Resources Committee (18 December 2024)

The formal minute of the public items of business will be available at the meeting scheduled for 13 February 2025. 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
• P7 Financial Monitoring Report and verbal update on P8
• 2025/26 Budget update
• Financial Regulations – preapproval reporting

Business Case Scrutiny & Oversight
• Body Worn Video Update
• Long Term Sustainable Model for Criminal Toxicology – Initial Business Case
• National Integrated Communications Control Systems (NICCS) update and Change Request
• United Communications and Contact Platform (UCCP) Change Request

Procurement & Contract Awards
• Procurement Performance
Key Issues Raised

P7/P8 Financial Monitoring Report
Revenue
• A balanced revenue outturn remains forecast; however, it was noted there remain significant risks and challenges to achieving this.
• As reported in the update to the November Authority meeting, the biggest risk relates to the pay award. The headline pay award offered (4.75%) is higher than budget and the committee heard from the Chief Financial Officer this is on the absolute outer limits of affordability.

Capital
• A balanced capital outturn also remains forecast with significant delivery risks still a concern for the committee.
• P8 total spend now at £31m ~45% of the forecast. There is still significant spend required in the final quarter of the financial year which is being closely monitored and overprogramming of up to £22m has been approved to mitigate the risk of any slippage.
• An area of focus for this committee will continue to be the effectiveness of the internal processes and controls to ensure robust budget management and to provide assurance in respect of how budget holders are held to account for delivery.

Procurement Performance
• The Committee welcomed the assurances contained in the routine Procurement Performance report and asked that the report be refreshed going forward to provide not only details of compliance but also a forward look to report on the capability and capacity to drive the procurement activity at the pace required to support the organisation. This will be of particular importance in the work to mobilise the Estates Masterplan however will support all spend.

Business Cases
Body Worn Video Update
• Members received assurance on the delivery timescales and heard that Police Scotland remain on track for the next milestone to be delivered in line with current plans in January 2025.
• The recently completed independent health check assessment which focused on timeline, infrastructure and integrations did not find any significant concerns and was supportive of the work. All recommendations will be considered as part of the project’s work.
• The committee welcomed the positive update however given the tight timeline for this important project, requested regular updates to be provided to the SPA so that assurances can be provided on progress between committee meetings.

Long Term Sustainable Model for Criminal Toxicology – Initial Business Case
• The Chair of the Forensics Services Committee joined for consideration of this item.
• The committee was supportive of the IBC which is required to address the increased demand. Members require assurance that there is Scottish Government commitment to fully fund this project over its lifecycle and expect this to be addressed in the Full Business Case.

National Integrated Communications Control Systems (NICCS) update and Change Request and United Communications and Contact Platform (UCCP) Change Request
• The committee discussed the NICCS project at length and were assured that Police Scotland had a high degree of confidence that the interim solution being proposed would deliver a viable solution. It was agreed that fortnightly updates will be provided to the Authority from mid-January 2025. This will allow oversight of progress, provide early understanding of any possible delays and allow assurances to be provided between meetings. A paper showing all options will be submitted to a subsequent Committee meeting for further consideration.

Financial Regulations – preapproval reporting

• Members considered the report and asked that the next report provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the existing arrangements and provide any recommendations for changes to improve the approach.

Conclusions/ Actions Reached
Approvals
• NICCS change requests within 2024/25 only approved and an all options paper to be submitted to subsequent Resources Committee meeting.
• UCCP Change requests approved.
• Long Term Sustainable Model for Criminal Toxicology – Initial Business Case approved.
• Regular progress updates to be provided to the Authority in respect of NICCS and Body Worn Video.

Conclusions
• A forward look to provide assurances that the resource is available to deliver the procurement required so that necessary capital spend can be delivered.
• A timeline for mobilisation of Estates Masterplan to be provided. To provide assurance that robust planning is in place and to give the committee oversight of the scheduling.