30 January 2025
09:30 – 12:00
MS Teams
Attendees
- Alison Byrne, Chief Executive, Registrar General and Keeper (Chair)
- Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer
- Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper
- Interim Digital and Delivery Director
- Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General
- Director of Census Statistics
- Director of Statistics
- Chief Finance Officer
- Corporate Governance Manager
- Business Support Officer (secretariat)
- Head of Portfolio and Governance (Business Change) (until 11am)
- Business Change Manager (until 11am)
- Programme Manager, Archive Services (until 11am)
- Deloitte Engagement Director (until 11am)
- Deloitte Op Model Lead (until 11am)
- Deloitte Technology, Strategy and Transformation Consulting Analyst (until 11am)
- Deloitte Engagement Partner (until 11am)
Apologies
- Corporate Business Assurance Manager
- Head of BMU (governance)
1. Welcome, Introductions and apologies
Alison Byrne welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were noted as above.
Minutes and Actions
1.1 Members approved the draft minutes from the meeting held on 19 December 2024.
1.2 A review of the action log was undertaken. The action log would be updated accordingly.
1.3 Members noted the decision log. EMB noted approval via correspondence of the NRS Customer Advisory Panel.
Action EMB 442: Flexi and Annual Leave balance update to EMB via correspondence for Feb EMB. Action Owner: Steven Andison
EMB noted the following items were added to the EMB forward look under People mode:
- D-DAT update (Feb 2025)
- Staff vetting procedures (Feb 2025)
- Covid 19 action plan review (June 2025)
- Estates update (June 2025)
2. Deloitte & EMT discussion: Strategic Working Group (SWG) & Target Operating Model (TOM) update
Strategic Working Group & Target Operating Model update
2.1 Deloitte and SWG members provided an update on the progress of the project with the key points below:
- Introductory meetings held between Deloitte and key NRS staff between December 2024 and January 2025
- The SWG Terms of Reference had been drafted and agreed
- SWG Workshops held to develop the NRS Strategy, draft Objectives and As-Is Model
- SWG next steps were to:
- Refine and agree NRS Strategy, Objectives and As-Is Model
- Develop a long list of options and refine to a short list
- Develop a formal business case for Archive Services
2.2 EMB recognised that the timescales of March 2025 for completion of the final TOM would be challenging. Members noted work would continue beyond March 2025 deadline and additional sessions could be arranged by SWG to capture further staff feedback. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer noted further staff feedback could also be picked up via C-Band staff sessions.
2.3 Alison Byrne asked if Deloitte were receiving the required feedback and input from NRS staff. Deloitte advised NRS staff had provided lots of great feedback and that one of the challenges would be to ensure that all voices were fed into the work.
2.4 The Archive Services Programme Manager advised SWG were developing a formal mechanism to capture any additional staff feedback. The Archive Services Programme Manager advised that trackers were also being developed to record and track feedback, outputs and provide visibility. The Archive Services Programme Manager advised SWG were arranging additional drop-in sessions to update and capture wider NRS feedback. The Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General requested sight of the trackers. The Archive Services Programme Manager confirmed the trackers would be circulated following the meeting.
2.5 The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer requested SWG engage with NRS Finance to ensure any outcomes were built into future financial planning. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director advised a delivery plan would be developed for mobilisation of the TOM and would look to map out dates and themes for each session.
2.6 EMB and Deloitte reviewed the key risks for the project and noted that it would be important to continue to empower staff to provide feedback and that it was important to balance the needs of different groups. Alison Byrne advised staff engagement sessions were being arranged over the next few weeks to help shape the future of NRS. Alison requested Directors promote these sessions with their teams. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer suggested key SWG themes could be developed to bounce off specific groups to allow more in-depth discussions on specific themes.
2.7 EMB and Deloitte discussions moved on to the development of the NRS Strategy and Vision Statement. Members noted the vision statement was at an early stage of drafting and required further work to evolve. Deloitte advised lots of feedback had been received from staff and further work was required to develop NRS Values.
2.8 Members noted it was important that the final vision statement was accessible and resonated with NRS staff and members of the public. Alison Byrne noted that collaboration was a key factor of NRS innovation.
2.9 The Director of Census Statistics noted NRS would have similar vision to ONS vision and highlighted their key role in helping civil society to understand and drive forward social and economic change for the common good. Alison Byrne noted it would be important to identify what is unique about NRS compared to other cultural organisations.
2.10 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director highlighted that environmental sustainability was also important to embed in NRS vision. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director suggested a wider mentimeter survey be carried out to capture further themes and language for the NRS Vision and mission statement.
2.11 Members reviewed the draft NRS Outcomes and Strategic Objectives. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer suggested a strategic objective be developed around NRS key objective to collect and store. Alison Byrne requested the objective to enable civic rights was changed to uphold democratic rights and standards.
2.12 Members had a discussion around the NRS governance, capability and decision making process. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer noted there were different levels of governance within the organisation and that governance and capability themes were linked. Alison Byrne suggested that a future review of governance to support delivery of the TOM would be helpful.
2.13 Members took part in a mentimeter survey to help identify what design principles NRS should prioritise and discussed the NRS value chain. Alison Byrne noted it would be important to capture the whole organisation in the NRS value chain. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer suggested highlighting the customer value at the end of value chain. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director noted a period of reflection was important to capture further feedback. The Director of Census Statistics noted it would be important to understand where Census and Future of Population Statistics fits into this work, recognising the NRS delivery model was similar for archive records and statistics.
