Chamber and committees

Thank you. You mentioned staff training. I understand that 85 per cent of respondents to the 2022 people survey said that they were familiar with the organisation’s values. The next phase of the vision implementation will shift from awareness raising to behaviour change. What behaviours do you believe need to change?

That appears to have concluded questions from the committee. I thank the Deputy First Minister for coming to the committee to give evidence. As the second session has been cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak at Skills Development Scotland, that concludes the meeting. I thank you all for your contributions.

How have the staff received it?

There are no cases at this time, are there?

Thank you for that opening statement. I will start the questioning, after which I will bring in colleagues round the table.

When you wrote to us in January, you talked about how the continuous improvement programme would

“ensure that the updated complaints procedure is not seen in isolation but is set within a wider context that fosters a culture of openness and inclusion.”

What specific activities are being undertaken to foster a culture of openness, transparency and inclusion?

It is not because you anticipate myriad complaints or anything like that? In fact, there are none at present—is that correct?

I open out the session to colleagues around the table.

A number of reports have suggested that there are concerns in the areas of governance and oversight and record keeping and information management. How are they being addressed?

Good morning, and welcome to the 13th meeting in 2022 of the Finance and Public Administration Committee. The first item on our agenda is an evidence session with the Deputy First Minister on the Scottish Government’s continuous improvement programme. The Deputy First Minister is joined by Scottish Government officials Lesley Fraser, the director general corporate, and Ian Mitchell, the interim director of propriety and ethics. I welcome all the witnesses to the meeting.

I invite the Deputy First Minister to make a short opening statement.

I note that six external investigators and five external decision makers have been recruited to carry out investigations for the updated procedure and that induction sessions have been carried out. How did you come to those figures of six and five, and what criteria were used to decide whom to appoint? Also, what is the nature of the appointments? I realise that they are giving on-going advice, but are they on retainers? Can you be a wee bit more specific about who they are and what they will be doing?