Corporate Board minutes: March 2026

Attendees and apologies

Members

• Joe Griffin (Chair), Permanent Secretary
• Lesley Fraser, Director General (DG) Corporate
• Gregor Irwin, DG Economy
• Manish Joshi, Non-Executive Director (NXD)
• Andy Kerr, DG Net Zero
• Caroline Lamb, DG Health and Social Care
• Ellen Leaver, Acting Director for Local Government (for Miriam Craven, DG Communities) 
• Belinda Oldfield, NXD
• Neil Rennick, DG Education and Justice 
• Shona Riach, DG Exchequer, Strategy and Performance
• Jim Robertson, NXD
• Jenny Stewart, NXD

In attendance

• Brian Dornan, Deputy Director Strategy (item 8)
• Nick Ford, Director of Procurement and Property (item 3)
• Susan Gray, Head of Pay and Workforce Policy (item 6)
• Christina Lawrie, Head of Facilities Services (item 3)
• Iain MacNab, Head of Risk Management Policy (item 7)
• Ruaraidh Macniven, Solicitor to the Scottish Government and Director of Scottish Government Legal Directorate
• Jackie McAllister, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
• Richard McCallum, Director of Public Spending (item 5 and 6)
• Nicola Richards, Director, People Directorate 
• Annabel Turpie, Target Operating Cost and Workforce Review (TWR) 2030 Lead (item 4)
• Kirsty Walker, Board Secretary and Deputy Director, ET Strategic Governance Office (ETSGO)
• Victoria Webster, Head of Strategic Foresight (item 8)

Secretariat

• Shaun Docherty, Policy Officer, ETSGO
• Lesley Patrick, Head of Corporate Governance, ETSGO
• Claire Wainwright, Head of Non-Exec Development, ETSGO
• Carolyn Younie, Head of Strategic Governance, ETSGO

Apologies

• Mark Adderley, NXD
• Andrew Bruce, Director of Communications & Ministerial Support 
• Miriam Craven, DG Communities
• Neil Richardson, NXD
• Tom Taylor, NXD and Chair of Scottish Government Audit and Assurance Committee (SGAAC)

 

Items and actions

Welcome, apologies, declarations of interest, and minutes

The Chair welcomed members and attendees to the first meeting of the Corporate Board (CB) in 2026. The minute of the meeting held on 8 December 2025 was approved as an accurate record. No declarations of interest were noted. The Board Secretary provided an action update and confirmed conclusions from a short review of actions outstanding since December’s meeting. 

Scottish Government Audit and Assurance Committee (SGAAC) – SGAAC Chair update

Lead NXD provided a summary of key discussion points from the SGAAC meeting held on 2 March 2026. The Committee noted the positive progress on risk maturity from the Risk Management Maturity Assessment and the 26/27 Internal Audit (IA) plan.  The Committee received updates on the Path to Balance (PtB); strategic assurance discussions; strategic risk and NHS sub-national planning reforms, noting an interest in understanding more about timings and lessons learned.  The Committee continues to withhold assurance on medium-term fiscal sustainability.

Organisational health – health and safety

Director for Property and Procurement provided an update on the organisational response to a recent Internal Audit (IA) report on organisational Health and Safety.  A list of improvement actions being implemented, focused on leadership and culture, was shared with the Board.   
Head of Facilities Services confirmed the appointment of a new Health and Safety lead and advised that measures being implemented were already generating a positive organisational response.

In discussion, the Board noted:

• the positive organisational response alongside suggested improvements to dashboard reporting and trend analysis
• the role of the Health and Safety Wellbeing Committee and DG Assurance in ensuring effective reporting and monitoring 
• support for Active Scotland’s draft plan to reduce workplace sedentary behaviour, and the positive impact this can have on staff health and wellbeing

Organisational health – people

Target Operating Cost and Workforce Review (TWR) 2030 Lead provided an update on the development of a short life project established to provide an assessment of the key processes and improvements required to deliver the organisation’s 2030 vision.  An overview of current activity across four work strands (Workforce, Recruitment, Capability, and Attendance) was provided, as were plans to embed a strategic approach alongside more immediate, tangible interventions. 

In discussion, the board noted:

• progress to date with the need to scale up activity, drive innovation, identify inefficiencies and enable benefits realisation 
• the development of a Corporate Plan alongside a compelling narrative which sets out the benefits of the approach to individuals and the organisation
• the importance of de-prioritisation, productivity, culture, compliance and good practice, utilisation of available technology and, post-election, the alignment of work with the new Programme for Government (PfG)

Organisational health – finance

Finance: path to balance 

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) introduced the item on the in-year financial position for financial year 2025-26 and planning for the 2026-27 in-year flight path, drawing the Board’s attention to the following highlights:
A modest underspend is forecast for 2025-26 which has already been anticipated in the 2026-27 budget and options are being considered for balancing the 2026-27 budget.
A guidance tool has been shared with all Directors General supporting prompt payments to improve Payments Performance. 