2.14 The Business Change Manager provided an update on SWG Communications. The Business Change Manager advised the current emphasis around comms was promoting SWG work to NRS staff and that a plan was being developed to co-ordinate comms messaging and ensure all staff were updated. The Business Change Manager advised staff sessions were also being co-ordinated to provide structure and meaningful engagement. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director asked if the Head of NRS Customer Communication and Marketing were being kept up to date. The Business Change Manager confirmed the comms team were being kept up to date. EMB noted it was important to build cultural confidence in NRS and suggested using different channels for staff communications. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director advised IT colleagues could help to maximise use of teams channels to promote SWG work. The Director of Statistics suggested shared space could also be used to promote SWG work. EMB also suggested a saltire page be created to promote SWG work.
2.15 Alison Byrne requested SWG develop a Comms Strategy for the work and asked comms to highlight that staff would still be able to provide feedback post March 2025.
Action EMB 443: Develop Comms Strategy for SWG work. Action Owner: Business Change Manager / Head of NRS Customer Communication and Marketing
2.16 The Interim Director of Operations and Customer Services and Deputy Registrar General advised OCS were running a customer survey in March 2025 and there was potential to build in any SWG questions.
2.17 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on Corporate Plan via correspondence with the key points below:
- Phase 1 Jan to March
- Phase 2 in March – planning for implementation / review agree outputs and agree next steps / agree delivery plan
- Phase 3 delivery – 2025 and beyond
2.18 EMB noted capacity and capability would be key in taking forward SWG work. The Archive Services Programme Manager advised a separate delivery plan was being developed for Archive Services which would dovetail into the high level strategy plan.
2.19 The Director of Census Statistics asked if an As-is was being developed for NRS as a whole. Deloitte confirmed they would be developing a core as-is for overarching piece on transformational change. Alison Byrne asked members to provide any further as-is feedback to Deloitte by end of the week.
Action EMB 444: Deloitte to produce core as-is operating model for overarching piece on transformational change. Action Owner: Deloitte
Action EMB 445: EMB to provide any further as-is feedback to Deloitte by end of the week.
3. Budget commissioning 25/26
3.1 The Chief Finance Officer provided an update on the Budget commissioning 25/26 with the key points below:
- The roll out of the new Oracle system had impacted on NRS finance and delivery
Finance were working with each Directorate to review what was deliverable and were helping Directorates to re-prioritise budgets
- This work identified a key piece of learning around project planning, capacity, capability, required governance and procurement
- Future benefits and financial planning was required for Fees, Charges and Income (FCI) income project
3.2 The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer requested Directors review budgets with finance colleagues line by line to identify any risk of underspend and offered any required support from Corporate Services.
3.3 Members noted further data and metrics would be useful to enable EMB to make more strategic, risk-based decisions as the final point of assurance. EMB discussed how to pull together the metrics underpinning NRS delivery to provide visibility and identify blockers. Alison Byrne referred to discussions with colleagues on a proposal to develop an NRS Corporate Dashboard, including metrics for each directorate, an overview of finances, contracts, including the run rate, licenses, renewal dates, costings and link in procurement timescales. The Interim Digital and Delivery Director and The Director of Statistics had been considering developing this. Alison also requested the following:
- Directors to carry out line by line review of finance
- The Chief Finance Officer to provide an annex to the standard finance paper of forecast for goods and services for each Directorate along with spend to date
- Directors develop a statement of works and recruitment required for delivery of 25/26 programme
Action EMB 446: Delivery, IT and Procurement bring back a proposal to EMB on how to develop a NRS Health Dashboard. Action Owner: The Interim Digital and Delivery Director / Deputy Chief Purchasing and Procurement Officer / Director of Statistics
Action EMB 447: Directors to carry out line by line review of finance. Action Owner: All Directors
Action EMB 448: Directors to ensure budget bids for 25/26 were included for any planned Delivery Partner statement of works or associated NRS recruitment required to support delivery of projects bid for 25/26 prioritisation and funding.
Action EMB 449: Finance to include an annex of forecast goods and services and spend to date for each Directorate in the finance papers. Action Owner: Chief Finance Officer
3.4 The Director of Census Statistics advised ONS had a contract with Open University which was helpful for Census research work. The Director of Census Statistics suggested NRS could explore working with Scottish academia. EMB endorsed this suggestion.
3.5 EMB noted no forecasting had been carried out on training and noted this was important for people survey response. The Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer advised the budget for L&D was not spent budget so keep bids coming in. Members agreed to take this to EMB Feb people mode.
Action EMB 450 : All Directors to provide forecasting for L&D training to Steven Andison for March EMB. Action Owner: All Directors
3.6 Alison Byrne requested directors work through pandemic backlogs and task and finish as a priority, with budget bids for short term resourcing to be included in the current funding exercise.
Action EMB 451: Directors to work through any pandemic backlogs and task and finish as a priority, with budget bids for short term resourcing to be included in the current funding exercise. Action Owner: All Directors
3.7 EMB noted / agreed the following:
- EMB noted the 2024/25 forecast outturn position at December 2024 (Period 09) and plans for 2025/26
- EMB agreed next steps in relation to resource and capital spend profiles
- EMB noted the imminent request from the NRS Roof Project Team for additional capital funding in 2025/26
- Directors noted engagement required in the annual budget commissioning process and to ensure budget bids were submitted to Finance prior to 31 January 2025
3.8 NRS Security Update – Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper / Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer / Interim Digital and Delivery Director.
3.9 The Director of Information & Records Services and Deputy Keeper, Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer and Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on NRS security via correspondence.
4. Portfolio dashboard update – Interim Digital and Delivery Director
4.1 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on the Portfolio dashboard via correspondence.
5. IT Services – Interim Digital and Delivery Director
5.1 The Interim Digital and Delivery Director provided an update on IT services via correspondence.
6. AOB
6.1 No AOB was raised.
6.2 EMB noted the date of the next meeting was 25 February 2025 and approved the draft agenda for 25 February 2025.
End
