27 November 2024
MICROSOFT TEAMS 09:00 – 12:00
Attendees
- Alison Byrne Chief Executive, Registrar General and Keeper (Chair)
- Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper
- Interim Digital and Delivery Director
- Director of Census Statistics (Item 9 onwards)
- Director of Statistics
- Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer
- Corporate Business Assurance Manager
- Business Support Officer (secretariat)
- Head of BMU (governance)
- Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General
- Climate Change and Sustainability Manager (Item 10)
Apologies
1. Welcome, Introductions and apologies
1.1 Alison Byrne welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were noted as above. Alison advised that the EMB agenda would be refreshed early 2025 to allow more time for strategic discussion.
2. Minutes and Actions
2.1 Members approved the draft minutes from the meeting held on 31 October 2024 with one minor change to paragraph 8.3 EMB approved the recommendations set out in the paper to focus on larger streams of income. Members noted Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General comments provided via correspondence.
2.2 A review of the action log was undertaken. The action log would be updated accordingly.
2.3 Members noted the decision log. EMB noted approval via correspondence of the Public & Privilege Holidays arrangements for Christmas 2025/26.
3. Risk Dashboard – Corporate Business Assurance Manager
3.1 The Corporate Business Assurance Manager presented the risk dashboard and issues log indicators outlining the key points below:
- A draft responsibility assignment matrix (RACI matrix) would be presented to EMB early 2025
- The Corporate Business Assurance Team were meeting with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals early in 2025 to see how they escalated risks
- The Corporate Business Assurance Team attended an SG workshop on PowerBI software
- The Corporate Business Assurance Team had attended various NRS boards to learn more about organisational risks
- Future cyber-attack and funding remained the top NRS risks
- The Corporate Business Assurance Team were meeting with the Climate Change and Sustainability Manager to identify any potential risks and issues and feed these into the NRS strategy and business planning
- The Corporate Business Assurance Team were continuing to meet with NRS teams to update the Risk Dashboard
- The revised Risk Issues Log would be shared with the Audit and Risk Committee in early 2025
- The dashboard had been updated to include all red issues
3.2 The Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General suggested the Corporate Business Assurance Team explore if there were any risks around NRS user data and feedback. The Corporate Business Assurance Team confirmed they would take this forward.
EMB 426: The Corporate Business Assurance Team to explore with Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General if there were any risks around NRS user data and feedback. Action Owner: Corporate Business Assurance Manager
3.3 Members noted the updated risk dashboard.
3.4 Alison Byrne requested EMB arrange a risk deep dive at a future meeting to explore NRS risk appetite. The Corporate Business Assurance Team confirmed they would facilitate a future session on this. BMU confirmed this was added to the EMB forward look.
3.5 EMB discussed an emerging issue. A small number of NRS staff had not uploaded a digital photo by the required deadline for the upgrade to NRS building passes. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer advised the Head of Physical Security was developing alternative arrangements and staff communications to assist staff with getting a digital photo uploaded.
3.6 EMB discussed ongoing teething issues with Oracle Cloud system and agreed that the issue could be downgraded from red to amber as some issues were being resolved. EMB noted NRS teams were working through remaining issues and were continuing to mitigate these until they were fully resolved.
3.7 EMB noted the risks around the Future of Population Statistics funding. The Corporate Business Assurance Manager confirmed this was in the process of being added to the Risk Register.
