.

Performance within target range

Performance outwith target range but acceptable

Performance outwith target range not acceptable

N/A

99.3%

G

A

R

4.6%

(3.2)%

%)

6.8%

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5. The year-end accounts preparation is proceeding to timetable and Audit Scotland is due to commence its fieldwork in early July.

Financial Results

6. The SPCB’s total revenue and capital expenditure per Schedule 1 for May

2017 is £12.3m, which is £0.6m (4.6%) under the approved year to date budget of £12.9m. This is lower in absolute and percentage terms than the underspend as at May 2016 of £0.7m / 5.0%.

7. The SPCB requires to spend an average of £7.10m per month in order that the

total budget of £85.2m for the year is spent. Currently this is averaging £6.16m and thus needs to be £7.29m in the remaining 10 periods of the year to spend the total budget. This is outlined in the graph below:

4.6

5.0

3.2

2.6

3.2

2.1 2.9

1.7 2.1 1.6 1.9

1.6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

%-a

ge

Trend of Total Monthly Underspend

17/18 16/17

5,400,000

5,600,000

5,800,000

6,000,000

6,200,000

6,400,000

6,600,000

6,800,000

7,000,000

7,200,000

7,400,000

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12

Average Actual Expenditure

Average Spend Required toCommit Annual Budget

Average Budgeted Expenditure

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There are some higher expenditure items scheduled to occur in the remaining 10 months of the financial year:

£1m in the Chamber Lighting project over June-August

Members’ expenses are phased to higher monthly expenditure in the latter part of the year

Digital Services and FM project spend due to peak over period July – November.

Parliamentary Service Costs (Schedule 2)

8. The year to date expenditure for the Parliamentary Service (SPS) of £6.4m is £0.5m (6.8%) under budget. Parliamentary Service Costs incorporate both capital and revenue projects. The previous year’s expenditure of £6.8m at period 2 was £0.8m (9.9%) below budget. An analysis of the current financial year by main category of expenditure is shown in the two charts below.

4,135

58

1,115

871

192

4,253

151

1,178 1,069

186

3,912

65

1,235

814 808

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

Total Staff Costs Total StaffRelated Costs

Total PropertyCosts

Total RunningCosts

Total Projects

£'0

00

Parliamentary Service YTD Expenditure £k

Actual 17/18 Budget 17/18 Actual 16/17

(6)

199

62

93

117

(10)90190

Projects

Running Costs

Property Costs

Staff Related Costs

Staff Pay

Underspend £k Overspend £k

Parliamentary Service YTD Under & Overspends £k

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Staff Pay is reported as £117k (2.8%) under budget including Agency staff and contractors.

Expenditure on staff pay to date is £4.1m, £223k (5.7%) higher than the equivalent 16-17 costs.

Expenditure on Staff Related Costs is £58k. This is £93k (61.6%) below the budget to date of £151k. Actual spend on staff related costs is £7k (11%) less than that for the equivalent period in 2016-17. Training (£39k) and Travel & Expenses (£26k) make up the biggest element of the underspend.

Property Costs of £1.1m are £62k (5.3%) below the Year to Date budget. This is principally attributable to small underspend in maintenance.

Running Costs of £0.9m are £199k (18.3%) under budget. Main running cost underspends are in Mail Services & Postage (£27k), Printing (£21k), Payroll Contract (£20k – due to non-receipt of PO) and Software Support & Licences (£58k).

Project Reporting (Schedule 3):

9. Schedule 3 shows project spend by category of project.

Total project expenditure to May 2017 is £192k, £6k (3.2%) over the year to date budget.

Revenue Projects show a total spend of £139k, an overspend of £9k (7.0%) against budget. This is principally due to authorised overspends in the Commission on Parliamentary Reform (£5k), where costs have been incurred in 2017-18 that had previously been budgeted against 2016-17.

58

53

39

27

26

21

Software Support & Annual Licences

Maintenance

Training

Mail Services & Postage

Travel & Expenses

Printing

PS (Excluding Projects) Key YTD Under / Overspends £k

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Capital Projects have spent £53k for the year against a budget of £56k, an underspend of £3k (5.8%). This is principally attributable to Chamber Lighting.

