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

Annex C - Draft New KPO – Workforce and overall performance

KPO3

Commit to investing fee income into the workforce to meet performance targets

Purpose

The aim of this KPO is to ensure that workforce supply meets demand levels, while achieving overall performance targets.

Workforce supply is important for meeting national performance targets and customer expectations of turnaround times for processing building warrants, amendments to warrant, undertaking inspections to fulfil reasonable inquiry and accepting completion certificates.

Overall performance levels are measured by applying a scoring criteria against each KPO target to allow in-depth analysis of verifier performance trends.

The ability to combine workforce data with performance data allows verifiers to demonstrate how resources are impacting service performance levels and where further investment may be required.

It is necessary to have accurate data on the size, shape and evolution of the building standards profession to understand the impact of any resourcing challenges experienced by verifiers.

This data provides evidence to support early interventions and performance discussions, which form part of the national engagement programme for verifiers.

This KPO highlights the importance of resourcing in relation to performance for business continuity planning and supporting verifiers in making a business case for recruitment into key roles.

Requirements of verifiers

• Maintain workforce records for individuals undertaking a verification role.
• Provide annual workforce data returns.
• Ensure workforce supply levels meet workload demand levels.
• Ensure sufficient investment into workforce to meet overall performance targets.

Reporting

Data reporting

Workforce Data

Verifier to report workforce data annually.

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

Performance targets

Measures to be agreed with LABSS

RAG criteria/target to be agreed with LABSS

Implementation date

Verifiers to record workforce data from 1 April 2026

Notes

If workforce supply levels are below current demand levels (or work demands increase), this can impact service delivery and resilience.

Verifiers should have contingency measures in place to address any current or forecasted staff shortages (e.g. recruitment, redeployment, shared services with other verifiers, reducing or delaying non-essential work, outsourcing etc.)

Verifiers should monitor performance and address any issues where:

• KPO performance targets are not being met
• Customer complaints are reported to the verifier or Scottish Government under KPO4 performance reporting.

Overall performance is measured using a defined methodology which consolidates performance data for each verifier. A traffic light system using a RAG criteria is defined for each KPO target with additional scoring and weighting criteria applied, to consistently measure overall performance.