Minutes of the Business Improvement Committee – June 2023

Chair:

Keith Dargie, Head of Business Services - KD

Attendees:   

Annie Gunner Logan, Non-Executive Director - AGL

Gavin Anderson, Deputy Head of Business Management, Serious Casework - GA

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

Apologies:

Jennifer Harrower, DCA, Local Court – JH

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

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

Laura Buchan, PF, Policy & Engagement - LB

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 2022/23: Delivery Overview
4. BPIC Portfolio and Improvements and Digital Transformation Programme for 2023-24
5. BPIC Digital Transformation Dashboard
6. ISD Resources
7. Any other business (AOB)

Head of Business Services chaired the meeting in the absence of DCA – Local Court and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Jennifer Harrower, Graham Kerr, Thomas Lindie, Laura Buchan and Deborah Wilson-McKay were noted as apologies. Nothing noted for AOB.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2023 were approved.

• Digital Strategy to be published Q3 2023-24.
• Benefits Realisation to be discussed throughout course of committee meeting.
• Pay Claims Application has been rolled out to Local Court – action closed.

KD presented paper BPIC(23)07. Considerable and substantive delivery of the programme of work over 2022-23, which is summarised in Annex B and Annex C of the paper. Delivery highlights include new Corporate Apps deliverables, DESC Pilot, Electric Reporting to Crown Counsel digital casework pilot, Microsoft Teams and Telephony solutions, improvements to COPFS’ digital infrastructure and information systems,  implementation of website upgrades and application development readiness of the Witness Gateway and Defence Agent Service to enable the evaluation, piloting and implementation of these digital services over 2023/24 and in line with agreed delivery plans.

BPIC noted the impressive digital business improvements delivered over 2022-23.  BPIC noted the resourcing challenges and competing priorities having to be managed by ISD to deliver the corporate programmes and highlighted the importance of closely monitoring risks relating to capacity to deliver, skills availability etc. ISD resources and capacity to deliver will continue being a standard agenda item. Head of Business Services noted the successful and effective collaboration between ISD and Serious Casework and Local Court to deliver digital business outcomes.

The importance for communicating delivery achievements and outcomes was noted and this will be published in due course.

KD presented paper BPIC(23)08 and provided an overview of Annex A (COPFS Digital Transformation Programme) for 2023-24. Next Generation is a significant and complex corporate and business transformation programme, with implementation multi-year and dependent on the allocation of appropriate resources to deliver a programme of this scale and organisational importance. Business analysis, scoping and planning stakeholder summits and a series of workshops will be held later this year to plan and the project, with programme governance management and plans in place from which to support the programme from Q4 2023/24.

BPIC noted that not all projects listed in the programme for 2023-24 will be implemented, with some to be initiated or subject to analysis, scoping and delivery planning.  It was agreed to consider the Digital Transformation Programme reporting to reflect committed deliverables and indicating projects subject to planning, resourcing and delivery prioritisation to be clearly documented.

Innovation and mechanisms for incorporating small system changes was discussed and approaches developed.

BPIC interest in plans for innovating and maximising the use of AI and process automation, with the engagement on a collaboration with Microsoft on this work noted. Noted that the Executive Board has an interest in the utilisation of AI in delivering COPFS’ strategic improvements and transformation aims.

Head of Business Services presented paper BPIC(23)09.

BPIC noted the paper.

Lisa Gibson presented paper BPIC(23)10 providing a high-level overview of the ongoing recruitment successes but also the challenges and pressure points in particular with Developers, Architects and Programme Managers which are highlighted on the Corporate Risk Register. 

The date of the next meeting is 24 August 2023

[Note: rescheduled to 16 October 2023 to reflect availability]