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

6. New KPO considerations

6.1 Workforce and overall performance

This KPO has been produced in draft form via the Review Group.

Whilst the majority of verifiers’ workload is understood to be predictable, there can be peaks and troughs, as well as projects outside the norm that require substantial additional resource.

The new KPO aims to enable local authority verifiers to ensure workforce supply is sufficient to meet demand, fulfil national performance targets, and have the basis to prepare a business case within the local authority should more resourcing be needed.

Workforce

Workforce data collection has been in place since 2019 and is well established to provide information on the current workforce supply and forecast demand for the medium to long term. The data provides breakdowns by roles, age, qualification levels and professional membership. However, this is the first time a KPO on workforce information is being incorporated.

Targets in the new KPO intend to incorporate a RAG rating system, so that an objective assessment of each verifier’s supply relative to demand can be carried out against the target ultimately agreed (proposed as supply meeting 95% of demand).

It is important to ensure that the KPO’s introduction would not lead to perverse behaviours such as underestimating demand in order to meet a performance target should there be any concern that being under-resourced could reflect negatively on the service.

Overall performance

Following the appointment process in 2017, verifiers provided feedback requesting greater transparency with the Ministerial appointment process and how performance data is used to assess verifier performance.

In 2019, in consultation with LABSS and Scottish Government, Analytical Services, a score was determined for each KPO target criteria to allow Red Amber Green (RAG) status to be weighted and an overall score applied.

This allows an objective assessment of each verifier’s performance to be carried out for those KPOs with performance measures, and provides data insights into performance trends over time. The verifiers’ scores can be shown against the national performance targets and the maximum scores that can be achieved if performance targets are exceeded. This demonstrates to the verifier where there are gaps in performance against the KPO targets and allows individual and Scotland level data visualisations.

New KPO key takeaways from the workshops (x2) with local authority verifiers (stage 2)

• General view from one workshop that this KPO is not really needed as this information is already collected (although the BSD has clarified that this is intended as a KPO for transparency purposes and in the interests of reflecting current practice).
• Concern about workforce supply relative to demand being used as a ‘performance target’ since demand can spike at certain times out with the control of verifiers which could distort reporting (although the BSD has clarified that performance reporting will continue to be annual rather than quarterly).
• Concern about implementing performance targets in the early days of implementing a workforce strategy – “we’re fighting a declining workforce”.
• Consistent approach needed to supply and demand calculation methodology (suggestion to include a measure on productivity to provide a more holistic picture).
• Concern that data will show additional recruitment needed but resources can be outside of verifiers’ control – “it’s the people above us that control the money” (although some recognition that if performance is below a certain level then it could be used to support the case for more resourcing within the local authority).
• In terms of overall performance, verifiers would like clarity on how overall performance is calculated by BSD, i.e. the formula for RAG criteria.

New KPO proposed changes based on the workshops (x2) with local authority verifiers (stage 2, informing the Review Group workshop at stage 3)

1. Change wording of the purpose to make clear how BSD plans to use the data generated, i.e. for transparency purposes.

2. Consider removing the performance target (perhaps change to indicator) and focus on data collection/reporting – verifiers worry that performance targets are being set in the early days of implementing a workforce strategy to tackle a declining workforce.

3. Consider a productivity measure (feasibility?).

4. Provide clarity on the formulas used by BSD to generate RAG ratings.

5. Consider role of the Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH) in the utilisation of workforce data and how they can assist with support needs.

6.2 Suggested topics for additional KPOs

The following were each mentioned by a small minority of participants:

• Enforcement (although it is understood that the enforcement role technically falls outside that of the verification service) (*). * As part of Scottish Government’s 2023 consultation on Building Warrant Fees, three fifths (59%) of respondents agreed a portion of building warrant fees should be used to fund the local authority compliance enforcement role but only as it relates to the building warrant process. There was less support (33%) for using a portion of building warrant fees to fund local authorities’ wider building standards’ statutory role. It was commonly felt that this role, including dangerous and defective buildings, was separate from the building warrant application and verification process and should also be funded separately.
• Staff competency and training.
• Time spent on non-verification activities.
• Time taken to respond to completion certificates.