Purpose
As part of the programme of work in response to recommendations from Audit Scotland and the Public Audit Committee on major capital projects, an Infrastructure Investment Board (IIB) has been established to take on an executive role in infrastructure governance, working alongside individual portfolio investment boards.
The key functions of the new Board, responding directly to Audit Scotland and the Public Audit Committee, are:
- provide strategic scrutiny of high-value major infrastructure projects at an early stage;
- use robust management information to review the governance and delivery of the capital programme, including the Infrastructure Investment Plan, and, where appropriate, specific major projects;
- provide advice to Ministers about capital investment priorities to inform decision-making;
- review portfolio-level governance and decision-making structures for capital; and
- explore options for implementing new financing models (working with SFT).
One focus of the work of the lIB will be at the initial stage of major project development. The lIB will look at key aspects of strategic business cases such as business need, affordability and finance options, value for money, project governance and assurance. All Scottish Government funded capital and revenue financed infrastructure projects are within the remit of IIB, with the exception of Local Government and Scottish Water.
A second core function for the lIB will be to oversee the governance and delivery of the Scottish Government's capital programme. The Infrastructure Projects Database will provide a valuable source of management information on the delivery of specific capital projects and programmes.
The lIB will provide senior level scrutiny and challenge, for example, by seeking to understand major variances in particular projects and ensure that appropriate remedial action is taken. In parallel, lIB will periodically review the governance of individual elements of the programme, to satisfy itself that arrangements are robust and, where relevant, make recommendations for improvement.
In view of the establishment of the IIB, the core information and best practice sharing activities between Directors and key agencies currently performed by Infrastructure Investment Group (IIG) are being merged with other official level groups.
Membership
The IIB has a senior level, corporate membership of seven permanent members:
- the Director General Finance - Alyson Stafford;
- the Director of Commercial and Procurement - Alastair Merrill;
- the Deputy Director of the Infrastructure Investment Unit - Kirstin Baker;
- the Director General Communities and Governance - Paul Gray;
- a senior economist nominated by the Chief Economic Adviser - Gary Gillespie;
- the Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust - Barry White; and
- one non-Executive member of the Strategic Board - Bill Bound.
Infrastructure Investment Board - Terms of Reference
The IIB meets every two months. The secretariat is provided by the Infrastructure Investment Unit (Victoria Bruce: 0131 244 4940).