4. Portfolio dashboard and IT services update – Interim Digital and Delivery Director
4.1 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on the Portfolio dashboard and IT services reports with the key points below:
Portfolio dashboard
- Development of a lower priority project assurance framework was nearing completion and had been reviewed with SG Portfolio, Programme and Project Assurance colleagues
- All high priority and digital projects would be assured as part of existing SG assurance frameworks
- Major NRS Digital Projects were being reported through the new SG Digital Portfolio Office
- Work was ongoing to produce a Portfolio Plan on a Page (POAP) with High Level milestones for current NRS portfolio projects. This would be included in future Portfolio dashboards
- Change Business partnering was in place with senior delivery resource working with departments in the support of local and corporate change, including providing advice and guidance
- Project standards (process, templates and tools) NRS Delivery Framework was broadly aligned with the refreshed SG Delivery Framework. Colleagues in the Portfolio Management Office had worked collaboratively with SG PPM CoE with other agencies, where possible, to achieve synergies in these delivery standards. NRS were taking an adopt rather than adapt approach where reasonable
- Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) Programme and Project results were being collated and reformatted for publication on the corporate website to fulfil NRS legal obligations
- Delivery Management Forum (DMF) had its first meeting on 25th September 2024. A draft DMF purpose and responsibilities was shared with participants for discussion. Discussions were ongoing to refine purpose, responsibilities and await an NRS-wide agreed Change Delivery plan to add value
- Interim Architect and Business Analyst recruitment was being progressed as a priority
- A Change Management Strategy and Target Operating Model was being developed and would be presented to EMB at a future strategy session
IT Services
- No major IT incidents were reported in October 2024
- Corporate Website refresh work was ongoing with the new site going live early December 2024. Staff sessions were arranged to promote this work
- Census Outputs phase two had completed with all topics published on the Scotland’s Census website. Work would transition into Outputs three delivery with Multivariate data publication, Area Overviews publication and Neighbourhood Atlas application launch
- Backup Tech Refresh Warranty had been extended for existing Dell hardware to Sep 2025. Capital budget was available to enable the purchase of new hardware this FY
- SWAN Migration Architecture design was continuing with review of required circuits at both datacentres. A business case would be submitted once ARB approved design recommendation. Procurement activity to agree the BT Call of Contract would begin once the Business Case was approved
- GSX Domain Replacement Project has resolved issues in getting responses from Local Authorities. Initial testing of proposed change now confirmed as effective. Production changes now in progress and procurement of new certificates underway
4.2 EMB discussed the timescales and challenges around NRS capacity to provide future transfer of SG Cabinet records. Alison Byrne noted a business case was being developed to increase NRS digital storage capacity for future archiving and requested this work be taken forward as a priority. Alison noted a deep dive session was arranged to discuss this early December 2024.
4.3 EMB noted the success around the Corporate Website refresh work and gave thanks to all teams involved for their hard work.
5. Future of Population Statistics (FoPS) & Census 2022 – Interim Digital and Delivery Director
5.1 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on Future of Population Statistics (FoPS) and Census 2022 with the key points below:
- The FoPS outline business case had been submitted to SG
- NRS were planning for all FoPS funding scenarios
- The Census 2022 General Report would be published on 17 December 2024
- The Flexible Table Builder had been published to produce multivariant data
5.2 EMB noted the risk around future FoPS funding. Members noted staff communications were required around the SG budget on 4 December 2024.
EMB 427: Staff communications to be arranged around the SG budget. Action Owner: NRS Communications
EMB 428: Directors to consider potential funding scenarios around the SG budget. Action Owner: All
EMB 429: NRS to continue to engage with SG regarding future NRS funding requirements. Action Owner: All
6. NRS Security Update – Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper / Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer / Interim Digital and Delivery Director
6.1 The Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper, Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer and Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided a verbal update on NRS security. The following points were noted:
- The Information Security Committee (ISC) had completed the annual information security management system review which reviewed all audit recommendations, information security policies, procedures and external feedback. Six out of eight improvement actions were completed and two actions were ongoing
- Work was ongoing around reviewing NRS data sharing and governance
- ISC were continuing to monitor internal NRS system security and were making improvements to staff security vetting
- ISC were looking to improve guidance around reporting procedures for security incidents
- The new physical security contract had been rolled out
- Work ongoing around the task and finish collection audit recommendations
- The NRS phishing campaign was continuing and was improving staff awareness
- Cyber Essential Plus Accreditation work was ongoing
7. NRS Finance Report (Paper)
7.1 The Chief Finance Officer sent apologies ahead of the meeting and provided a finance update via correspondence. EMB noted the 2024/25 forecast outturn position at October 2024 (Period 07).
7.2 EMB noted the implementation of Oracle Cloud had impacted the financial accuracy of reported values. Members noted the caveat around the accuracy of the reported numbers and that these would be corrected in line with SG incident management response. EMB noted due diligence had been carried out and that the CFO did not consider any movement in future months to be of material value or to impact on NRS decision making.
8. Annual Climate Change Report Briefing Paper
8.1 Paul Gilles presented the updated Annual Climate Change Report Briefing Paper.
8.2 Annual Climate Change Report: Final Version
8.3 Paul Gilles presented the final Annual Climate Change Report. EMB approved the final Annual Climate Change Report. Members also approved the updated Climate Change Policy statement and the draft Terms of Reference for the NRS Climate Change Working Group. Directors were asked to nominate members for the Climate Change Working Group.
9. Matters Arising From Other Governance Meetings:
9.1 EMB noted all updates.
EMB 430: BMU to invite CEO to attend all NRS governance boards. Action Owner: BMU
10. AOB
10.1 The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer suggested collection audit approval be added to the EMB forward look for early 2025.
EMB 431: BMU to add the collection audit approval to the EMB forward look for early 2025. Action Owner: BMU
11. Date of Next Meeting – 19 December 2024
12. EMB noted the forward look and approved the draft agenda for 19 December 2024.
End
