The aim of this assurance work was to assess the extent to which benefits from programmes and projects across the transformation portfolio of Police Scotland were being developed and realised.

This benefit validation assurance process focused on the strategies and frameworks Police Scotland deployed to achieve intended benefits and aimed to ensure they follow good practice and that individual projects adhere to the principles and processes that support them.

HMICS reviewed all transformation portfolio projects which delivered gains in 2019/20 and listed the benefits they aim to deliver. It reviewed over-arching and project specific documentation and processes which would be expected in benefits management and realisation, evaluated the use of Police Scotland’s internal Project Assurance Healthcheck process and assessed the arrangements the Scottish Police Authority has in place to support and scrutinise the delivery of the transformation portfolio.

HMICS considers its role to lie in validating the overall benefits approach and subsequently assessing the veracity of any benefits claimed. It will proceed to validate claimed benefits for the year 2020/21 in its next assurance report.