In discussion, the Board noted:  

• work on Total Operating Costs, linked to review discussed in previous item
• support for efforts to improve payments performance, acknowledging the stakeholder community involved and the reputational issues at stake
• the variation in the nature and magnitude of financial exposure across portfolios and associated risk management approaches
• pressures across existing services which will need to be framed as part of advice for incoming administration
• the important role of leadership in achieving effective fiscal stewardship
• the value in exploring alternative financing models

Finance: fiscal sustainability 

Director, Budget and Public Spending introduced the item on fiscal sustainability, noting the new Fiscal Strategy and Risk governance board had met for the first time the previous week.   The publication of the Scottish Spending Review on 13 January and cross government work on portfolio efficiency and reform plans will be a key means of addressing fiscal pressures, although some allocative choices are also required. 
The Director noted further action would be needed and emphasised the importance of articulating options and choices, alongside the steps needed for efficiencies and reform, for the new administration.

In discussion, the Board noted: 

• the emergent downside risks to public finances and the benefit of a proactive approach to managing/mitigating these, including practice of robust scenario planning  
• the work on portfolio efficiency and reform plans and agreed the value of further inquiry, ideas and clarity around proposals for reform and efficiencies 
• the longer time horizons intrinsic to some reform proposals 
• the key role of culture in enabling and supporting change and benefits realisation 

Organisational health – Public Service Reform (PSR)

DG Exchequer, Strategy and Performance (DG ESP) introduced the item on implementation of the Public Service Reform Strategy, noting progress highlights with an emphasis on near-term deliverables, and that project plans and clear milestones are in place with some iteration expected going forward. 
DG ESP updated on the outcome of the Gateway 0 Review which returned an amber rating, recognising the complexity and scope of what the Strategy is trying to achieve and reflecting that the structures in place felt broadly right to maximise success.

In discussion, the Board noted: 

• the Gateway Review and considered how progress and pace on existing actions might be stepped up and additional proposals given shape
• the approach to reporting impacts on public services, with less focus on process and structure and more on outcomes for citizens
• the value of drawing out where savings are recurring in reporting
• the value of clear governance structures in making the programme manageable and tracking activity  
• the cluster approach and the role of culture in effecting change 

Strategic industrial relations

Director Budget & Public Spending supported by the Head of Pay and Workforce Policy introduced the item on Strategic Industrial Relations as a theme of PSR, noting the current approach to managing industrial relations risks across the Scottish Government. 
The Director spoke to the integration of pay and workforce policy, in support of the wider PSR Strategy, and noted the work being co-ordinated across portfolios to lead constructive relations with trade unions, promoting a joined-up approach.   
The Head of Pay and Workforce Policy set out the intention to work closely with public body Chief Executives, trades unions, Finance and HR Directors on a range of products relating to pay and workforce, emphasising the role of leadership capability across the public sector, and noted the development of a set of strategic principles to underpin a revised approach to industrial relations.

In discussion the Board noted:

• the value of sharing experience across the public sector to inform future work on pay and workforce reform
• the need for greater consistency in approach by public sector employers with scoping of current practice underway  
• support for agreeing and communicating a key set of consistent messages around pay and workforce reform 

Risk

The Head of Risk Management Policy introduced a forward look of the Corporate Risk Register (CRR), noting that recent discussions had focussed on near‑term target dates and several risks were expected to move off the register in the coming months; highlighting the need for mature, adaptable risk processes capable of aligning to priorities of new administration, and outlining three broad options for alignment.
The Deputy Director for Strategy provided an update on Future Trends work, emphasising the potential to strengthen the organisation’s understanding of strategic risks across the system. The value of linking Corporate Risk with Civil Contingencies Risk was highlighted, alongside a dual approach to embedding the trends into risk systems – mitigation (oversight to change course on negative trends) and adaptation (to ensure corporate / civil contingent risk identification and management is cognisant of trend insights). A pilot with DG Net Zero to test potential approaches was proposed. 

In discussion, the Board noted:

• the importance of risk visibility and effective, timely capture of changes to risks to understand any cross-cutting impact
• the need to strengthen analysis of underlying drivers, given the likelihood that core corporate risks may shift
• the importance of balancing innovation with capacity and the need for proportionality 
• support for cross‑cutting understanding of risk interactions, the potential for trend analysis to identify opportunities; and consideration to the development of an Opportunities Register 

Any other business

National Performance Framework (NPF)

The Deputy Director for Strategy thanked colleagues for their input on the latest round of NPF correspondence, confirming no formal consultation would be undertaken at this stage (given proximity to the pre‑election period). 
Confirmation was provided that early feedback had been broadly positive, and work was underway to present proposals to the incoming administration in May.

Cyber preparedness

DG Corporate provided an update on the current threat landscape, emerging risks and strengthened organisational preparedness. Collaboration with Local Authorities in relation to cyber security is taking place concerning election readiness. It was noted that progress had been made across government and the new Cyber Security Centre of Expertise; the Cyber Observatory are also providing improved system‑wide insight.

In discussion, the Board noted:

• the value of close operational links with UK Government, law enforcement agencies and public bodies to facilitate access to specialist expertise when required
• progress towards establishing a Cyber Resilience dashboard for Corporate Board and SGAAC
• the improved disaster recovery arrangements and assessments of resilience, impact and recovery capability 

The Chair formally recorded his thanks to Lesley Fraser, who is partially retiring from Scottish Government and attending her final CB meeting in her DG Corporate role. The Board expressed their deep appreciation for her sensitive leadership and significant contribution to public service.
The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 16 June 2026.