SB(09)12th Conclusions
MEETING OF THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT STRATEGIC BOARD: HELD ON THURSDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 2009
Present
Sir John Elvidge KCB (chair)
Leslie Evans
Robert Gordon CB
Andrew Goudie
Paul Gray
Stella Manzie CBE
Alyson Stafford
Kevin Woods
Bill Bound
Heather Logan
Apologies
David Fisher
In Attendance
Angiolina Foster
Sarah Davidson
Elinor Mitchell
Nicola Richards
Chris Boyland
Katie Wood
Paul Johnston (For Agenda Item 2 only)
Ian Davidson (For Agenda Item 2 only)
Joyce Clemie (For Agenda Items 2 and 3 only)
Ken Thomson (For Agenda Item 4 only)
Tim Barraclough (For Agenda Item 4 only)
Ros Cockerell (For Agenda Item 6 only)
Liz Hunter (For Agenda Item 7 only)
Kate Vincent (For Agenda Item 7 only)
Trudi Sharp (For Agenda Items 9 and 10 only)
Hilary Morrison (For Agenda Items 9 and 10 only)
Please note that parts of the record of discussion are considered exempt from publication and have been redacted.
Agenda Item 1: Minutes and Matters Arising
1. The Strategic Board agreed the minutes of the meetings held on 8 October (SB(09)10th Conclusions) and 15 October (SB(09)11th Conclusions) subject to an amendment on Item 4, paragraph 14, of SB(09)11th Conclusions.
2. The Strategic Board Action Tracker had been circulated to the Board and a number of updates were provided. These would be recorded on the Tracker.
Agenda Item 2: Shaping Up: Programme Update (SB(09)60)
3. Stella Manzie introduced paper SB(09)60 which provided a progress report on the Shaping Up Programme (the Review), the Core Review Project and 5 individual reviews. The Strategic Board was the Programme Board for the Review, and the Board's executive members formed the Project Board for the Core Review Project. There would be a need for the Project Board to meet frequently in the next few weeks. The Project Initiation Document (PID) for the Review was attached for the Board's approval.
4. A Programme team had been created and reports on a range of workstreams were due in November. All Directors General had been interviewed, as had a representative sample of Directors. 18 staff workshops were underway, with good attendance, and Heads of Division would be discussing the Review with their teams.
5. Paul Johnston said that the workshops posed questions around four themes: alignment of work with the Purpose and the National Outcomes; internal and external relationships; good practice; and systems. There was evidence of an increased willingness among staff to: become involved; share good practice; and consider how their work aligned with the Purpose. There had been good cross-team working to date. Maintaining strong relationships over the course of the Review would be a challenge.
6. Ian Davidson said that timescale for the initial phase of the Review was set out in the PID. The individual reviews of transactional services and rural payments and inspections would be conducted over a longer time frame. A second phase of staff engagement activity would be very helpful.
7. Points made in discussion:
(a) It would be important to bring together thinking on staffing, finance and business planning;
(b) It might be useful to have a finance and transactional services workstream as part of the review;
(c) The Review should seek to ensure that the shape of the organisation was aligned to the Purpose. It would be important to highlight this and the message of adding value, in discussions with staff;
(d) During phase 2 of the review, it would be important to consider what the implications of any proposals might be on relationships with external stakeholders; and
(e) It would be helpful to elicit the positive outputs from the Review and to use this to develop the Scottish Government's corporate story.
8. The Strategic Board agreed:
(a) To approve the PID, subject to: narrating Alyson Stafford as a member of the Programme Board; and expanding the terms of reference to include a workstream on transactional services. (Action: Director General Finance and Corporate Services; Human Resources and Corporate Services Directorate Director; and Shaping Up Programme Team)
Agenda Item 3: Management Information on People (SB(09)61)
9. Stella Manzie introduced paper SB(09)61. This was the third paper providing the Strategic Board with Management Information (MI) on people, produced in accordance with the quarterly reporting cycle agreed at the meeting of the Board on 19 March 2009.
10. Points made in discussion:
(a) Improving the availability of information was good. The role of the Strategic Board was to identify what further analysis was required. A key task would be to develop a more detailed understanding of the various drivers which influenced changes in the number of staff employed by the Government and the relative pull of these drivers on overall outcomes.
11. The Strategic Board agreed:
(a) That it would be important to identify the key drivers which influenced changes in the number of staff employed by the Government and to take action as appropriate. (Action: Director General Finance and Corporate Services; and Human Resources and Corporate Services Directorate)
12. The Permanent Secretary welcomed the Scottish Government officials who joined the meeting at this point to observe proceedings.
Agenda Item 5: Experience of Staff in Glasgow
13. Leslie Evans reflected on informal feedback from staff on their experience of being based in Glasgow. The relocation of staff to Atlantic Quay was helping bring staff together. The culture in Glasgow should be recognised and celebrated. The Strategic Board, Directors General, Directors and other senior managers should be encouraged to come to Glasgow more frequently.
