Chamber and committees

Scottish Government submission of 12 October 2021

PE1804/PP - Halt Highlands and Islands airports Ltd's air traffic management strategy

Thank you for your letter of 15 September in which you sought confirmation that Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) has taken action in response to the recommendations of the assurance health check carried out in January 2021 and that HIAL is complying with Scottish Government requirements for a project of this nature.

It might be helpful for me to set out the wider assurance landscape for a programme of this size and scale. The Digital Assurance Office (DAO) oversees the assurance of digital projects and our Portfolio, Programme and Project Assurance (PPPA) colleagues oversee Programme level assurance and also the assurance of non-digital projects. In both instances, review teams are independent and led by a review team leader who has been accredited by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. The digital element of the Air Traffic Management Strategy Programme represents only part of the overall Programme.

The purpose of the January 2021 health check was to:

• provide assurance to the SRO that the programme’s initiation and mobilisation was sound; to retrospectively review the approach to procurement of the Remote Tower Solution and look at future procurement activity.

• make recommendations for any future mandatory Technology Assurance Framework assurance and timings for this.

This approach was also agreed with PPPA colleagues.

Following the January health check, HIAL submitted an action plan and supporting evidence which set out their proposed actions in response to the review team’s recommendations. An Assurance of Action Plan review is scheduled for the week commencing 25 October whereby the review team leader will consider the effectiveness of the action taken.

The outcome of the Assurance of Action Plan will also help inform future assurance requirements to which an integrated approach will be jointly developed between the DAO, PPPA and HIAL.

I will write with a fuller update following completion of the forthcoming Assurance of Action Plan review.