Minutes of the Business Improvement Committee – December 2023

Chair:

Keith Dargie, Head of Business Services - KD

Attendees:   

Jennifer Harrower, Deputy Crown Agent, Local Court – JH

Annie Gunner Logan, Non-Executive Director - AGL

Graham Kerr, Head of Business Management, Local Court - GK

Laura Buchan, Procurator Fiscal, Policy & Engagement - LB

Ralph Riach, Head of SCG Central Operations, Serious Casework - RR

Gillian McNamara, ISD Head of Delivery - Digital Portfolio – GM

Lisa Gibson, ISD – Executive Business Manager (Secretariat) – LG

Apologies:

Thomas Lindie, Head of Business Management, Serious Casework - TL

Deborah Wilson-McKay, ISD – Group Head of Digital Portfolio – DWM

Agenda:

1. Welcome, Apologies and Agreement of AOB
2. Minutes of Last Meeting and Actions Log
3. BPIC Portfolio and Improvements and Digital Transformation Programme for 2023-24
4. BPIC Digital Transformation Dashboard
5. Corporate Digital Transformation Priorities for Q4 2023/24
6. ISD Resources
7. Any other business (AOB)

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted apologies for Thomas Lindie, and Deborah Wilson-McKay. Noted AOB item ‘Development of new Digital Strategy’.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 October 2023 were approved and noted that the next meeting will be scheduled for February 2024.

• Digital Strategy Delivery Plan Update Communication: Strategy to be developed from Q4 2023-24;
• Benefits Realisation: Ongoing action and noting RR to share approach taken on project with committee members;
• Communicate Successes: Ongoing action;
• Electronic Reporting to Crown Counsel (ERTCC) Information Assurance Update: GM to share update;
• Corporate Digital Priorities Presentation: On the agenda.

No comments on paper BPIC(23)18 as covered during agenda item 5.

No comments on paper BPIC(23)19 as covered during agenda item 5.

KD presented an update on the key deliverables across Q4 2023-24 which will involve a busy corporate delivery period. Key points to note are:

• Witness Gateway security assessments planned for December and January to enable move to pilot and stakeholder engagement and assurance continues with communications to follow;
• Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) pilot is ongoing in Dundee with national phased release anticipated for early 2024;
• Defence Agents Service (DAS) is ready for pilot which will align with the phased national release of DESC factoring implementation decisions by DESC Partners;
• ERTCC pilot is complete and full implementation is being planned;
• Publish details on Information Strategy and Data & Analytics in early 2024;
• Electronic Documents Records Management (EDRM) progressing from December and over Q4 2023-24;
• AI technology business and casework vision statement expected early 2024;
• Next Generation Casework programme vision and delivery statement and programme initiation expected Q4 2024;
• Development of the new Digital Strategy for 2024 – 2027 will commence from Q4 and aim to publish end of Q1 2024-25.

LG presented paper BPIC(23)20 providing a high-level overview of the ongoing recruitment success and planning currently in ISD. The internal strategic review of all current vacancies and transformation capacity, skillset and capabilities across COPFS to resource key projects which will create partnership working will take place with ISD senior leaders in January 2024.

• Development of new Digital Strategy was covered as part of agenda item 5.
• BPIC noted this was the last meeting for Annie Gunner-Logan as a member of the committee. KD on behalf of the organisation and committee thanked Annie for her valuable Non-Executive Director contributions to the work of the Business Process Improvement Committee over a number of years.

The date of the next meeting is February 2024 (date to be confirmed).