Annual Report & Accounts 2007-2008 - Historic Scotland

Review
Review
Finance
H
Laura Petrie
Director of finance
istoric Scotland’s Finance group has continued to provide business support across all areas
of the Agency, with objectives including managing funding, the development of business
plans and controlling budgets for each Group.
Finance Group coordinated the Agency’s response to the Spending Review 2007
throughout the first half of the year. The Spending Review was finalised in the autumn
with additional funding secured for the Stirling Castles Royal Palace project secured.
The Group met its key performance target - to achieve 1% efficiency gains on all nongrant
expenditure. The Agency met the target with an outturn of 1.16%. As part of the
Spending Review the agency was given a new annual savings target of 2% on non-grant
expenditure. Finance group has led on the preparations to ensure that this target is
delivered in each of the years 2008-09 to 2010-11.
Work continued on the implementation of the e-procurement system and this was rolled
out across all the regional PIC business areas with the headquarters functions completing
just after the year-end. The remainder of business areas in headquarters will go live in
2008-09 marking the successful completion of the project.
The Information Systems Unit (ISU) was key to the success of many of the Group’s projects
including e-Buy; collaborating with Properties in Care for the launch of Edinburgh Castle
Ticketing System; and worked extensively with the Agency’s internet and intranet. We
have continued to improve communication with our staff based at Properties in care using
low energy Thin Client technology. Over eighty of our sites have direct links into Corporate
IT systems.
An options appraisal of the Finance and Procurement Units was launched in January 2008.
It will review the delivery options and scope for efficiency and report in Summer 2008.
Finance Group provided support and quality assurance on the programme of Best Value
Reviews including the review of TCRE as well as delivering a review on Information
Management covering, a records management strategy and policy; a file survey; and
delivery of retention schedules training approach; and guidance material. Finance Group
also co-ordinated preparation of the new Framework Document and Corporate Plan.
REVIEW 31