Audit Committee, 29 Oct 2002
Meeting date: Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Official Report
119KB pdf
“Measuring Up? A follow-up report on performance measures in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency”
We move on to item 4 and our consideration of a briefing paper on the Auditor General's report on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. I invite the Auditor General to brief the committee on the report.
The report is a follow-up to a baseline report that the Audit Committee received in January of last year. In the report, we record the progress that SEPA has made in reacting to the 11 recommendations that we made in our first report. We note progress made against each of SEPA's current performance measures.
In general, we found that SEPA has done a great deal to address the concerns that we expressed in our first report. However, we note that work has still to be done to ensure that SEPA has the right performance measures in place to be able to focus on its contribution to environmental improvement. We also note that, although SEPA meets most of its current targets, it has some way to go in certain areas.
I want to put the usual auditor's caveat on record. All the information in the report is based on unaudited information that was reported by SEPA. The 2001-02 information in the report is indicative, not final. However, I made the final judgment that, on balance, the committee would prefer to have the most up-to-date information that was available. The 2001-02 information will be reported formally later this year in SEPA's annual report, which I think is due to be published in December.
Our report shows that, although SEPA is achieving most of its performance targets, it has not achieved those for improving watercourses and that slightly fewer than expected Scottish beaches meet the European Commission standard. As we indicated in our earlier study, SEPA still does not have data to show whether the EC landfill directive on the reduction of biodegradable waste is going to be achieved.
SEPA has reacted positively to the recommendations in the baseline report, particularly with regard to those that relate to its own organisation. A new performance measurement framework has been developed, which will make SEPA more accountable for matters that are directly within its control. As information becomes available over the next few years, the outcome-based framework will lead to better performance indicators. SEPA's intentions in that area are well captured in its latest corporate plan, which is a significant improvement on earlier documents.
Changes to SEPA's organisation and procedures should ensure greater consistency in the delivery of its services and address the variability of service that is delivered across Scotland. The new organisational structure should allow SEPA to deliver its services with greater consistency and to set more meaningful performance targets, and improved management information should allow it to produce better indicators of its efficiency.
We intend to keep SEPA's progress under review through the on-going audit process. At this stage, we have no plans for further reports. We have completed two: the baseline report, which examined the position that SEPA was in some time ago and which contained certain significant challenges for SEPA, and the latest report, which indicates that SEPA has made good progress. I am happy to answer questions from the committee.
I refer the committee to item 6, under which we will return to our detailed consideration of the report. The fact that members do not have general comments to make shows that we are quite satisfied with the report.
We note that work has started on the 11 recommendations in the first report, but that that work is still in progress. Although I note that good progress has been made, the situation is on-going and we will definitely return to it. I thank the Auditor General for his briefing.
Meeting continued in private until 14:41.