NRS EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT BOARD MEETING
Tuesday 4 November 2025 from 09:30 – 12:00
09:30 – 12:15
Lord Clerk Room, GRH
Attendees:
Alison Byrne Chief Executive, Registrar General and Keeper (Chair)
Director of Corporate Services and Accountable Officer
Director of Customer Service Operations and Archives
Director of Census Statistics
Director of Delivery
Interim Director of Statistics
Interim Director for Digital & IT Services
Corporate Finance Lead
Head of NRS Business Management
Corporate Business Assurance Support Manager
Business Support Officer (secretariat)
Head of NRS People Services
Head of Cyber Security, Risk and Resilience
Climate Change and Sustainability Manager
Lead Content Designer
Head of Communications and Engagement
Senior Project Manager
Head of Facilities and Workplace Improvements
Apologies:
Corporate Business Assurance Manager
1. Welcome, Introductions and apologies
Alison Byrne welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were noted as above.
1.1 Members approved the draft minutes from the EMB meeting held on 2 October 2025.
1.2 Members approved the draft minutes from the EMB meeting held on 22 October 2025 to discuss the Finance Mid-Year Review (MYR).
1.3 A review of the action log was undertaken. The action log would be updated accordingly.
1.4 Members noted the decision log.
1.5 Members noted the EMB Terms of Reference and proposed these would be reviewed in April 2026 to reflect governance changes and appointment of new leadership team. EMB agreed to track any changes made to the Terms of Reference.
1.6 EMB requested the corporate plan process be mapped out and link this to EMT Planning Sessions before Christmas.
Action EMB 512: Map out corporate plan process and link to EMT planning sessions before Christmas. Action Owner: Director of Delivery
Action EMB 513: Return to EMB Terms of Reference in April 2026 to reflect governance changes and appointment of new leadership team. Action Owner: BMU/EMB
2.1 People Survey
2.1.1 The Head of NRS People Services provided an update on the People Survey with the key areas below:
- The People Survey closed on 21st October with 67% completion rate – 9% above national average of 58%
- Analysis was due to begin with an interest in the three new question topics on ‘change management’, ‘continuous learning’, and ‘collaboration & team performance’
- EMB should expect full data embargo to be lifted on 10th December, however in-depth analysis would take a little longer
- Until then data would be held with Head of NRS People Services, Senior Assistant Statistician & Alison Byrne until further notice
2.1.2 EMB noted the update.
2.2 Update on NRS estate space planning project
2.3 The Senior Project Manager and Head of Facilities and Workplace Improvements provided an update on the NRS estate space planning project with the key areas below:
· The Estate Space Planning Survey was developed to support both archive storage review and broader estates planning across NRS sites
· A User Intelligence Group (UIG) was formed to develop procurement requirements and presented options to the Archive Services Programme Board in response to risks around future planning, funding, and dependencies
· Following Programme Board approval in September, the survey would proceed with enhanced analysis, combining core utilisation data with targeted scope refinements focused on GRH cultural hub and flexible working
· Procurement preparation had identified WSP UK Ltd as a potential supplier via direct award under Scotland Excel Framework Lot 14
· The proposed scope included a utilisation study and workplace consultancy across four buildings
· Desired outputs included outline proposals for building usage and plans for developing detailed layouts and indicative costs to implement
· A new project business case was being prepared to agree scope and take forward the next stage (i.e. developing layouts)
· A revised set of requirements was included for agreement, enabling procurement to proceed
2.4 EMB approved the Estates Planning Project contract and noted that the development of new layouts would require a new change initiative to progress.
Decision EMB-D248: EMB approved the Estates Planning Project contract
2.5 EMB noted the commitment to update the NRS Partnership Board around planned Ways of Working. EMB agreed to reconvene the discussion around the People Board seeking staff views on the use of the estates. Head of NRS People Services confirmed he would link in with the NRS Partnership Board on next steps.
EMB 514: Provide update on staff engagement for Estates Planning Project. Action Owner: Senior Project Manager and Head of Facilities and Workplace Improvements
EMB 515: Provide options on how best to gather staff views on flexible working policy, demand for in-office working and attendance in office for anchor days. Action Owner: Head of NRS People Services
3.1 Review of live issues, corporate risks and risk appetite markings
3.2.1 The Head of NRS Business Management and the Corporate Business Assurance Support Manager provided an overview of live issues, corporate risks and risk appetite markings. A review of the live issues and corporate risks were undertaken by EMB. The logs would be updated accordingly.