This compares with 18.2% spent, 15.1% on purchase orders, 46.3% forecast and 20.4% uncommitted at the same period in 2016-17.

4% 7.3%

62%

26.7%

Project Budget Status May 2017

Spent

PO

Forecast

Uncommitted

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other

FM Building & Equipment

BIT and Digital

Project Budget Status by Portfolio

Spent PO Forecast Uncommitted

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Members’ Costs (Schedule 2)

10. Members’ costs are analysed in Schedule 2, which shows £4.5m reported cost to May 2017, £19k (0.4%) underspend against the year to date budget. (The corresponding figures for 2016-17 at period 2 were an underspend of £6k, 0.1%, although these are not directly comparable due to the impact of election related costs in last year’s figures).

Commissioners & Ombudsman Costs (Schedule 2)

11. The SPCB’s funding cost for Commissioners and Ombudsman (Officeholders) in the 2 months of 2017-18 amounts to £1.4m, which is £108k (7.1%) under the year to date budget. The unutilised balance in the Officeholders contingency is £325k.

Central Contingency 12. The central contingency has increased by £131k from an original approved

budget of £1m to £1.13m. This is a result of movements to contingency in relation to the Rates (£585k), and transfers from staff costs (£121k) and the Security office (£68k). This has been offset by approved calls on contingency in relation to the Apprenticeship Levy (£120k), Chamber Lighting (£305k), Staff posts in HR (£60k) and Committee (£90k), funding to the Vacancy Gap (£30k), LG Corporate Training (£23k) and increases to Police Contract costs (£14k).

13. Commitment

14%

61.4%

18%

6.6%

PS Committed Funds as at May 2017: £k,%

Actual Spend

Outstanding Commitment

Forecast

Funds Available

Period 2 May 2017 Financial Schedules

Schedule 1

Current OriginalAnnual Approved

Actual Budget Variance Variance Budget Budget£'000 £'000 £'000 % £'000 £'000

Parliamentary Service Costs (Schedule 2) 6,372 6,837 466 6.8 45,147 45,279

Members' Costs (Schedule 2) 4,527 4,546 19 0.4 29,277 29,277

Commissioners & Ombudsman Costs (Schedule 2) 1,423 1,531 108 7.1 9,624 9,624

Sub Total 12,321 12,913 593 4.6 84,048 84,180

Reserves - SPCB Contingency n/a 1,131 1,000

TOTAL SPCB EXPENDITURE 12,321 12,913 592 4.6 85,180 85,180

Year to Date


Schedule 2 Current OriginalAnnual Approved

Actual Budget Variance Variance Budget Budget£'000 £'000 £'000 % £'000 £'000

Parliamentary Service Costs

Staff Pay 4,135 4,253 117 2.8 25,591 25,339

Staff Related Costs 58 151 93 61.6 969 946

Property Costs 1,115 1,178 62 5.3 7,157 7,742

Running Costs (Including Events & Income) 871 1,069 199 18.3 6,675 6,802

Parliamentary Service Costs excluding Projects 6,180 6,651 472 7.1 40,392 40,829

Projects (Schedule 3) 192 186 (6) (3.2) 4,755 4,450

Total PS Expenditure 6,372 6,837 466 6.8 45,147 45,279

Members' Costs

MSP & Officeholders' Pay 2,013 2,028 15 0.7 12,194 12,194

MSP Expenses 2,480 2,453 (27) (1.1) 16,543 16,543

Party Assistance 34 65 31 47.9 540 540

Total 4,527 4,546 19 0.4 29,277 29,277

Commissioners & Ombudsman

Ethical Standards Commission 81 81 () (0.2) 838 838

Standards Commission 21 52 31 59.8 259 259

Human Rights Commission 157 152 (5) (3.1) 991 991Scottish Information Commissioner 221 262 41 15.7 1,573 1,573

