Seòmar agus comataidhean

Thank you. A lot of work is going into the workforce plan. The issue of input to the budget was highlighted in the previous report. What is being done to ensure appropriate involvement of the board and others in setting the commission’s budget?

Are you quite happy that once the plan is implemented there will be a system of on-going review to ensure that issues can be highlighted and acted on immediately?

I want to look at some of the recruitment challenges that NRS has faced. The report states that the recruitment challenges resulted from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which created longer lead times for the Scottish Government’s recruitment process. However, our session 5 predecessor committee heard that there were already issues with lead times, in particular for digital staff. For example, the lead time was two or three months in comparison with around two weeks in the private sector. To what extent did Covid-19 impact on recruitment times?

Thank you.

Finally, the report tells us that National Records of Scotland is aware of the on-going risks around resourcing and is undertaking exercises to explore other routes to bring in the necessary skills, including discussions with other UK census-taking bodies. Are you aware of the outcomes of the discussions that have been held with those bodies?

As you say, at the moment, the process is so long that by the time the Scottish Government actually gets around to offering someone a job, they have already taken a job elsewhere, which adds to the issue.

During the committee round table on Scotland’s colleges, we heard that the national health service in Edinburgh also had a long recruitment lead time of around 12 weeks. However, we also heard that it had managed to reduce the process to four weeks because of the pandemic and the need to recruit staff at pace. Do you know whether the Scottish Government is actively seeking to adapt and change its recruitment processes?

What things that were said about the previous convener were “not quite correct”?

Before I move to the next set of questions, I want to ask for an update in writing on the framework that has been agreed and the further recommendations that will be implemented after your meeting tomorrow.

Thank you. We will see the results in the spring.

Before I open the session up to members, I will start with a couple of questions. It is good to hear that you have made a lot of progress, that you have implemented 33 out of the 41 recommendations, and that you hope that another two will be signed off tomorrow. However, the Audit Scotland report raises some significant concerns. Can you tell us the extent to which the issues that were raised in that report have impacted on the key services that the commission provides to the crofting community?