Building standards - operating and performance frameworks for verifiers: research summary

Annex B - Draft Performance framework Draft Building Standards Performance Framework for Verifiers

Version: 1.0

Date: April 2012

Amendments Made: Implementation

Version: 2.0

Date: April 2017

Amendments Made: Updated for April 2017 implementation – new KPO data reporting

Version: 2.1

Date: April 2021

Amendments Made: Updated for April 2021 implementation. Annual Verification Report template updated to reflect workforce data collection.

Version: 2.2

Date: April 2024

Amendments Made: Updated for April 2024 implementation to reflect new Scottish Building Standards Hub and minor changes to targets (KPO3 & KPO7) and notes (KPO1 & KPO5).

Version: 3.0

Date: April 2026

Amendments Made: Updated for April 2026 implementation following a major review and changes to streamline KPO data reporting.

1. Introduction

1.1. The building standards system in Scotland was established by the Building (Scotland) Act 2003. The system is intended to protect the public interest by setting out the standards to be met when building work or a conversion takes place, to the extent necessary to meet the building regulations. The public interest is a critical success factor in terms of ensuring compliance with regulations and, above all, keeping the public safe.

The objectives contained in the 2003 Act are:

• To secure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in and about buildings and others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings
• Furthering the conservation of fuel and power
• Furthering the achievement of sustainable development

Appointment of verifiers

Scottish Ministers appoint verifiers and considerations for their appointment include qualifications, competence, accountability to the public and impartiality. At present the 32 Scottish local authorities (LAs) are appointed for their own geographical area.

Verifiers provide independent checking of building work at design and construction stages. Their main functions are granting building warrants and accepting completion certificates.

Verifiers must meet the requirements of the national performance framework as part of their terms and conditions of appointment.

National performance framework

The national building standards performance framework for verifiers was introduced in May 2012 and has been measurable since October 2012. It applies to applications for building warrants and amendments to building warrants received on or after that date. It was developed by BSD and supported by Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS).

It seeks to address a wide range of actions and behaviours which, between them, demonstrate a strong customer- focused service, balanced with compliance of regulatory requirements. It allows the assessment of building standards performance over a range of national objectives.

The national performance framework has built on previous achievements and aims to improve levels of customer engagement and compliance with the building regulations, particularly during construction. The framework is supported by a Building Standards Annual Report, continuous improvement plans and a range of Key Performance Outcomes (KPOs) (six in total).

The structure of the framework is based on the three core perspectives:

• Professional Competency and Operational Processes
• Quality Customer Experience
• Financial Integrity

Each core perspective is supplemented by three cross-cutting themes:

• Public Interest
• Continuous Improvement
• Partnership Working

2. Perspectives and Themes

The main principles of each core perspective and cross-cutting theme within the national performance framework are set out below. These cover all aspects of building standards verification including strategy, operational delivery, internal and external relationships:

National core perspectives:

1. Professional Competency and Operational Processes

Verifiers should ensure compliance with building regulations and balance their regulatory role with customer needs, through effective risk-based protocols and quality assurance procedures.

Verifiers should have the necessary professional competency to effectively undertake all technical aspects of building standards verification and have contingencies when they are not available in-house.

2. Quality Customer Experience

Verifiers should provide services to customers of the highest quality and standard, underpinned by clear and transparent communications with an understanding of diverse needs across different customer and stakeholder types.

Insights and actions taken in response to customer feedback should bring about continuous improvement of the customer experience, which will be regularly measured and assessed.

3. Financial Integrity

Verifiers should manage building standards operations and finances efficiently and with integrity.

Verifiers should invest building warrant fees into their building standards service to meet all of their terms and conditions of appointment.

Verification services should be underpinned by efficient use of resources, high productivity and suitable infrastructure, such as IT systems.

National cross-cutting themes:

1. Public Interest

Verifier actions should always align with the principles set out in the national performance framework to deliver high quality public services.

Verifiers will always seek to protect the public interest through compliance with building regulations in Scotland.

Verifiers will undertake their verification role in a consistent and impartial way, regardless of verifier organisation or region.

2. Continuous Improvement

Verifiers aim to continuously improve building standards using digital tools to support the customer journey and to deliver high quality services.