Public Services Ombudsman 723 737 13 1.8 4,304 4,304

Commissioner for Children 219 247 27 11.1 1,334 1,334

Reserves - C&O Contingency 0 0 n/a 325 325

Total 1,423 1,531 108 7.1 9,624 9,624

Year-to-date


Schedule 3

Project Summary : May 2017 YTD Actual £k

YTD Budget £k

Variance £k

Variance %

Current Annual Budget £k

Original Approved Budget £k

% Spent of Total Budget


£k

Forecast Funds Available

Revenue Projects Allocated 139 130 (9) (7.0) 2,304 2,304 6.0% 229 1,855 81 Unallocated 0 0 0 n/a 1,019 1,146 n/a 0 0 1,019Total Revenue Projects 139 130 (9) (7.0) 3,323 3,450 4.2% 229 1,855 1,100

Capital Projects Allocated 53 56 3 5.8 1,432 820 3.7% 117 1,090 172 Unallocated 0 0 0 n/a 0 180,000 n/a 0 0 0Total Capital Projects 53 56 3 5.8 1,432 1,000 3.7% 117 1,090 172

TOTAL 192 186 (6) (3.2) 4,755 4,450 4.0% 346 2,945 1,271

By Portfolio: YTD Actual £k

YTD Budget £k

Variance £k

Variance %

Current Annual Budget £k

Original Approved Budget £k

% Spent of Total Budget


£k

Forecast Funds Available

BIT and Digital 92 93 1 1.2 1,306 1,059 7.0% 101 953 160FM Building & Equipment 59 58 (1) (1.0) 2,150 1,845 2.7% 219 1,892 (20)Other 41 35 (6) () 280 220 14.8% 26 100 112

Total Projects Allocated 192 186 (6) (3.2) 3,736 3,124 5.1% 346 2,945 252

Unallocated Project Budget 0 0 0 n/a 1,019 1,326 0.0% 0 0 1,019

TOTAL 192 186 (6) (3.2) 4,755 4,450 4.0% 346 2,945 1,271

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Last

Quarter

This

Quarter

Trend

Parliamentary Business

100% parliamentary business takes place as scheduled* 100% 99.8%

Support to Members** 13 12

Engagement & Participation

Operational Public Engagement KPIs are on target: participation, openness, reaching out & understanding***

Corporate Governance & Financial Management

% Outturn against SPCB budget for financial year within target range of 0-2.5% under SPCB budget**** 2.1% 1.2%

Strategic Priorities for Change on track

Compliance monitoring report on track

Planned Corporate Risk mitigating actions are being implemented

Key: RAG Status On Track

(Yes/No)

Increase/No Change/Decrease

Notes:

* Red status – On 18 January 2017, a Chamber vote was repeated due to technical issues. Note, as agreed by the PO and Business Managers, the debate on the Independence Referendum was suspended on 22 March 2017 until 28 March 2017 due to the incident at Westminster.

** 1 Member did not respond to the level of satisfaction for Constituency Role Support as does not have a local Office.

*** Amber status - There was overall strong performance in Public Engagement areas. Amber rating due to low visitor figures for Visitor Services which is traditional for Quarter 4. A work stream to examine visitor numbers has been set up as a key activity in the public engagement strategy.

**** KPI reduces from 0-5% in Q1 & Q2 to 0-2.5% during Quarter 3 & 4. Position as at 20 June 2017.

R

A

G

2

Priority Status Progress & Key Achievements Forward Look

Immediate priorities post election: Managing programme of support for intake of new Members in Session 5

The delivery of the refresh in desktop and mobile technologies continued during quarter 4 (Q4), 30 returned Members Offices were refreshed.

9 Local offices were set up for Members newly elected to the Parliament in May 2016.

45 Members are now using the new Case Management System (of the 49 who have indicated they with to use it). All 49 Case Management environments (CRM Business units) are set up in the system.

6 Members offices are currently scheduled for refresh during April & May 2017. The 2 outstanding offices to be set up later than May 2017 will be passed to business as usual for action.

4 Local offices are scheduled for set up for newly elected Members and are to be completed by May 2017. The remaining 5 offices will be passed to business as usual for action after May 2017.

The remaining 4 Members who wish to use the Case Management system are scheduled for installation and training during May 2017. 6 Members using the system are awaiting their second CRM training which will be delivered during 2017-18 quarter 1 (Q1).

