19 January 2011
MANAGEMENT BOARD
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 19 JANUARY 2011
CONFERENCE ROOM 1, CROWN OFFICE
Present:
(Chair) Catherine Dyer Crown Agent
Peter Collings Deputy Chief Executive
John Dunn Deputy Crown Agent
Janice Irvine Director of Human Resources
Morag McLaughlin Area Fiscal, Lothian and Borders
Lesley Thomson Area Fiscal, Glasgow
Robert Gordon Non-Executive Director
In attendance: Ian Campbell Communications
Mark Howells Director of Finance
Kevin McArthur Secretary
Sue Sandeman Staff Information Manager
Geri Watt Director of Strategy & Delivery
Apologies : Michelle Macleod Head of Policy
Welcome
1. Catherine Dyer welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising
2. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
3. The action points from the previous meeting were addressed.
Governance
4. Peter Collings introduced paper MB(11)05 which sought the meeting’s agreement on consulting more widely on proposed changes to the governance structure in COPFS.
5. Mark Howells and Janice Irvine introduced papers MB(11)06, which sought the meeting’s agreement how posts identified as falling outwith Area budgets in the Business Planning Round should be managed and MB(11)07, which informed MB of the details the current position regarding COPFS employment of fixed term employees, the purpose and use of fixed term appointments and outlining the risks and options available to COPFS appointing fixed term employees or renewing fixed term contracts, respectively.
6. The meeting also considered the actions and agreements from the MB Discussion held on 7 January 2011. During discussion:
a) It was noted there will be a further meeting with the FDA and PCS to discuss Fixed Term and temporary posts on 20 January 2011;
b) The meeting considered the remit of Management Board and agreed that it would be helpful for specific focus to be in place in respect of three main areas - strategy, change management and operational performance. It was agreed that Management Board should continue to meet monthly but on a quarterly basis sit as a strategic board, change board and operational board;
c) The meeting discussed the success of the recent Federation Seminars and agreed to the introduction of Federation meetings to be attended by the Federation Area Fiscals and ABMs to discuss operational and budgetary issues. It was agreed this should be discussed further at the joint Area Fiscals Group and Area Business Managers meeting;
d) The meeting acknowledged that CISG was introduced to allow Management Board to concentrate on strategic matters, however, in the current financial climate and with the introduction of Federation meetings the level of scrutiny and decision making that is of value at MB has been re evaluated by MB and when considered with the introduction of MB sitting as a Change Board and Operational Board it was agreed that CISG should be wound up;
e) The meeting discussed how the Federations should be constituted. It was agreed that each Federation should be headed by a member of Management Board with Lesley Thomson, Morag McLaughlin and John Dunn leading the West, East and North Federations respectively. The make up of the Federations are as follows:
West East North
Glasgow Lothian & Borders Highland & Islands
Argyll & Clyde Central Grampian
Lanarkshire Fife Tayside
Ayrshire
Dumfries & Galloway
Finance Update
7. Mark Howells introduced paper MB(11)04 which advised the meeting of the latest financial developments in COPFS.
External Publications
8. Catherine Dyer welcomed Sue Sandeman and Ian Campbell to the meeting.
9. Ian Campbell introduced paper MB(11)08 which sought the views of the Management Board regarding the rationalisation of COPFS’ various external publications including the Annual Review, Strategic Plan, Guide to COPFS and the Prosecution Code, and proposed centralised publishing.
10. The meeting discussed the proposal to amalgamate all current external publications into one and agreed to proceed as recommended but that the publication is issued every four years.
11. Morag McLaughlin reiterated the need to consider diversity issues when producing any publication.
ATLAS/CADDER
12. Catherine Dyer updated the meeting on the current position in relation to cases affected by the Supreme Court’s decision in the Cadder appeal case.
Corporate Reports
13. The meeting noted the usual Performance and Workload papers MB(11)01 (Healthcheck) and MB(11)02 (Target Summary) which provided MB with an overview of the Service’s performance against targets and workload and an overall view of the main performance targets from April 2010. It was noted that key targets are being exceeded significantly and MB thanked staff for delivering such good performance.
14. The meeting noted paper MB(11)03 (Efficiency and Savings Report) which provided the meeting with an update on the progress of work being done on establishing savings and efficiency throughout the service.
AOB
15. John Dunn advised the meeting of a secondment opportunity for the Principal Legal Officer in the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General for Scotland’s Office. This post is an opportunity for Legal Staff in Band E(L) on temporary promotion (for 6 months) to work in the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General (OSAG) based in Victoria Quay, Edinburgh.
16. Peter Collings advised the meeting that there are three planned FOS releases in the coming months, the first will coincide with the implementation of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act in March.
18. Peter informed the meeting that the Virtual Desktop Integration (VDI) pilot thus far has been very successful and has been extended to the Dunfermline Office. If this proves successful MB agreed that VDI units will be issued throughout COPFS.
MB Secretariat
19 January 2011