Verifiers should work collaboratively with and recognise the services and support provided through the Scottish Building Standards Hub.

3. Partnership Working

Verifiers are committed to collaborative working to underpin greater consistency and seek solutions to issues in the public interest.

Verifiers are committed to working in partnership with the Scottish Building Standards Hub to support increased consistency nationally in the building standards service.

3. National Performance Reporting

Key Performance Outcomes (KPOs) are designed to support the building standards system and be adopted by verifiers. They have been developed to embed a culture of continuous improvement underpinned by a greater focus on peer review, benchmarking and sharing of best practice.

Professional Competency and Operational Processes

KPO1: Commit to ensuring first reports, building warrants and amendment to warrants are issued within target timescales

KPO2: Increase quality of compliance assessment during the construction processes

KPO3: Potential NEW KPO Workforce & Overall Performance to be agreed with LABSS

Quality Customer Experience

KPO4: Understand and respond to the customer experience

Financial Integrity

KPO5: Maintain financial governance

KPO6: Commit to objectives outlined in the Building Standards Annual Report

Scottish Government National Data Returns

The national performance framework and associated data returns have been developed through a partnership between local and national government, aligning with the principles set out in the New deal for local government – Verity House Agreement. This ensures clear aims and values are embedded and reporting does not place unnecessary burdens on local authorities.

KPOs and associated data collections should be reviewed every three years to ensure they remain fit for purpose and to maintain continuous improvement.

Performance should be assessed against targets for the relevant KPOs. Issues should be identified and actioned on an ongoing basis and may trigger targeted interventions such as audit or peer review.

Performance which is below national targets should be addressed proactively through an improvement plan with clear actions and timescales.

Verifiers should have systems in place to support the accurate and timely collection of data. They should report accurate and evidence based information on workforce and performance to Scottish Government via the ScotXEd web platform.

National reporting

The national framework includes reporting criteria and performance targets. These measure service delivery and can be used to highlight ‘good verification’, prioritising areas for improvement and informing Scottish Ministers, customers and the wider public.

Reports demonstrate local and national levels of performance to allow analysis of trends over time. Frequency varies between KPOs, e.g. three monthly or annual. Scottish Government publish an annual report, presenting aggregated information for Scotland.

Performance measures

The framework links performance assessment to improvement actions through the Building Standards Annual Report, customer views, continuous improvement plans and national data returns. It allows the assessment of performance outcomes over key national objectives which include:

• Certainty of timescales in respect of decision making
• Reasonable inquiry of compliance during construction
• Management and assessment of building warrants and completion certificates
• Sharing of best practice
• Clear communication, provision of advice and open engagement
• Understanding of customer needs and ‘open for business’ attitude.

To support the consistent reporting of trends and insights, Key Performance Outcome (KPO) targets include defined criteria to clearly identify performance levels using the following traffic light system (RAG):

• Red
• Amber
• Green

In addition to the RAG system, a scoring and weighting methodology is applied to consolidate performance data across all relevant KPO targets for each verifier. This is detailed within the KPO and ensures overall performance can be assessed fairly, improving transparency of the evidence-base used for appointing verifiers.

Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement refers to the dynamic and ongoing effort to improve services and processes, respond better to customer needs and adapt in a changing business environment.

Services should embed a culture of learning and improvement to evolve, become more effective and ensure business outcomes continue to be achieved.

Continuous improvement is a critical success factor in raising the bar for consistency and full compliance, looking towards:

• Delivery (customer valued) processes which are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility
• Changes to and demands from the business environment e.g. in the delivery of online services
• Incremental or breakthrough improvements, focusing on the changing business environment
• Peer review, benchmarking and sharing best practice
• Working collaboratively with and recognise the services and support provided by Scottish Building Standards Hub
• Commitment to digital services and transformation to improve the customer journey and deliver high quality services.

The framework has common aims which are provided for each outcome which might include one or more of:

• Information to inform the public to meet the impartiality and accountability needs of a verifier and demonstrate value for money
• Information for Scottish Government in relation to the appointment of verifiers, performance levels and national trends
• Information for verifiers in relation to the day-to-day operation of their building standards service.

Reporting is segmented by “work categories” and “value of work” to allow further analysis into specific aspects of performance.

