Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18037 on 17 August 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The current value of the IBM contract is publically available on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

The original £8.3 million value of the contract was to support the development and implementation of four Scottish Government benefits and the revised contract delivers much more than we originally asked for.

A four year breakdown of the cost of the contract is not available. It currently runs until October 2019, with an option to extend. The bulk of the projected costs therefore fall in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Social Security Scotland aims to recruit a diverse workforce, to ensure a positive induction process, and to provide ongoing learning and development opportunities.

Before an employee takes up a post, Social Security Scotland identify any adjustments which may be required to support an individual in their employment.

Social Security Scotland employs people on Scottish Government terms and conditions and aligns with Scottish Government People policies, ensuring a full range of employee support is available that reflects our values of dignity, fairness and respect.

As at 20 May 2019, the total spent to acquire third-party pieces of coding and software for the social security programme is £1,813,806.50. This figure excludes VAT and associated implementation costs.

The Programme will continue to review and adapt it’s Agile approach as the scale and complexity of work changes. These continued reviews will look at the existing methodology we are using and also other frameworks that have been used elsewhere within government on Programmes of a similar size to develop the best approach for any increase in the Programme’s scale.

Social Security Scotland’s Executive Advisory Body provides strategic advice and constructive challenge to the Chief Executive and the Senior Leadership Team. It specifically supports those activities for which the Agency Chief Executive is Accountable Officer. The Agency works closely alongside our Policy and Programme colleagues, in the Social Security Directorate, to deliver the devolution of social security in Scotland.

No incentives are offered to staff in the Social Security Programme Management and Delivery division. Permanent staff in the Social Security Programme Management and Delivery division are employed on the Standard Scottish Government terms and conditions of employment.

As detailed in the letter sent to the Public Audit and Post-Legislative Scrutiny Committee (copied to the Social Security Committee) on 7 December 2017, please see the following table setting out current estimated IT costs for the social security programme, inclusive of VAT and the relevant levels of optimism bias.

Current Expected IT Costs

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Local authorities have discretion over how the Scottish Welfare Fund is delivered in their area. This allows the scheme to be tailored to reflect the needs of individuals in their local communities. Local authorities maintain relationships with a range of partners, including money advice agencies who can provide advice and assistance to potential applicants.