G

3


Support Members to excel in their parliamentary and representative roles through the successful implementation of an on-going development programme

The Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee hosted the first Questioning Techniques course for committees in March 2017. This was led by a former barrister, and feedback from Members was extremely positive.

Work continued on developing a Disability training course, further discussions were held with external groups and Human Resources. A course was due to be delivered by the end of Quarter 4 (Q4), however, identifying a suitable facilitator has delayed the delivery until Q1.

Discussions have been held with the Legislation Team on running sessions on Bill scrutiny. It has been agreed that these should coincide with the first Stage 3 meeting expected in May 2017.

A meeting of the inter-parliamentary Continuous Professional Development network was held at the Scottish Parliament in March 2017. This included officials from the UK Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly with the aim of sharing experiences and knowledge across legislatures.

A review of the success and lessons learned from the initial series of courses has yet to be completed.

The next Questioning Techniques session with committees is scheduled for 8 May 2017.

A Disability training course will be delivered during Q1, date to be confirmed.

Bill scrutiny sessions led by the Legislation Team will take place in late May 2017.

Provide Leadership Group (LG) with regular updates on progress.

The review of the success and lessons learned from the initial series of courses will be concluded in Q1.

A

4


Strengthen our processes, systems and our support to enable Members to deliver the highest standards of scrutiny

In January 2017, Conveners Group agreed to hold 2 meetings per year with the First Minister, in October and March. The exact format of the new sessions will be determined prior to the first meeting in October 2017.

The Academic Engagement Strategy for 2017-18 was agreed by the Group Head of Research, Communications and Public Engagement in March 2017.

The Academic Fellowship Programme was established in March 2017, including the selection and recruitment of five new Fellows (covering Brexit and fisheries, immigration, diversity of committee evidence, alcohol and competition policy).

The eighth Brexit breakfast (attended by 13 MSPs) was held on 29 March 2017, and hosted by a PhD placement who produced a briefing and ran a seminar on drugs misuse.

Work on the beta plus development phase of the Legislative Drafting, Amending and Publishing tool (LDAPP) commenced in January 2017 and is planned to conclude in May 2017. Work is on-going on the procurement strategy for the live transition phase.

Paper updating progress towards the implementation of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act was considered by the SPCB on 19 January 2017. Northgate was appointed as IT contractor in March 2017. The Standards, Procedures and Public (SPPA) committee reported on 25 April 2017 on standing orders changes to allow for making determinations and resolutions under the Act.

The Fellows will start by June 2017. Recruitment of Jude Payne Health Traineeship is underway and progressing in May 2017.

Two Brexit breakfasts are scheduled for 17 May 2017 (Justice) and 24 May 2017 (Energy). A PhD placement focusing on diet and obesity will be also hosted.

On 5 May 2017, the LDAPP Board will consider the review of progress against the project plan.

Appointments to the stakeholder working group will be made in May 2017 with the first meeting be held in early June 2017. The SPPA Committee recommended Standing Orders changes to be considered by Parliament in May 2017 (date yet to be programmed). First draft of guidance on use of the register completed in May 2017. Full report on progress to the SPCB on 18 May 2017.

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5


Proactively influence proposals for constitutional and procedural change to enhance the Parliament’s oversight and legislative roles

During Q4, the Constitutional Issues Board (CIB) carried out detailed work looking at the implications of the EU referendum, work included plans for a capacity exercise which will consider the implications for Parliamentary resources of the Brexit process.

The CIB considered the implications of the forthcoming General Election and the possibility of a second Independence Referendum.

The CIB continued to monitor the implementation of the Scotland Act 2016, the Fiscal Framework and their impact on parliamentary services.

The CIB monitored parliamentary processes relating to scrutiny of the new powers. Inter-parliamentary co-operation continued at official level.

The CIB engaged with the Parliamentary Bureau in consideration of future challenges for the parliament.

An update on the work of the CIB was sent to all staff in February 2017. Following this, the Assistant Chief Executive responsible for the CIB, along with members of the Secretariat, has attended several Scottish Parliamentary Service (SPS) team meetings.

