Data for Research: Change Management Board minutes - November 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Alastair McAlpine, Scottish Government, Administrative Data Research Scotland Co-Director
• Eilidh McLaughlin, Scottish Government, Deputy Director Digital Ethics, Inclusion and Assurance
• Alessia Morris, Scottish Government, Change Management Lead
• Alex Ramage, Scottish Government, Interim Change Manager
• Stephen O’Neill, Scottish Government, Policy and Engagement Lead
• Emma Gordon, Administrative Data Research England, Director of ADR UK Strategic Hub and Director of ADR England
• Carole Morris, Public Health Scotland, Head of Data and Modelling Services
• Bill South, Office for National Statistics, Data Access Deputy Director
• Mark Sawyer, Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, Service Manager
• Esther Roughsedge, National Records of Scotland, Head of Demographic Statistics
• Chris Dibben, Administrative Data Research Scotland, Co-Director
• Roger Halliday, Research Data Scotland, Chief Executive
• Renata Samulnik, Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research, Executive Manager
• Natasha Kong, Economic and Social Research Council, Senior Programme Coordinator

Items and actions

• establish the CMB as the strategic hub for managing change
• confirm the board’s role as strategic oversight and change gatekeeper
• develop clear Terms of Reference and Governance framework
• members to review ToR and PID-let and submit comments within two weeks
• map current processes and identify bottlenecks using relevant evidence
• develop change management plan including risk appetite framework
• redraft vision statement incorporating feedback; circulate for approval
• include timeline and benchmarking in next meeting agenda; call for evidence from members
• circulate updated vision and thematic areas; prepare evidence pack for next meeting