FOI20/21 183 Communications Staff

1. Can you please set out how many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers there have been for each of the ten years to 2019/20. If an average number cannot be sourced, pick March as a snapshot.

1b. How many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers were there in January (snapshot) 2021.

1c. What was the annual cost of employing those frontline staff in all those years 2009/10 - 2019/20.

2. How many FTE frontline communications staff/press officers have been employed that have been outsourced, In other words, not in-house but external PR/communications supplied by a private company in all those years 2009/10 - 2019/20

2b. How much was spent in those outsourced frontline PR/communications/press office functions, in other words, not in-house but external PR/communications supplied by a private company (as per Q2).

The information you have requested under questions 1, 1b and 1c is provided in the attached file.  To ensure that we comply with our responsibilities under the Data Protection Act, where the figure is less than 5, SQA does not report the actual figure to protect individuals — personal information.  Where the number is less than 5 the figure has been replaced with an asterisk*.

Please note that although your request asks for details re "frontline communications staff/press officers" SQA does not employ individuals exclusively in this capacity. The activity comes under the remit of the Communications team who are responsible for wider activities.  Due to this wider remit of their role, it is not feasible to isolate the proportion of their annual salary that could be classed as "frontline communications/press officer" cost.  However, the attached report provides the figures for those employees who deal with the press as part of their wider communications activities.

For questions 2 and 2b SQA holds information from 2013 only.   In the period 2013 to 2020 SQA has had two contracts with private companies for external PR/Communications.   The total amount paid for these over this period is £534,419.

SQA does not hold information about the number of staff they employ.   Details of our present contract for Strategic Communications Support are available on our website in the Contracts Directory section of the Procurement pages and can be accessed at the following weblink: Procurement Contracts

Response Document  (19 KB)