These categories have been helpful in providing a better understanding of activity and performance across all types of building warrant projects and were consolidated from 2017 onwards to:

Work Categories: Domestic

Value of Work: 0 -£10,000

Work Categories: Non-Domestic

Value of Work:

• £10,001 - £50,000
• £50,001 - £250,000
• £250,001 - £1,000,000
• £1,000,001 and above

4. Key Performance Outcomes

4.1. Professional Competency and Operational Processes

KPO1 / Commit to ensuring first reports, building warrants and amendment to warrants are issued within target timescales.

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is to ensure that verifiers issue a building warrant, or amendment to building warrant, within target timescales, whilst maintaining competent plan assessments to achieve compliance with building regulations.

Turnaround time is important for the majority of customers seeking a building warrant, or an amendment to building warrant, as this allows them to start work.

Turnaround times are influenced by the verifier and the customer (applicants and agents). In addition to the verifier assessment, other influencing factors include the complexity of the project, customer actions, the quality and number of submissions.

An important aspect of overall performance is the time it takes for the verifier to issue the first full technical assessment (first report) to the customer.

Requirements of verifiers

Maintain records of applications received¹ for building warrant and amendment to building warrant with breakdowns for reporting work categories and value of work categories.

Maintain records of the time taken² from receipt of a valid³ application to issue a ‘first report’.⁴

Maintain records of the time taken from receipt of all satisfactory information to issue⁵ a building warrant, or amendment to building warrant.

Maintain records of the overall time taken from receipt of a valid application to the time to issue a building warrant, or amendment to building warrant.

Seek to minimise the time taken to issue a building warrant whilst maintaining high standards of verification.

Maintain records of applications for building warrant that utilised customer agreements.⁶

Reporting

The triggers for KPO1 are:

• the issue of a first report to an application for building warrant, or amendment to building warrant, within the reporting period.
• the issue of a building warrant, or amendment to building warrant, within the reporting period.

Data reporting:

1.1 Number of first reports issued.

1.2 Number of first reports issued (and building warrants and amendments issued without a first report):

• within 15 days
• in more than 15 days and within 20 days
• in more than 20 days and within 35 days
• in more than 35 days

1.3 Number of building warrants and amendments to building warrant issued.

1.4 Number of building warrants and amendments to building warrant issued (following a first or subsequent report) within the following days of the verifier receiving all satisfactory information:

• within 6 days
• in more than 6 days and within 10 days
• in more than 10 days and within 15 days
• in more than 15 days

1.5 Number of days taken from receipt of a valid application for building warrant or amendment to building warrant to issue the building warrant or amendment to building warrant (i.e. the overall time taken by verifier and applicant).

1.6 Number of building warrants that utilised customer agreements.

Reporting

Context reporting (if necessary):

1.7 Commentary on any significant changes from previous reporting period(s).

The number of days in 1.2 and 1.5 are working days measured from receipt of a valid application for building warrant or amendment to building warrant.

The number of days in 1.4 are working days measured from when the verifier receives the final piece of information allowing them to issue the building warrant or amendment to building warrant. When a first report is not issued because the building warrant or amendment is issued immediately, the case should be reported under 1.2 (i.e. the date of issue of the warrant or amendment should be treated as the date of first report).

The case should not be reported under 1.4.

Three monthly reporting to the Scottish Government using the ScotXEd web platform. Reporting is to inform the verifier, Scottish Government and the public.

Performance targets (including RAG and scoring criteria)

1.1 95% of first reports (for building warrants and amendments) issued within 20 days – all first reports (including BWs and amendments issued without a first report).

1.2 90% of building warrants and amendments issued within 10 days from receipt of all satisfactory information – all building warrants and amendments (not including BWs and amendments issued without a first report).

Implementation date

For all first reports, building warrants and amendment to building warrants issued from 1 April 2026.

Notes

¹ For the purpose of this KPO, an application is considered received when it is submitted with the prescribed fee paid.

² For the purpose of this KPO, the time taken should be recorded from day zero and the number of applications received within a reporting period should be calculated using the valid date.

³ For the purpose of this KPO, a valid application is one that has sufficient information for the verifier to undertake a substantive technical check and be able to issue a first report if one is necessary.

