Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Extensive governance and customer consensus requirements impede UK Security Vetting's change programmes.
Conclusion
When asked about her past experiences, UKSV’s chief executive cited governance as the main difference between her experience of running a government change programme compared with running a private sector change programme.54 She said that there was a lot of governance around investment and the change agenda, as UKSV had to ensure that “every customer is comfortable with everything we are planning to change”.55 This was endorsed by the government chief security officer who said the transformation programme had been “agreed at every step with customers in the security world, through the government security board, but also with chief operating officers and Perm Secs”.56 Achieving transformation of security vetting
Government Response Summary
The government has completed an independent governance review that endorsed the committee's findings, and UKSV has commenced implementation of an enhanced governance structure addressing observations, including corporate and customer representation, distinct policy/delivery management, and strengthened oversight.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 An independent governance review has now been completed. The review endorsed the Committee’s findings, and UKSV will now implement an enhanced governance structure that addresses the observations made by the Committee, National Audit Office and the independent governance review. 5.3 This includes: • ensuring Cabinet Office corporate functions are fully represented within the UKSV governance structures; • ensuring UKSV customers are represented at both a senior and practitioner level within the structure; • clear distinctions are drawn between policy approval and the management of vetting delivery performance; and • strengthening support for oversight of vetting transformation. 5.4 Implementation commenced in June 2023 following the relevant approvals from the Government Chief Security Officer and Cabinet Office Corporate Services.