Request
1. External training spend in the previous 3 fiscal years (2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20) in Food Standards Scotland, broken down by:
- Amount spent through the Civil Service Learning contract and amount spent to deliver external training through other contracts
- Under the Civil Service Learning Contract
- Amount spent on online/digital delivery versus amount spent on in-person delivery
- Amount of spend allocated for bespoke courses specifically developed for your needs and amount of spend allocated for ‘off-the-shelf’ training material
2. Breakdown of the 2019/20 external training spend through the CSL contract in Food Standards Scotland by course, including:
- Total amount spent per course
- Total number of learners per course
- Training provider that delivered the course
- Course delivery method – i.e. online/digital or in-person
- Name of course
- Subject area of course
3. External training budget for 2020/21 fiscal year in Food Standards Scotland, broken down by:
- Budget to spend through the Civil Service Learning contract and budget to spend on the delivery of external training through other contracts
4. Any analysis undertaken on how your department’s training needs have shifted this year compared to previous years
- For example, are you planning greater emphasis on Leadership & Management courses or training delivered through digital/online courses?
5. Total number of civil service employees working in Food Standards Scotland (please provide latest available data)
Response
1. In response to question 1:
- 2017/18 – No record of spend
- 2018/19 – No record of spend
- 2019/20 - £2015.30
2. The expenditure for 2019/20 noted above was not in relation to any external training spend through Civil Service Learning contract. This was our contribution to the learning platform.
3. Our external training budget for 2020/21 in Food Standards Scotland can be broken down as follows:
- Budget to spend through Civil Service Learning: £2015.30
- Budget to spend on delivery of external training through other contracts: £18,000.00 (For period from April 2020 – March 2021) and £7,200.00 for Corporate Services job related training
4. We do not currently have an analysis of training needs within Food Standards Scotland nor details of any comparison of how this has shifted in previous years. Training needs are determined and discussed between staff and their line managers via Performance Management and documented on their Personal Learning Plans (PLP). The HR Team responds to specific requests from Management and Staff in establishing training required across the organisation and provides advice and guidance accordingly.
5. Total number of civil service employees working in Food Standards Scotland: 248 (Overall Headcount as at 14 October 2020)