⁴ I f the verifier, following a full technical assessment of the application, cannot issue the warrant, they will issue the ‘first report’ and this will be considered the first response date. This report indicates any failures to comply or areas requiring further clarification and should provide a level of detail sufficient to identify clearly which standards must be addressed or what further information is required. The plan returned date will be when the applicant/agent submits revised plans to address information requested within the first report.

⁵ For the purpose of this KPO, the date issued should match the date quoted on the warrant.

⁶ A Customer Agreement for complex projects is likely to cover a range of aspects from pre-application through to completion on site. It should include the anticipated time to issue the first report

Scottish Government will consult Verifiers and LABSS and notice of any proposed changes to data reporting requirements for KPO1 will be provided at least twelve months in advance.

KPO2 / Increase quality of compliance assessment during the construction processes

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is to demonstrate built compliance through high quality and consistent compliance assessment. This includes timed and proportionate reasonable inquiries using the risk-based approach to inspection and other forms of assessment as described in the national Verification During Construction (VDC) guidance.

The development of safe and compliant buildings is of paramount importance to building standards verification. This means protecting the public interest by minimising the occurrence of non-compliance with building regulations.

The ‘relevant person’ (usually the building owner or the developer) is responsible for complying with building regulations. The person carrying out work must notify the verifier when work commences, and at other stages determined by the verifier. The verifier will carry out site visits or other means of inquiry to assess compliance during the construction.

When the work is finished, the relevant person must sign the completion certificate confirming compliance with building regulations. The verifier is responsible for accepting or rejecting the completion certificate submission but only after they have made reasonable inquiry.

The verifier issues a Construction Compliance and Notification Plan (CCNP) with the building warrant. This details their risk-based inspection regime and the stages when the relevant person should notify the verifier.

The CCNP will enhance the likelihood of compliance by assisting the verifier to carry out their inspections as work progresses. This approach seeks to promote partnership working on the project between the relevant person and the verifier. It should also give the relevant person a better understanding on both their and the verifier’s roles and responsibilities.

Requirements of verifiers

1. Embed risk assessment methodology into normal working practices for undertaking reasonable inquiry before accepting a completion certificate.

2. Issue Construction Compliance and Notification Plans (CCNP) in accordance with the nationally agreed VDC guidance with all building warrants issued.¹

3. Maintain records of CCNPs for ‘accepted’ completion certificates² with breakdown into reporting work categories and value of work categories.

4. Maintain records of numbers of CCNPs that were fully achieved³ in terms of:

• notification by the relevant person
• inspection by the verifier.

5. Complete all verification activities that the verifier set out to achieve on the CCNP.

6. Maintain records of construction non-compliance⁴ locally and report trends and issues with a national impact to drive forward improvements in verification.

Reporting

The trigger for KPO2 is the acceptance of a completion certificate within the reporting period.

Data reporting:

2.1 Number of CCNPs for ‘accepted’ completion certificates.

2.2 Number of CCNPs for ‘accepted’ completion certificates fully achieved by the relevant person and the verifier.

2.3 Number of CCNPs for ‘accepted’ completion certificates fully achieved by the relevant person (i.e. the relevant person’s performance only).

Number of CCNPs for ‘accepted’ completion certificates fully achieved by the verifier (i.e. the verifier’s performance only).

Context reporting (if necessary):

2.4 The main reasons why CCNPs were not fully achieved (prioritised).

2.5 The main aspects of construction non-compliance found through reasonable inquiry (prioritised).

Three monthly reporting to the Scottish Government via the ScotXEd web platform. Reporting is to inform the verifier, Scottish Government and the public.

Performance targets

Targets to be developed as part of future review of KPO2.

Implementation date

For all completion certificates accepted from 1 April 2026.

Notes

¹ Amendments to building warrant or staged warrants may require review of the CCNP at each stage as the design progresses.

² Building warrants covering multiple dwellings need a completion certificate for each dwelling. Therefore, CCNP achievement should be reported for each completion certificate, not for the building warrant.

³ Reporting from April 2014 has included the number of CCNPs fully achieved by the relevant person and the number of CCNPs fully achieved by the verifier for use by verifiers who can provide further breakdown.