14. Points made in discussion:
(a) Staff were based in many locations across Scotland and it would be important to ensure excellent communications with all staff, wherever they were based;
(b) There was natural linkage between staff in different locations, particularly through various workstreams across Government aligned to the Purpose. These links should create added value and further achievement towards the Purpose; and
(c) The requirement of Glasgow-based staff to travel to Edinburgh for meetings would have financial and environmental costs. These should be considered carefully.
15. The Strategic Board agreed:
(a) The leadership structure and behaviours of the Government should enable and maximise the good working relations and connectivity between staff located throughout Scotland.
Agenda Item 6: Finance Director's Report (SB(09)64)
16. Alyson Stafford introduced the Finance Director's Report.
Agenda Item 7: Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (SB(09)65)
17. Kevin Woods introduced paper SB(09)65. Audit Scotland had published, that day, its report, "Progress report on planning for the delivery of the 20th Commonwealth Games 2014". The report highlighted that progress was being made in key areas and included a number of recommended areas for further work. These included: governance; risk management; the Government Programme plan; and the Partnership plan. Work was already well underway, or had been concluded, to address these issues.
18. Liz Hunter said that much progress had been made since the last report to the Board in March 2009: The Government's legacy plan had been published on 1 September, showing planned investment of £23.5 million to ensure Scotland capitalised on the economic, social and cultural advantages of the Games; work on the Games village and venues was progressing well; and the governance arrangements continued to develop and improve, as did relationships with the various bodies including the Organising Committee (OC).
19. A revised budget for the Games had been announced by the OC on 16 November, with the core budget being increased by £40 million to £373 million.
20. Points made in discussion:
(a) There might be opportunities for staff to be seconded to help with the 2012 Olympics, in due course. The experience from such secondments, and indeed from the Olympics themselves, would help planning for the Games;
(b) It would be important to ensure that staff across the organisation were aware of the work underway to plan for the 2014 Commonwealth Games;
(c) It was helpful that all the recommendations made by Audit Scotland were in hand or had been dealt with. In terms of risk management, the Games were in a good position.
21. The Strategic Board noted:
(a) The Government's progress towards managing its responsibilities for the successful delivery of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and in securing a lasting and positive legacy from the Games. (Action: Director General Health; and Equalities, Social Inclusion and Sport Directorate)
Agenda Item 8: Update on the Economy
22. Andrew Goudie introduced the regular monthly update to the Strategic Board on the economy and circulated slides (SB(09)12th Meeting - Presentation - Agenda Item 8 - Update on the Economy).
23. The Chancellor of the Exchequer was expected to deliver his Pre-Budget Report (PBR) to the UK Parliament on 9 December. The 4th iteration of the Scottish Government's Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) would be published in early 2010.
24. Points made in discussion:
(a) It would be important to bear in mind the climate change challenges when pursuing policies for economic growth.
Agenda Item 9: Corporate Balanced Scorecard Report - Quarter 2, 2009/10 (SB(09)66)
25. Trudi Sharp introduced paper SB(09)66 which sought Strategic Board's view on whether the balanced scorecard should include an additional people indicator, following the Shaping Up review. She also sought views on whether further work should be undertaken to identify and highlight the factors that contributed to the successful achievement of four of the quality indicators
26. Points made in discussion:
(a) The recent work to improve management information was helpful. This information could now be used to drive the Board's decisions on this area;
(b) It would be helpful to include milestone targets, where delivery performance was not as good as it should be;
(c) It was helpful to include information captured from the business planning tool. It would be important to emphasise the use of this and its importance in discussions with staff;
(d) It was important to maintain a 100% target for payment performance and to analyse the barriers to compliance across the organisation.
27. The Strategic Board agreed that:
(a) A focussed piece of work should be commissioned to review the way in which business planning was being undertaken across the organisation; and (Action: Director General Finance and Corporate Services; and Performance Division)
(b) In relation to achieving payment performance targets, it would be useful to identify common barriers to compliance across the organisation. (Action: Director General Finance and Corporate Services; and Performance Division)
Agenda Item 10: Strategic Board Risk Register (SB(09)67)
28. Trudi Sharp introduced paper SB(09)67. She invited the Board to consider whether more in-depth analysis should be provided on the top 3 risks.
29. Points made in discussion:
(a) It would be useful to have some analysis of the political, economic and environmental strands affecting risk factors. It would be important to ensure that, in providing this, there was no duplication of effort.
30. The Strategic Board agreed:
(a) To include further detail on the top 3 key risks, in the next iteration of the risk register; (Action: Director General Finance and Corporate Services; Performance Division) and
(b) That the item on the risk register should be considered first at future meetings. (Action: Cabinet and Corporate Business Secretariat)
Agenda Item 11: Any Other Business
31. None.
Date of Next Meeting
32. Thursday, 17 December at 9.00 am in SAH.
Cabinet and Corporate Business Secretariat
November 2009