· EMB noted the new risk around securing Census 2031 funding from SG
· EMB noted since the last meeting, progress has been made on several key issues. Notably, the out-of-hours cover has been restructured into two distinct workstreams to better reflect the scope and focus of ongoing activities.
· EMB noted updates had also been made to existing issues concerning data sharing agreements and intellectual property matters
3.2. Risk/audit recommendation Deep Dive: Cyber Security Assurance and Risk Response and update on CE+, and out of hours cover (Internal audit on Cyber Security)
3.2.1 Interim Director for Digital & IT Services and Head of Cyber Security, Risk and Resilience provided an update on the Risk/audit recommendation Deep Dive: Cyber Security Assurance and Risk Response and update on CE+, and out of hours cover (Internal audit on Cyber Security) with the key areas below:
· The update provided a strategic overview of NRS cyber security assurance and risk response activities, highlighting key developments, emerging threats, and the effectiveness of current controls
· The paper outlined progress against our planned cyber improvements, summarises recent risk assessments, incident trends, and mitigation efforts
· The report aimed to inform EMB of the current posture, areas of concern, and priorities requiring attention or support to maintain a robust and responsive security environment
· Ongoing engagement with SG and National Cyber Security Agencies (NCSC) around Cyber Essentials+ Accreditation
· Reduction on helpdesk calls
· Internal Audit Cyber Reporting Draft Report would be presented to the Audit and Risk Committee in November 2025
· Exploring opportunity for joint procurement with Social Security Scotland (SSS) for out of ours cyber support service
· A business case would be developed with indicative costings for contract
· Looking to understand service licence and NRS/SSS technology stack
3.2.2 EMB noted the update.
3.3 Draft Climate Change Briefing
3.3.1 The Climate Change and Sustainability Manager provided an update on the Draft Climate Change Briefing with the key areas below:
- The briefing paper, with accompanying NRS 2024/2025 draft report, offered members context and the opportunity to consider the progress in fulfilling the Climate Change Duties and to offer feedback on the report content prior to formal submission
- The report content continued to mature alongside continued, positive cross-business area progress in achieving NRS climate change targets and objectives
- There had been a modest increase in carbon emissions from report year 2023/2024 to 2024/2025. With the excellent decarbonisation trajectory to date, it should be anticipated that some years may involve carbon emissions increase while NRS developed solutions to tackle the balance of emission
- On this occasion, changes to mechanical and electrical plant operation to improve archive environmental conditions had largely contributed to additional gas and electricity use
- Archive Services Programme Board and Estates Team would follow up on actions to counter the increase in emissions
3.4 Draft Climate Change Report
3.4.1 EMB approved the draft Climate Change Report and agreed to update the report to a final version for member approval via correspondence before the report submission deadline of 30 November 2025.
Action EMB 516: Directors to provide feedback on Draft Climate Change Report via correspondence by 19 November. Action Owner: All Directors
3.5 Draft NRS content strategy
3.6 The Lead Content Designer and the Head of Communications and Engagement provided an update on the draft NRS content strategy with the key areas below:
- Defined content design was key to accessible inclusive services and user-centred design
- Positioned user-centred design as part of SG job family and essential for digital delivery and standards
- Established content team in 2024 and added two service designers in October 2025 with a user researcher planned for census
- Supported corporate strategy values of customer-centric trustworthy inclusive and accessible
- Led content standards and managed NRS web estate including corporate and Scotland’s People sites
- Focused on accessibility readability usability and iterative design across content interaction and some service design
- Set objectives and steps to mature content design and increase organisational content maturity
- Measured progress using Content Maturity Model at level 2 aiming for level 3 by end of 2026
- Identified need for more user involvement testing research co-design and unified design approach
- Requested additional resources for projects and census including a Lead Content Designer for 26/27
3.6.1 EMB provided the following feedback:
- Development of User-centred design content driven approach with UCD teams/structures and better alignment across teams
- Service Design to develop NRS UCD in NRS
- Social Security Scotland (SSS) colleagues may also have suggestions
- Language used was the same (customer/user)
- Develop Customer Personas to understand who they are and how to join up profiles
- Incremental consider best value as conscious cost to this
- UCD also important for NRS Publications
- Suggest review Web Estate priorities around service design and prototype UCD Team
