1. Portfolio/Number/Name:A/C4 - eRDM |
2. Programme/Activity: This is a major business improvement project to introduce a common process of electronic record and document management ( eRDM) throughout the Scottish Executive using Objective Corporation software. This will replace the paper based system, which requires more manual processes. |
3. Efficiency | 3.1 Current target; £m | | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Cash | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Time | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3.2 Efficiencies delivered; £m | | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
Cash | 0.5 | - | - |
Time | 0 | - | - |
4. Accountable Officer for delivery | John Elvidge |
5. Project Manager | Ben Plouviez |
6. EGDD Portfolio Manager | Rowena Simpson |
7. Description of efficiency and actions to be taken | 7.1 What is the efficiency improvement? How will the efficiencies be made? The efficiency improvement comes from managing the increasing volume of documents or records with less resource. A number of efficiency improvements are expected from eRDM including increased office space for people rather than files, reduced long term storage site costs, increased information sharing and joined up working, but the cash saving being counted here is expected to be made through a reduction in administrative resources for records and document management across the Scottish Executive. The administration budget allocation for each department has been adjusted to take account of these projected efficiency savings. The efficiencies will be actualised through eRDM roll-out in departments. |
7.2 What are the main actions that are needed to secure the delivery of this efficiency improvement? In order to successfully deliver the efficiencies, the new eRDM software needs to be rolled out without any major technical problems. There needs to be user acceptance throughout the Executive of changed record and document handling practices, which will be assisted by a programme of training for staff. |
8. Associated costs | 8.1 Are there any development or redundancy costs associated with the delivery of this efficiency? There are significant short term development costs associated with eRDM since it involves a large business improvement project involving new IT systems, staff training and associated change management. This initiative was not specifically developed to deliver efficiency savings and will deliver improvements in accessing information, which will help to improve the quality of policy and will help the Executive to achieve Freedom of Information timescales and Data Protection Act compliance. Therefore, the development costs associated with eRDM have not been netted off from the efficiency savings. |
9. Measurement | 9.1 What are the inputs that will be measured? The input being measured is expenditure on A band staff across the Scottish Executive. This is calculated by taking the number of A band staff in the Scottish Executive and multiplying it by the average wage for an A band staff member. This is a proxy measure since there would be an unreasonable cost associated with specifically measuring the time spent by A band staff on record and document management. |
9.2 What are the outputs that will be measured? The output is the volume of records and documents being managed. |
9.3 What is the baseline for inputs and outputs? The baseline for inputs is expenditure on A band staff in 2004-05 and the baseline for outputs is the volume of records and documents in 2004-05. |
10. Quality cross-check | 10.1 What quality indicators are being used to ensure that quality of service is maintained or improved? The quality of the document or record itself is not subject to any deterioration and information management principles are now in place to ensure better management of information. |
11. Monitoring | 11.1 What are the arrangements for monitoring the delivery of efficiencies? Inputs and outputs are monitored frequently in preparation for eRDM Project Board meetings. |
12. Reporting | 12.1 What are the arrangements for reporting the delivery of efficiencies? Progress on the delivery of efficiency savings from eRDM are reported to each meeting of the eRDM project Board normally every 6 to 8 weeks. |
13. Dependencies | 13.1 Explain if your efficiencies are dependent on legislation or other structural changes being achieved. The delivery of these efficiencies is dependent on the successful roll-out of the eRDM system throughout all Scottish Executive departments and user acceptance of changes to working practice. It is also dependent on management making changes to administrative staff utilisation following implementation of eRDM in Departments. |
14. Use of efficiencies | 14.1 How are the efficiencies released from improvement activity being used to improve front-line services? The efficiency savings released from this project will help the Scottish Executive to live within the flat cash settlement it received from the Spending Review. By not increasing the administration budget in line with inflation, resources were freed up for Ministers to spend on other priorities. |