Report Summary
This report provides members of the Scottish Police Authority's Audit, Risk & Assurance Committee with an overview of four internal audits reviews from the 2024/25 internal audit plan.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee - 20 November 2024
Date : 20 November 2024
Location : online
Appendix A Summary: Forensic Performance Management and Reporting
a. Background:
Memorandums of Understanding between Forensic Services, Police Scotland, and the Crown Office outline roles and responsibilities, setting clear expectations for service delivery. A suite of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) measures performance. These are tracked through data management systems, and are analysed / collated to provide managers with ongoing performance information. Forensic Services performance is reported to the Authority’s Forensic Services Committee.
The likely reduction in time to process toxicology cases from 12 to 6 months will be a key performance challenge.
b. Internal Audit Findings:
BDO was able to provide moderate assurance over the design and limited assurance over the operational effectiveness of controls in place.
The audit identified gaps in the reporting of some performance information, which may hinder performance assessment. There is also a need for better data validation and scrutiny, as well as a formal demand forecasting process to manage operational issues. Challenges in performance reporting accuracy and effectiveness were noted, stemming from limited staff capacity and ownership over reports.
The audit also highlighted some strengths, such as the clear definition service delivery expectations and responsibilities, with effective monitoring against KPIs; performance reporting is robust, with detailed weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports reviewed by various forums and performance groups. Governance and oversight are reinforced through the Performance Board and additional groups, ensuring regular communication and accountability. Also, processes are in place to minimise data manipulation, with streamlined methods for data consolidation and analysis.
c. Summary of Findings of the Report:
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS/AGREED ACTIONS
High 0/0
Medium 5/8
Low 0/0
TOTAL: 5/8
d. SPA Considerations:
FS performance management and reporting has been on a journey of improvement with oversight by the FS Committee. FS management identified performance management to be included in the internal audit plan for 2024/25 to support their continuous improvement in this area.
All recommendations have been accepted and have relatively short target dates for completion by 31 March 2025 at the latest.