- Refresh BC proposal for EMB approval
3.6.2 EMB noted the paper and agreed the following actions.
Action EMB 517: Consider approach to delivering UCD skills for maximum benefit. Action Owner: Director of Delivery and Interim Director for Digital & IT Services
Action EMB 518: Refresh proposal for prototype UCD team and bring back for EMB approval. Action Owner: Interim Director for Digital & IT Services and Director of Customer Service Operations and Archives
3.7 Census 2031: Final programme structure
3.7.1 The Director of Census provided an update on Census 2031 Final programme structure with the key areas below.
- Progressed action to prepare job description C2 Leadership Team on IT side to supplement Digital Reporting
- Agreement around requirement for multi-disciplinary teams and agile approach
- Also recognised collaboration dependant on products and services and scale of UK ONS team
- Looking to develop a common view of programme priorities and services
- Developing information to feed into MOU
- Developing a Service Blueprint and wider content
- Developing a Data Journey, User Journey and Outputs Journey
- DDAT vacancy cannot be advertised as a DDAT but can include the supplement
3.7.2 EMB provided the following feedback:
- Provide clarity around reporting structures for the proposed C1 Comms Lead
- Provide clarity around Delivery Resources and reporting lines/budgets
- Arrange a Dec EMT session on funding/budget and Census 2031 resourcing
- EMB content to progress the C2 Technical Lead and C3 Programme Director role to provide programme assurances
- Develop a recruitment Plan to end of March 2024
- EMB noted challenges with NRS Core Funding for Strategic programmes that require the same level of support
3.7.3 EMB agreed the following actions.
Action EMB 519: Develop recruitment plan for Census 2031 programme roles by end March. Action Owner: Director of Census Statistics
Action EMB 520: Progress job description for C2 technical lead and C3 programme director. Action Owner: Director of Census Statistics
Action EMB 521: Develop programme documentation: service blueprint and programme structure for census and bring back to EMT for approval. Action Owner: Director of Census Statistics
3.8 RG records & the archive, inc. moving born digital registration records into the digital preservations system
3.9 The Director of Customer Service Operations and Archives and Iain Gray provided an update on RG records & the archive, inc. moving born digital registration records into the digital preservations system with the key areas below.
3.10 EMB supported the proposed programme of work to consider work required to make NRH Archive standard.
4.1 Finance - MYR outputs and 26/27 budget finalisation
4.1.1 The Corporate Finance Lead provided an update on MYR outputs and 26/27 budget finalisation with the key points below:
· DA Authority letters finalised and returned
· Priority One & Two Projects Commissioned
· Forecast for period seven included updated figures on recruitment
· Keeping finance trackers updated to ensure budget balanced
· No changes to projects will be issuing approvals
· No movement on Capital
· No significant changes to Census 2031
· 2026/2027 budgets meeting later that day
· EMB would be updated on any changes
· Finance commissions required prior to Dec/Jan festive break
5.1.2 EMB noted the update and agreed the following actions.
Action EMB 522: Confirm EMT planning session on 4 December for 26/27 staffing budget discussion. Action Owner: BMU
Action EMB 523: Commission priority one and priority two projects for year-end by 21 November. Action Owner: Corporate Finance Lead
5.1 AOB
5.1.1 Members noted the following AOB:
- EMB agreed to review the draft NRS Vision and look to agree the final version via correspondence
- EMB noted they would review the proposed NRS Board Cadence for 2026-2027 and look to agree via correspondence
- EMB noted Partnership Board and Ways of Working updates to come to EMB in December
- EMB noted an update on the Ancestry Tribunal would be circulated EMB via correspondence
Action EMB 524: Circulate update on ancestry litigation position via correspondence. Action Owner: Director of Customer Service Operations and Archives
Action EMB 525: EMB to revisit NRS Vision wording and agree final version via correspondence. Action Owner: Director of Delivery
5.2 EMB Forward Look
5.3 EMB noted the forward look. EMB agreed to take DSB update off the agenda for December and include relevant DSB updates in the Portfolio Dashboard Report.
Next meeting: 4 December 2025
