Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
UKSV improves resilience through enhanced forecasting, increased automation, and flexible resourcing models.
Conclusion
When we asked what was being done to make UKSV more resilient and better able to deal with future upsurges in demand, the Cabinet Office offered us three solutions: 15 Q 26 16 Qq 22, 23; C&AG’s 2023 Report, Figures 10 and 11 17 C&AG’s 2023 Report, paras 2.3, 2.4 and Figure 7 18 C&AG’s Report, Investigation into national security vetting, Session 2017–2019, HC 1500, 7 September 2018, para 3.4 19 Q 27 20 Q 28 12 The performance of UK Security Vetting i) improvements in forecasting (see above). ii) increased automation: it said around 20% of the overall operation is currently digitised, and there are plans to increase that up to 30% and then 40% “over the next few years”, although the Cabinet Office expressed disappointment that its progress on this front was slower than hoped.21 To date the focus has been on automating the lower-level, more transactional, security clearances including the new accreditation checks for the aviation industry.22 iii) a more flexible resourcing model which offers extra capacity through the use of temporary contractors:23 The Cabinet Office referred to its use of staff from other departments including HMRC and military police as well as contractors (see below).24 It explained that it had also secured increases in productivity through changes to process and policy and by setting staff individual targets.25 Risks from deferred vetting renewals
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the implied need for resilience, committing UKSV to a full review of forecasting and demand planning processes, engagement exercises, and proactive customer engagement for 2024/25.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: September 2023 2.2 UKSV has faced significant challenges in helping customers accurately forecast and regulate demand levels over the last three years. While some of the factors behind the changes in demand, such as the changing security context and the COVID pandemic, have been sudden and unpredictable, the Cabinet Office recognises there is more that can be done to make UKSV more resilient to these changes. 2.3 To deliver improvements for the next financial year (2024/25), UKSV is undertaking a full review of current forecasting and demand planning processes, in collaboration with their customers, to identify areas where the process can be streamlined and simplified to help customers forecast better. UKSV is planning engagement exercises with other government departments and organisations whose business is dependent on similar kinds of forecasting and planning, in order to better understand what works and aim to align with HM Government/industry best practice. UKSV will also undertake more proactive engagement with the customers who generate the most vetting demand, so they can assist them more closely throughout the planning process. 2.4 In addition, UKSV has implemented a series of agreements with customers that set out the expectations for how UKSV handles changes in demand, as well as proposing that vetting governance mechanisms in place, which customers are part of, are empowered to make decisions and agreements on where UKSV’s resources should be focussed. This builds on the progress made in recent improvements to management information (MI) that UKSV now produces, including access to customer MI which will help with customer forecasting.