During Q1, the CIB will continue to undertake work on the implications of the EU referendum under six strands. Particular focus will be given to the implications of Brexit and of a possible future second independence referendum.

The CIB will continue to monitor any impact following the General Election and any further developments in relation to a second independence referendum.

The CIB will continue to monitor the implementation of the Scotland Act 2016, the Fiscal Framework and their impact on parliamentary services.

The CIB will continue to monitor parliamentary processes relating to scrutiny of new powers and Brexit; and consider strategic inter-parliamentary cooperation on inter-governmental relations scrutiny by end of December 2017.

The CIB will engage Conveners Group and return to SPCB to discuss future challenges.

The CIB will continue to keep staff informed of developments, through email updates and meetings with individual teams.

Support the implementation of the PO Commission on parliamentary reform to report by June 2017.

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Deliver public and external engagement activities that improve the quality and visibility of the work of the Parliament

Committee Engagement Strategy: Feedback during Q4 was that engagement activities have given momentum to evidence sessions and enhanced scrutiny. A new performance measurement was implemented during Q4 to monitor how many Committee approach papers for bills and inquiries included engagement plans and the performance was in excess of the 75% target.

Successfully held Your Scottish Parliament Conference on 24 March 2017 bringing together college students from across Scotland, participating in the work of three committees and increasing their knowledge of the workings of the Scottish Parliament.

On 1 March 2017, the new Scottish Parliament permanent exhibition – Parliament for the People – was opened by the Presiding Officer. To date positive feedback has been received from the SPCB, Members, visitors and those featured in the exhibition. A series of drop-in sessions were organised for Members, their staff and Scottish Parliamentary Service (SPS) staff.

VisitParliament marketing campaign was launched in March 2017 and is being monitored.

The Gaelic Working Group met for first time in January 2017 to review final stage of Gaelic Language Plan 2 (until March 2018) and help prepare for GLP3 (April 2018 to March 2023).

Meetings to be undertaken with Committee Team Leaders as part of the culture change programme of work.

Discussions to take place with Public Engagement Group on possible Your Scottish Parliament Conference by end December 2017.

Work progressing with mapping the current visitor engagement and experience to Parliament, to be completed by end of June 2017.

Work progressing on a research programme across audiences by June 2017.

An internal consultation on the new Gaelic Language Plan took place in April 2017. Initial meetings with Office Heads will be held to start work on Gaelic Language Plan 3.

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Deliver public and external engagement activities that improve the quality and visibility of the work of the Parliament cont’d

Optimise our financial, physical, information and staff resources by modernising business activities and developing new arrangements for resource allocation decisions

Work is progressing on delivering a plan to ensure content is delivered through the appropriate resources to exploit the public appetite for engagement via digital resources (e.g. videos, animations and infographics). Currently digital aspects of engagement are being monitored through relevant Key Performance Indicators.

The revised International Strategy outlining the aims and focus of the Parliament’s International engagement was approved by the SPCB on 19 January 2017, and was published in February 2017.

Following the high level SPS reforecasting exercise in January 2017, the Strategic Resources Board (SRB) considered and agreed the proposed allocation of funding for prioritised projects based on the available unallocated project budget.

In February 2017, the SPCB and Assistant Chief Executives discussed parliamentary capacity – support to Members in terms of financial resources and resources in general.

During Q4, the SRB discussed and considered approaches to project pipeline planning; corporate training & job related training budgets and the Strategic Plan Refresh & 2017-18 Budgeting Process.

Work progressing to develop and deliver evaluation and reporting mechanisms to assess the impact of our activities on web and social media channels by end June 2017.

Procure a new webcasting and video on demand service with scope to introduce new functionality and facilitate reuse of footage by end September 2017.

A paper on 2018-19 budget assumptions and an update on parliamentary capacity – support to Members will be discussed at the SPCB meeting on 15 June 2017.

In April 2017, the Projects and Programme Office presented documentation to the SRB to support programme and project management in the organisation. The SRB also discussed and agreed the Approval of in-year budget transfers framework and the current 2017-18 Contingency Budget Position.

