Management, staffing and delivery of the Techscaler Programme: FOI release

Information requested

I am writing to request information regarding the management, staffing, and delivery of the publicly funded Techscaler Programme. Specifically, I am seeking information regarding the relationship and communications between the delivery partner, CodeBase, Barclays Eagle Labs, and the human resources consultancy Anything HR related.

1. Information Requested Please provide copies of all official and unofficial communications (including emails, meeting notes, memos, briefing documents, Microsoft Teams chats, and informal messages such as Telegram, WhatsApp or Signal) that pertain to:

• The engagement, involvement, or mention of the company "Anything HR" in relation to staff tasked with the delivery of the Techscaler Programme.
• Any HR issues, grievances, staffing disputes, or complaints involving CodeBase and Barclays Eagle Labs where "Anything HR" was consulted, referenced, or brought in to assist or mediate.

2. Scope of the Search Please ensure the search encompasses:

• Communications held directly by the Scottish Government (e.g., Directorate for Economic Development / Chief Entrepreneur's Office) where the involvement of "Anything HR" or these specific staffing disputes were discussed as part of contract monitoring.
• Communications between CodeBase, Barclays Eagle Labs, and Anything HR that were shared with, forwarded to, or discussed with Scottish Government officials.
• Crucially: Information held by CodeBase on behalf of the Scottish Ministers in relation to the delivery of the Techscaler Services Contract. Under FOISA, information held by a contractor delivering a public service is subject to disclosure if it pertains to the execution or operational management of that public contract.

3. Timeframe Please limit this search to the period: 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2023.

4. Pre-emptive Mitigation of Exemptions To ensure this request is processed smoothly and without delay, please note the following regarding potential exemptions:

• Section 38 (Personal Data): As this concerns a £42 million public contract, I am strictly interested in the institutional management, the use of public funds/contractor resources to engage a third-party HR consultancy ("Anything HR"), and the operational impact of these complaints on the programme's delivery. I am entirely content for the names and direct identifying markers of junior staff, as well as the intimate personal details of any specific grievance, to be redacted. I am solely seeking the high-level correspondence discussing the existence of these issues and the involvement of Anything HR.
• Section 33 (Commercial Interests): Disclosing the fact that an external HR consultancy was involved in managing staffing friction between public contractors does not inherently prejudice legitimate commercial interests. It is a matter of clear public interest and accountability regarding the delivery of a flagship national contract.

Response

After carrying out searches of the Scottish Government’s electronic records and document management system, corporate email systems, and MS Teams channels, I can confirm that the Scottish Government does not hold any information within the scope of your request. No material was identified that references “Anything HR” in connection with the Techscaler Programme, CodeBase, or Barclays Eagle Labs.

In line with the Scottish Government’s mobile‑messaging policy in place during 2022–2023, staff were strongly advised not to use non‑corporate messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal for government business. Where these applications were used, staff were required to save any business‑relevant content into the corporate record.

In line with our obligations under section 3(2)(b) of FOISA, we contacted CodeBase, the delivery partner for Techscaler, and asked them to search the information they hold on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. CodeBase has confirmed that they hold no information relating to Anything HR in connection with the Techscaler contract and has assured the Scottish Government that they have not engaged the services of Anything HR in relation to the contract. Accordingly, the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested.

Records Management and Retention

For context, information held by the Scottish Government is managed in accordance with our Records Management Policy and relevant retention schedules. Communication data (including email, MS Teams content and other channels) is only retained where it has been assessed as having business value and saved into the corporate record system. If information was never saved or has reached the end of its retention period, it will no longer be held.

The Scottish Government’s Records Management Policy is publicly available here: Scottish Government records management plan - gov.scot

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.