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The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is issued by the Scottish Ministers to provide guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.
This section gives guidance on the governance statements to be provided by Accountable Officers as part of the annual accounts of all organisations to which the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) is directly applicable. Amendments have been made to the guidance of the format of governance statements highlighting the requirement for reporting on controls in place for Programme and Project Management including compliance with the ICT Assurance Framework (where applicable); and details of any significant lapses of data security.
This section of the SPFM relates to the assurance framework and the signing of the governance statements provided by Accountable Officers as part of the annual accounts process. The certificates of assurance guidance relates specifically to constituent parts of the Scottish Administration i.e. the core Scottish Government (SG), the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, SG Executive Agencies and non-ministerial departments.
The internal control checklist that underpins the assurances from Deputy Directors (or equivalents) to Directors (or equivalents) has been updated. The checklist still covers the same sections as previous versions but all questions have been reviewed, amended and guidance notes have been further developed. Please take the time to review the checklist to ensure you are aware of the amendments.
Specific areas of interest are;
4. Project Management - Three new questions have been added around project assurance process such as appraisal and lessons learned
5. Financial Management - Questions on Financial Instructions, Training and Budget Monitoring have been revised and consolidated within the current questions.
7. Procurement - Questions on the Electronic procurement card have been transferred from the Financial Management section.
12. Sponsored Bodies - One question on Publication schemes has been removed and three new questions have been added on Finance, Relationships and Effective Boards
13. Compliance - One new question has been added on Cyber Threats
14. Review - One question has been removed on taking action to improve controls and another added on Independent Review.
Other organisations to which the SPFM is directly applicable – including separate accounting bodies sponsored by the SG – should have appropriate assurance frameworks consistent with this guidance in place.
Updates to wording of Annex 2 Internal control checklist for Certificates of Assurance.
New FGN note added - FGN 2025/03 financial memoranda that accompany Scottish Government bills.
Updates to the following sections following SPFM Strategic Review: Foreword, Accountability (and annexes), risk and subsidy Control. Also the addition of FGN 2025/02 explaining the updates
Link in point 23 of Settlement, Severance, Early Retirement, Redundancy section updated.
numbering in Annex 2 Internal control checklist for Certificates of Assurance updated due to a typo
Updated Annex 2 Internal control checklist for Certificates of Assurance, added FGN 2025/01 re CoA checklist and added in a word version of the checklist.
updated missing text in document SPFM - Non-Ministerial Offices model framework document July 2024.
Adding in FGN 2024/03 re the updated AO Spend Control Template and Guidance.
Updating the SRO Appointment letter in the documents section to include a point on construction projects in the Annex.
Executive agencies model framework document updated.
Non-Ministerial Offices model framework document updated.
Updating the SRO Appointment letter in the documents section to this years dates
Updated link to 'On Board: A Guide for Members of Statutory Boards' within Governance statements chapter.
Updates made to model framework document templates.
Updates made to text within Procurement chapter.
Replaced non-ministerial office model framework document and advisory non-departmental public bodies model framework with updated versions.
Document updated with an additional date - Settlement Agreement supporting documentation - final confirmation of terms
Replaced Non-Ministerial Offices model framework document
Updates to the Settlement, Severance, Early Retirement and Redundancy section. The main section and Annex's A, B C have all been updated along with updated documents and a Finance Guidance Note to explain the changes
Updated the Certificates of Assurance chapter, Annex 2 with the CoA checklist questions for 2023/24 and added a Finance Guidance note outling the changes.
Updates made to proportionate due diligence wording, Accountable Officer tests guidance, risk exposure guidance, public bodies duties, monitoring and management, exit arrangements.
Procurement chapter updated.
Updated 'Major investment projects' paragraph 12 and the SRO appointment letter.