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Optimise our financial, physical, information and staff resources by modernising business activities and developing new arrangements for resource allocation decisions cont’d Drive more efficient, effective and flexible working environment for Members, their staff and the SPS, enabled by secure digital technologies

In March 2017, LG agreed the approach to reviewing the Parliament’s Strategic and Delivery Plans, and the Performance Report format. A Strategic Planning Steering Group was established consisting of Leadership Academy Network staff at both LG and non-LG levels, ensuring each Group was represented.

In March 2017, a paper was presented to the SPCB setting out proposals for an energy strategy designed to meet 2020 targets. The SPCB endorsed the approach and agreed that a strategy should be developed for consideration by the SPCB in the autumn.

IT Infrastructure and Support Service Contract: In January 2017, the specification documentation was finalised and the pre-tender gateway review was completed. The invitation to tender was issued in February 2017 with 6 compliant bids received by the deadline date of 3 April 2017.

Support digital working across SPS: o The initiation stage of the design and test for the new

working environment for SPS commenced in March 2017.

o Initial Project Definition Workshop was held in March 2017.

o Draft Project Initiation Document was created in March 2017.

o Additional workshops were identified for planning in March 2017.

The new Strategic Plan and Delivery Plan will be presented to LG and then the SPCB for approval in June 2017. Thereafter, will be published on the Parliament’s website and communicated to the SPS Staff.

The tender evaluations; clarifications; award documentation and recommendations are to be completed by June 2017.

o Mobilisation project resources to be assigned in May 2017.

o Business engagement & Application workshop to be held by end of June 2017.

o Phase 0 Initiation to be completed by end of May 2017.

o Phase 1 to commence in June 2017: o Exchange Migration o Application Compatibility

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Drive more efficient, effective and flexible working environment for Members, their staff and the SPS, enabled by secure digital technologies cont’d

Data Breach Team & associated procedures:

o In March 2017, the Data Breach Team became fully operational as a High Impact Risk Team within the Business Continuity process.

o A team exercise took place in January 2017 and a further meeting was held in March 2017.

o In January 2017, LG were briefed on the impact to the organisation of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) which will come into effect from May 2018.

o During Q4, 4 Snippet sessions on GDPR requirements were held, attended by 48 staff.

Information security management systems: o Management actions resulting from Audit report were

completed by March 2017. o Penetration test of network to identify any

vulnerabilities was completed by March 2017.

Develop Digital Strategy for Session 5:

o The Digital Strategy Board (DSB) membership expanded to include all Group Heads.

o Further prioritisation of projects undertaken by DSB in March 2017 and agreement on an initial set of 5 new projects to be added to the Digital Portfolio to commence at start of 2017-18.

o The Data Breach Team will plan their involvement in the Business Continuity exercise in June 2017.

o A project plan is currently being developed for GDPR compliance and project is scheduled to begin in May 2017.

o Further GDPR snippets for SPS and MSP staff are planned during Q1.

o Review penetration testing report and develop plan to address any gaps by end of June 2017.

o Commence cyber awareness and education campaign by end of June 2017.

o Continue to communicate Digital Strategy to organisation.

o Continue to finesse the Digital Portfolio status / performance reporting for DSB.

o Identify next set of candidate projects to initiate and join the Digital Portfolio by end of June 2017.

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Drive more efficient, effective and flexible working environment for Members, their staff and the SPS, enabled by secure digital technologies cont’d Design and implement a staff development framework focusing on change, leadership, individual responsibility and accountability

o New BIT Project Management Office was established,

now assisting the DSB with managing the Digital Portfolio.

o Digital Portfolio status (performance) reporting was implemented covering project timelines; portfolio budget position; and reporting project and portfolio issues & risks by exception.

o New DSB Communications Site was created to inform all stakeholders on progress against the Digital Strategy.

Phase 1 of the Policy Simplification was completed in February 2017.

The Organisational Development (OD) programme was successfully closed in March 2017.

Following the successful completion of the Time and Attendance project to all existing Time Recording System users in December 2017, the project team progressed work exploring the feasibility of implementing the system across the Operational Security staff (this work is out-with the scope of the initial project). Successful implementation will allow the Security Office to retire a number of processes which are currently supported by BIT.

o Develop a Risk Register for the delivery of the Digital Strategy by end of June 2017.

o Deliver projects on portfolio as per plan milestones managed at project level and reported to DSB on 16 May and 30 June 2017 meetings.

o Preparation of 2018-19 budget bids by August 2017. o Develop improved demand management processes

for Digital Services by October 2017.

