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Strategic Plan 2026-29
112. In June 2026, we published our strategic plan which focuses on five strategic objectives:
We will inspect the operation of COPFS and report publicly
We will increase awareness of and engagement and confidence in our inspection activity
We will enhance our organisational resilience and invest in our people
We will invest in our continuous improvement
We will work with our partners to maximise the impact of our work
113. We considered our existing vision and values and concluded that they should remain unchanged from those published in our first strategic plan as they continue to reflect our purpose and approach. Again, the five current strategic objectives listed above, which underpin our actions, remain largely unchanged though it is important to acknowledge the need to take a trauma-informed approach across our work, not least within user-focus, and the need to take account of improved technology, in particular AI, and how it can support our work.
114. We have considered what the inspectorate does well and where we can develop and improve. It is important for us to ensure we deliver an independent, credible and meaningful inspection programme that adds value and can bring about tangible change for COPFS, its stakeholders and the wider criminal justice system as promptly as possible. Our strategic plan also continues to reflect the inspectorate's commitment to our own continuous improvement. We require to fulfil our statutory purpose at a time of reduced fiscal spending and to build on our achievements, particularly raising awareness about our work and role.
115. We also publicise our inspection framework which helps those we inspect, stakeholders and the public know what to expect from us. Similarly, publication of a terms of reference for each individual inspection highlights how the framework is being tailored to the issue or service area subject to review.
116. We have continued to raise awareness of and engagement and confidence in our inspection activity by:
Engaging with the Criminal Justice Committee to increase understanding about IPS statutory function, our successes, aims and challenges and this included the Chief Inspector giving evidence to the Committee about the state of the criminal justice system and challenges for Session 7.[81]
Presentation by the Chief Inspector along with HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland to the Policing Performance Committee, on the ‘Citing of witnesses in the sheriff court’ inspection.[82]
Attendance by the Chief Inspector at the Session 7 Induction Programme – Members’ Reception at Holyrood. The reception brought together key organisations involved in supporting Scotland’s justice and legal sectors and provided an opportunity to meet newly returned MSPs, to build their awareness of key issues and develop cross-party relationships at the outset of the new parliamentary session.
Involvement in Public Sector Reform including the Chief Inspector engaging with the Cabinet Secretary for Public Reform along with other criminal justice Chief Inspectors.
Increasing our use of social media including videos to highlight publication of our reports and creation of a LinkedIn account.
Increasing our use of media, including publishing a proactive press release to highlight publication of the terms of reference of our focused follow-up inspection and participating in media interviews on the topic.
Maintenance of our website including ensuring that the ‘News’ section is up to date to advise of our publications and using it as a tool to engage the public in our inspections by using the ‘Get involved’ page to contribute to our inspection activity.
Promoting awareness of the inspectorate’s work among COPFS staff including posting articles about recent and upcoming inspections on the COPFS intranet (Connect). In addition, publishing an article featuring an interview with the Chief Inspector explaining her reasons for taking up post as part of the series of ‘A coffee with….’ articles on Connect.
117. We have also adopted new and innovative working practices over the last year – to make the best use of our available resources and technology. We have taken steps to change our approach to inspection activity. For the first time we are undertaking a focused follow-up inspection, considering a specific area of COPFS work in which there is public interest and insufficient progress in implementing previous recommendations. It will take less time to complete than a full follow-up inspection but will be equally impactful, practical and outcome focused.
118. In our focused follow-up inspection, we have conducted personnel interviews with standardised questions using Teams and the Teams transcription tool. This requires only one member of staff to attend rather than two. We are also increasing our use of AI to assist in quickly identifying recurring key themes across our work.
119. We will continue to explore different ways to carry out inspection work and use AI to improve efficiency not least in light of public sector reform.
120. As set out in the ‘Inspectorate in 2025-26’ section of this report we are a small team of 4.57 FTE staff. Of our 5 team members 3 are permanent IPS staff which provides a degree of stability, boosts our resilience and allows for a longer-term return on the investment we make in the training and development of staff. The Legal Inspector is a secondee from COPFS which ensures fresh prosecutorial knowledge during their 2–3 year term at IPS. This is invaluable to our inspection activity and of great help to the wider team. The size of our team can, however, present challenges to effective fulfilment of our statutory function.
121. The year ahead will bring about significant changes to IPS staffing with two longstanding members of staff retiring in December 2026 (the Business Inspector) and March 2027 respectively (the Personal Assistant). The March retirement coincides with the return of our current Legal Inspector secondee to COPFS after three years at IPS.
122. This affords an opportunity to reconsider the current IPS staffing structure while ensuring timely recruitment and organisational modernisation, thereby enhancing our resilience, independence and capacity.