‘Construction non-compliance’ in this context is a reference to the failure of a building to meet a minimum building standard.

Scottish Government will consult Verifiers and LABSS and notice of any proposed changes to data reporting requirements for KPO2 will be provided at least twelve months in advance.

KPO3

Potential NEW KPO for Workforce & Overall Performance to be agreed with LABSS (See Annex C).

4.2. Quality Customer Experience

KPO4 / Understand and respond to the customer experience

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is to monitor customer satisfaction with the building standards service, ensuring the service meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Customer satisfaction is an essential part of building standards verification. Meeting this KPO will enable verifiers to gain a more detailed and comparable understanding of their different customer groups and to be able to respond most appropriately to their needs.

Verifiers should undertake their own local customer engagement through focus groups and other interaction.

Requirements of verifiers

1. To monitor and analyse customer feedback data received via the national customer survey platform.

2. Promote the national customer survey platform directly to customers and through customer engagement activities.

3. Use findings from the national customer survey for the purpose of customer segmentation.

4. Use findings from the national customer survey and local engagement to identify and make improvements to the customer experience.

5. Incorporate actions to improve the customer experience into the continuous improvement plan and monitor progress.

Reporting

4.1 Performance to be measured against ‘overall satisfaction’ rating.

4.2 Verifier to report on any accredited customer service awards such as ‘Customer Service Excellence’.

4.3 Verifier to incorporate improvements to the customer experience into their continuous improvement plan and report changes in their Building Standards Annual Report.

4.4 Verifier to demonstrate progress on improvements in ‘annual performance reporting in their Building Standards Annual Report.

Performance targets (including RAG and scoring criteria)

4.1. Minimum overall average satisfaction rating of 7.5 out of 10.

Implementation date

Scottish Government launched the national customer survey platform on 1 April 2022. Annual Customer Satisfaction Ratings will be reported annually from 1 April 2023.

Notes

1. Customer feedback will be collected via the platform on an ongoing basis and used by verifiers to inform future service improvements.

2. Each verifier has direct access to their own customer feedback data dashboard via the platform and additional functionality includes:

• Collection of customer feedback at the point of service updated in real time
• Automatic generation of PDF reports which can be shared or published
• Ability to segment customers and analyse trends across a number of themes
• Easy selection of quarter/year periods and ability to export data.

3. BSD have direct access to the platform for performance monitoring. BSD will also conduct annual reviews of the platform functionality to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

4. The Scottish Government Verifier Performance Reporting Service for Customers allows building standards customers to report concerns on verifier performance directly to Scottish Government Building Standards Division.

Scottish Government will consult Verifiers and LABSS and notice of any proposed changes to data reporting requirements for KPO4 will be provided at least twelve months in advance.

4.3. Financial Integrity

KPO5 / Maintain financial governance

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is to monitor verification fee income and the costs of running the verification service, in order to:

a. identify the relationships between fee income and verification costs, and performance levels

b. identify where efficiencies can be improved

c. identify the reinvestment of building warrant fee income into the building standards service to improve and enhance service delivery.

Building standards verification is intended to be financed by the building warrant and associated fees. Underpinning this KPO is the need to ensure that resources provide value for money.

Requirements of verifiers

1. Maintain records of the income received¹ from building warrant and related statutory fees and the expenditure incurred (staff costs², non-staff costs and other verification- related investments³) to run building standards verification services.

2. Maintain records of the value of work for building warrant and amendment applications and completion certificate submissions where no building warrant granted.

3. Have systems in place to identify time spent on verification activity, and thus enable direct staff costs required to run the verification system to be calculated. This includes the use of any emerging national time recording scheme agreed between LABSS and Scottish Government.

4. Undertake regular reviews of income and cost streams in order to inform and embed efficiency savings where possible.

Measurement and reporting

The trigger for KPO5 is a building warrant related fee received or a verification related expenditure occurring within the reporting period.

