Resources Committee

The formal minute of the public items of business will be available at the meeting scheduled for 18 December 2024. This will also be published on the SPA’s website. A full recording of the public items of business taken at this meeting can be accessed here.

Main Items of Business
Financial Monitoring, planning and oversight
Q2 Financial Monitoring Report

Benefits Monitoring
Q2 Transformational Benefits Tracker
Q2 Change Portfolio Oversight Report

Financial Regulations Review

Business Case Scrutiny & Oversight
Police Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny Scotland (PECSS) Initial Business Case
Fraud Strategy and Operating Model Initial Business Case
Body Worn Video Update
National Integrated Communications Control Systems (NICCS) – project update
Engagement and Resolution Project (CERP)
Master Data Management (MDM) Change Request

Procurement & Contract Awards
Contract Award - Accident Damage
Contract Award – Vehicle Hire

Key Issues Raised

Q2 Financial Monitoring Report
Revenue
A balanced revenue outturn was forecast, however, it was noted there remains significant risks and challenges to achieving this.
The biggest risk relates to the pay award. The headline pay award offered (4.75%) is higher than budget and it has been challenging to afford this offer within the existing budget. This has been possible due to reduced costs from lower officer numbers at the beginning of the year. Police Scotland has made clear to SG that additional funding would be required next year for this recurring cost.
Updates were also provided on VR VER and overtime management with a focus on management control and operational impact.

Capital
The balance capital outturn was also forecast with significant delivery risks highlighted due to various areas of spend behind plans.
Police Scotland is now bringing forward capital spend from next financial year including fleet and airwave to ensure the capital budget is fully used.
Members highlighted significant concerns about the deliverability of the capital plan and noted concerns raised by the committee earlier in the year. It was also felt that progress made in the previous year has been undone. Police Scotland provided reassurance that they were reviewing the blockers to get back to better capital planning.
Members questioned and heard that work is ongoing to align capital planning with the new three-year planning framework which will guide capital budget prioritisation.

Benefits Monitoring
The reports were discussed at length and whilst there has been progress in reporting there remain challenges with understanding the end-to-end change portfolio. Issues includes the three-year benefits horizon, reasons for project delays, what benefits were used for and the impact of project benefits on the services.
Issues were also highlighted with the number of vacancies with change staff and the need for a pipeline of planned future business cases and change projects.
It was concluded that a deep dive would be undertaken to explore all these issues in the early new year.

Business Cases
Body Worn Video Update
Members sought assurance on the delivery timescales and heard that Police Scotland remains on track for the next milestone to be delivered in line with current plans in January 2025.
An update on the progress of the testing and integration work heard that 92% of core testing had been completed. The integration work will be tested from the end of November.
The overall budget is within the total cost parameters but is lower in the current year than budget due to some lower costs than expected and contingency / optimism bias that has not materialised.
Police Scotland has also commissioned a short and focused independent health check assessment focused on: timeline, infrastructure and integrations.

Police Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny Scotland (PECSS) Initial Business Case
There is a significant cost related to training in advance of the new legislation. The costs of this IBC have been built into the budget bid for 2025-26 and split of extra and opportunity costs were discussed.
Police Scotland has provided its cost estimates for the financial memorandum. As the Bill continues to change, so will the financial memorandum and the FBC will be completed when a final version of the Bill has been agreed.

Fraud Strategy and Operating Model Initial Business Case
Members were supportive of IBC which involved Police Scotland being part of a UK wide policing programme for fraud and cybercrime.
The FBC was likely to be completed in April and Members wished to see information on the impact/ benefit on business-as-usual officers / staff with the findings reflected in the strategic workforce plan. It was considered important that SG are fully engaged in the plans from both an operational and funding perspective.

National Integrated Communications Control Systems (NICCS) – project update
Issues with the pilot and the history of this project were discussed including the delays in realising the benefits were expected from the project.
Members heard that Police Scotland is currently assessing the system and the steps required to implement it. It is also considering the alternative options.
An update will be provided to the next committee meeting.

Conclusions/ Actions Reached
Approvals
contract awards approved for accident damage and vehicle hires.
Conclusions
changes to the financial regulations recommended to the Authority for approval
a deep dive to be undertaken into the various issues related to end to end change programme including benefits in the early new year.