The Staff Handbook is proposed to be re-launched by June 2017.

The Closure Report will be completed by September 2017.

Two Operational Security teams will pilot the Time Recording System for an initial 2 month period from May 2017.

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Design and implement a staff development framework focusing on change, leadership, individual responsibility and accountability cont’d

Inclusive Talent Management: A review of all development strategies was undertaken with associated actions moved to business as usual by March 2017.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy was published in January 2017 and transition to business as usual to be completed by June 2017.

During Q4, a significant amount of work was delivered under the Leadership and Management work stream. This raised a number of complex and far reaching issues for the organisation to explore which will have contingent implications for other work streams. Outputs from the Leadership and Management work stream including Leadership Group development and values work will be completed by June 2017.

The updated Performance Management administration process (hosted on the Time Recording System) will be launched by end May 2017.

The Workforce Plan which will underpin the organisational strategy to be published by June 2017. A number of connected activities feed into this element and thus have contingent deadlines. Production of Workforce Plan will run parallel as the various work streams will feed into planning in this area.

The Senior Responsible Officer and support for the Recruitment review and support will be reporting to LG in May 2017. The OD Board agreed to further extend this piece of work to ensure it incorporates the new definition of leadership and management, the D&I strategy and will also accommodate workforce planning changes as required.

Review of Leadership and Management capability and approach will be considered by LG and changes implemented by the end of September 2017.

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Corporate Risk Register

The Corporate Risk Register sets out fourteen high level risks which may act as barriers to the successful delivery of the strategic aims of the Scottish Parliament. Corporate risks are identified from a variety of sources including: strategic, delivery and office plans; major programmes and projects; and other known and emerging business priorities such as business continuity high impact risks. Each corporate risk is aligned to a specific aim/(s) within the Strategic Plan for the Scottish Parliament, is scored in terms of likelihood and impact and is designated as high, medium or low both before (inherent risk) and after (residual risk) the application of internal controls and management actions. In its most recent review of the Corporate Risk Register, LG noted that due to the programme of work in the Debating Chamber scheduled to take place during the 2017 summer recess, business continuity arrangements for an alternative chamber within the Holyrood building are being reviewed in the event of a recall of Parliament during the recess period or as a result of the planned works overrunning. While the Business Continuity Board will consider the arrangements and preparedness during May 2017, there is a minor increase in risk exposure arising from these works. As a result, the residual likelihood of ‘Unavailability of the Holyrood building’ has been increased from ‘Highly Unlikely’ to ‘Unlikely’. This increased position will remain until the works are complete. Annual external penetration testing of core IT systems (infrastructure, business applications and websites) is a key control designed to mitigate the risk of a ‘Failure of the Parliament’s IT and Communication Systems’ becoming a reality. Testing is commissioned from an external body regularly and was most recently completed in March2017. The project to deliver this work covered those systems managed and overseen by the BIT Office and the tests performed concluded positively. As the tests only offered assurance over data security for systems supported by the BIT Office, there may be an increased risk that other systems (i.e. those not supported by BIT) are at risk of loss or damage if they are not subject to tests of a similar rigour. The risk is increased further for any systems that may hold personal and/or sensitive data. The BIT Office has guidance available to assist users of other non-supported systems to seek assurance that suppliers/providers have robust testing arrangements in place. The guidance will be further developed over the coming months and in the meantime engagement with BIT is strongly encouraged. To reflect the increased exposure to such a breach, the likelihood of Risk 7 has been increased from 1 ‘Highly Unlikely’ to 2 ‘Unlikely’ and consideration is being given to introducing a risk relating to Cyber security.

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Chief Executive’s Report to the SPCB June 2017 · Events and Exhibitions Team On Monday 15 May...

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Transcript of Chief Executive’s Report to the SPCB June 2017 · Events and Exhibitions Team On Monday 15 May...