Data reporting:

Value of work:

5.1 Value of works for building warrant related applications and submissions.

Verification costs:

5.2 Staff costs for verification – overall and separate breakdowns for ‘plan checking’ and ‘inspection’.

5.3 Non-staff costs associated with verification.

5.4 Other verification-related investment (not included in 5.2 or 5.3).

Fee income:

5.5 Building warrant related fee income.

Context reporting (if necessary):

5.6 The main reasons for significant changes to value or work, expenditure or fee income.

5.7 The main reasons for significant variations in the relationship between verification fee income and costs.

5.8 Verifier to demonstrate financial position in the Building Standards Annual Report under KPO6.

Three monthly reporting to the Scottish Government via the standard form on the ScotXEd web platform. Reporting is to inform the verifier, Scottish Government and the public.

Performance targets (including RAG criteria)

5.1 Building standards verification fee income to cover indicative verification service costs (staff costs plus 30%).

5.1 Building standards verification fee income invested into verification services (%)?

Implementation date

Verifiers to record all financial data from 1 April 2026.

Notes

¹ Income received includes all building warrant related fee income with refunds deducted from the total amount within a reporting period.

² Staff costs are the costs for technical and support staff directly involved in the verification service. They include wages and salaries, social security costs, pension costs and temporary staff costs. They should include any costs for specialist services outsourced due to verifier not having appropriate resources available in-house e.g. structural, fire engineering or energy design checking.

³ An example of other types of investment might be new or upgraded hardware and software to support digital working. Scottish Government will consult Verifiers and LABSS and notice of any proposed changes to data reporting requirements for KPO5 will be provided at least twelve months in advance.

KPO6 / Commit to objectives outlined in the Building Standards Annual Report

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is for verifiers to demonstrate their commitment to:

• building standards verification services
• meeting strategic objectives and national outcomes
• business planning and investment
• partnership working
• working collaboratively with the Scottish Building Standards Hub
• verification performance
• national and local customer charters.

Progress should be demonstrated in each verifier’s Building Standards Annual Report.

The national performance framework is based on three core perspectives with three cross-cutting themes underpinning them.

The Building Standards Annual Report will enable a consistent approach to structure and content and contribute towards transparency and accountability to the public.

Requirements of verifiers

Maintain the Building Standards Annual Report: Business Planning & Customer Charter using the relevant template provided in Annex A.

1. Publish and promote the Building Standards Annual Report: Business Planning & Customer Charter prominently online.

2. Review the Building Standards Annual Report: Business Planning & Customer Charter regularly (at least annually) and update service changes and progress against the performance framework.

Reporting

6.1 Publish a Building Standards Annual Report prominently online and incorporate version control detailing reviews (at least annually).

6.2 Include annual performance data for the previous financial year period to demonstrate adherence to key performance outcomes.

Annual reporting to the Scottish Government using the ScotXEd web platform. Reporting is to inform the verifier, Scottish Government and the public.

Performance targets(including RAG and scoring criteria)

6.1 Building Standards Annual Report published prominently online with version control (reviewed at least annually).

6.2 Building Standards Annual Report to include performance data in line with KPOs and associated targets (annually covering previous year e.g. 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026).

Implementation date

Building Standards Annual Report to be reviewed from 1 April and published during Quarter 1 annually

Notes

Scottish Government will consult Verifiers and LABSS and notice of any proposed changes to data reporting requirements for KPO6 will be provided at least twelve months in advance.

Annex A: Key Performance Outcome 6 – Building Standards Annual Report : Business Plan and Customer Charter template

Version: 1.0

Date: April 2026

Description: Implementation - Performance Reporting period 2025-2026

Version: 1.2

Date: April 2028

Description: Update summary - Performance Reporting period 2027-2028

Version: 1.3

Date: April 2028

Description: Update summary - Performance Reporting period 2028-2029

1. Introduction to the verifier

As part of the new performance framework, it has been agreed that all verifiers must produce a Building Standards Annual Report: Business Plan & Customer Charter on the agreed template. It should be placed on the local authority website and the link submitted to Scottish Government as part of reporting against KPO6. The following sections detail the minimum information and standard paragraphs that should be included throughout the report.

The information on each of the bullets listed below should also be included in the introduction section.

• Standard statement (see below for wording)
• Size of the local authority by population and geographical size
• Map of the area
• Description of the physical environment – mainly rural, urban, mixture of both and concentration of population in urban vs. rural areas
• The major employers and main employment sectors
• The full range of responsibilities the local authority building standards service delivers
• Organisational chart of the verifier (Chief Executive to Manager level, see example below)

Standard statement:

The report should contain the following paragraph in the introduction section:

The Building Standards Annual Report: Business Plan & Customer Charter is a strategic planning and management tool that provides information about the local authority building standards service, communicates the vision and strategy and sets out performance against strategic goals and national targets.

Building Standards verifiers in Scotland are required to utilise the report to manage, monitor, review and develop strategies for their business with a focus on the performance framework’s core perspectives and cross-cutting themes.

2. Building Standards Verification Service Information

This section should include the following information:

1. Location of office (if the department is located in one office or across separate offices, then a description of allocation of provision is required here);

2. Verification services and functions delivered;

3. Public interest statement (listed below);

4. Organisation chart for the building standards team (see example below)which should include vacant/occupied positions, job titles and roles to support succession planning.

Public Interest Statement:

[All Building Standards Annual Reports should contain the following statement]

The purpose of the building standards system is to protect the public interest. The system sets out the essential standards that are required to be met when building work or conversion of a building takes place in order to meet building regulations.

The building standards system checks that proposed building work or conversion of a building meets standards; inspections are limited to a minimal necessary to ensure that legislation is not avoided. The control of work on site is not down to the system but is a matter for contracts and arrangements in place between a builder and client.

Verifiers, appointed by Scottish Ministers, are responsible for the independent checking of applications for building warrants to construct or demolish buildings, to provide services, fittings or equipment in buildings, or for conversions.

All reports should include a snapshot of the staffing position as reported in the annual workforce data collection

Note: Managers are those staff responsible for the operational management of a team/ division. They are not necessarily line managers.

3. Strategic Objectives

This section should include a short narrative covering the following bullets under each of the headings:

1. The overarching goal/vision of the service;

2. Departmental issues to be addressed in the coming year;

3. The key strategic objectives for the coming year (should align with continuous improvement plan).

4. Key Performance Outcomes and National Targets

The national performance framework for verifiers is based on three core perspectives:

• Professional Competency and Operational Processes
• Quality Customer Experience
• Financial Integrity

Each core perspective is supplemented by three cross-cutting themes, comprising:

• Public Interest
• Continuous Improvement
• Partnership Working

Summary of Key Performance Outcomes (KPOs)

Professional Competency and Operational Processes

KPO1: Commit to ensuring first reports, building warrants and amendment to warrants are issued within target timescales

KPO2: Increase quality of compliance assessment during the construction processes

KPO3 : Potential new KPO workforce and overall performance – agree with LABSS

Quality Customer Experience

KPO4: Understand and respond to the customer experience

Financial Integrity

KPO5: Maintain financial governance

KPO6: Commit to objectives outlined in the Building Standards Annual Report

Summary of National Performance Targets

KPO1 Targets

1.1: 95% of first reports (for building warrants and amendments) issued within 20 days – all first reports (including building warrants and amendments issued without a first report).

1.2: 90% of building warrants and amendments issued within 10 days from receipt of all satisfactory information – all building warrants and amendments (not including BWs and amendments issued without a first report).

KPO2 Targets

Targets to be developed as part of future review of KPO2.

KPO3 Targets

3.1: Potential new KPO target workforce & overall performance – agree with LABSS

3.2: Potential new KPO target workforce & overall performance – agree with LABSS

KPO4 Targets

4.1: Minimum overall average satisfaction rating of 7.5 out of 10.

KPO5 Targets

5.1: Building standards verification fee income to cover indicative verification service costs (staff costs plus 30%).

5.2: Potential new target for investment of fee income % - to be agreed LABSS

KPO6 Targets

6.1:Building Standards Annual Report published prominently online with version control (reviewed at least annually).

6.2: Building Standards Annual Report to include performance data in line with KPOs and associated targets (annually covering previous year e.g. 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026).

5. Performance Data

This section should include a summary of performance against all KPOs and performance targets for the previous (12 month) financial reporting period e.g. annual or quarterly breakdown for all four quarters.

This should include an accompanying narrative for the following themes:

Professional Competency and Operational Processes

[Performance under this perspective might consider:

• Protocols for dealing with work
• Performance management systems
• Training and development/CPD
• Benchmarking/shared services
• Succession planning]

Quality Customer Experience

[Performance under this perspective might consider:

• Customer communication strategies
• Customer Charter
• Customer feedback (national/local)/analysing and changes to systems
• Accessibility of service
• Pre-application advice
• Customer agreements
• Customer dissatisfaction (procedural or technical)
• Recognised external customer service accreditations]

Financial Integrity

[Performance under this perspective might consider:

• Team structures e.g. (area splits/specialist teams)
• Time recording system
• Financial investment monitoring/governance
• IT systems
• Digital services
• Finance systems
• Internal communication strategies]

6. Service Improvements and Partnership Working

This section should include a summary of service improvements delivered in the last financial year, as well as those planned for the coming year from 1 April with examples of partnership working and actions to improve performance against KPO targets.

In the previous 12 months (year/year) we we did:

In the previous 12 months (year/year) we worked with:

[Include examples of partnership working.]

In the next 12 months (year/year) we will:

[Include examples of partnership working e.g.

• Engagement with other local authorities and groups, e.g. Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS), Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH)
• Engagement with external stakeholder organisations and industry groups
• External support for local training and development/CPD
• Commitment to work together on technical issues]

7. Building Standards – Additional Data

Verifiers provide returns to Scottish Government on their verification performance and workload. The performance data relates to the building standards verification performance framework and the workload data relates to the numbers of building warrant applications; completion certificates; fees; costs; certificates (certification, energy performance, sustainability); enforcement cases.

Verification Performance and Workload Information reported to the Scottish Government

Building warrants and amendments to building warrant:

• Applications

Completion certificates:

• Submissions
• Decisions

Certification: Certificates of design submitted

• Certificates of construction submitted
• Statements of Sustainability: Copy certificates received (domestic)

Copy certificates received (non-domestic)

• Enforcement: Notices served under sections 25 to 30
• Cases referred to Procurator Fiscal
• Cases where LA has undertaken work

8. Building Standards Customer Charter

Purpose of the Building Standards Customer Charter:

The Building Standards Customer Charter provides information about the standards of service that all verifiers should meet. This gives customers the reassurance that a consistent, high-quality service will be delivered no matter which verifier provides the service.

It is divided into two parts: 1) National Charter; and 2) Local Charter.

Part 1: National Charter

Our Aims:

To grant building warrants and accept completion certificates:

• To secure the health, safety, welfare and convenience of persons in and about buildings and others who may be affected by buildings or matters connected with buildings
• Furthering the conservation of fuel and power
• Furthering the achievement of sustainable development.

Our vision/values:

To provide a professional and informative service to all our customers.

Our Commitments:

Nationally all verifiers will:

1. Seek to minimise the time it takes for customers to obtain a building warrant or amendment to a building warrant.

2. Ensure continuous improvement around the robustness of verification assessments to ensure compliance.

3. Meet and seek to exceed customer expectations and actively promote the National Customer Survey.

4. Proactively engage with customer groups, through focus groups, newsletters, guidance on services etc.

5. Act on feedback received from customers (including from the National Customer Satisfaction Survey) to improve services and the customer experience.

6. Provide information on local formal complaints procedures, the LABSS Dispute Resolution Process, and the BSD Customer Performance Reporting Service, and refer customers as appropriate.

7. Provide accurate financial data that is evidence-based.

8. Engage and participate in partnership working at local and national level to identify and embed service improvements at a national level.

9. Work collaboratively with the Scottish Building Standards Hub.

10. Adhere to our Building Standards Annual Report outlining our objectives and performance targets.

11. Fully adhere to the commitments outlined in this Charter (including information on customer dissatisfaction in relation to building warrant processing timescales, processes and technical interpretation).

12. Use a consistent format for continuous improvement plans.

Our targets:

[Verifier to include the national targets]

Information:

National information on the performance framework for verifiers can be found at the Scottish Government website Building standards: performance framework for verifiers 2024 - gov.scot

Part 2: Local Charter

[Verifier to add their own local customer charter]

This electronic document will be published on the Scottish Government website and will be reviewed and updated as necessary.

It includes a template for:

• Building Standards Annual Report: Business Plan & Customer Charter