This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter.
A month ago I wondered if things were finally looking up for the Scottish Government's troubled heritage agency Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
It seemed that the organisation was beginning to turn a corner following a reassuring statement to staff by its newly-appointed chair Sir Mark Jones on his plans to recruit an interim chief operating officer and that the organisation's chief executive, Katerina Brown, who was off work since June, had returned.
But four weeks on from his statement I think I was over optimistic after more details about the nature of the problems in the organisation emerged in that time.
Reporting on HES developments closely over recent weeks I now believe the crisis surrounding it is bound to continue for some time yet.
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This is because a number of investigations surrounding the body are underway including one into an internal grievance matter and one by Scotland's Auditor General, the public servant responsible for the audit of all public bodies except local authorities.
On Friday The Herald reported that all seven members of the HES executive leadership team (ELT) lodged a grievance about the organisation's chief executive officer Katerina Brown back on May 8 this year.
Ms Brown returned to work in October in her role as accountable officer (the person responsible to Parliament and the public for proper use of funds and resources) but MSPs heard earlier this month she has not resumed her full duties as chief executive.
She told The Herald on Friday she had not yet been interviewed in connection with the grievance process and also noted that she was "confident" her "management approach will be vindicated" in the investigation.
She said: “I am looking forward to participating in the overdue investigation into the grievance as I am confident that my management approach will be vindicated. As the steward of a publicly funded organisation my priority remains to uphold and promote the highest standards of behaviour especially at the senior level."
It is not known by The Herald when Ms Brown will be interviewed nor when the internal grievance inquiry will be completed.
Meanwhile, the Auditor General Stephen Boyle is carrying out a separate Section 22 inquiry into "weaknesses in governance and financial management arrangements" identified at HES.
His investigation with its findings to be made public look set to become a headache for the Scottish Government as part of the probe will examine how the administration was managing its relationship with the agency to which it gives £74m a year to look after more than 300 of the country's most important historic properties.
Mr Boyle has already made his concerns evident, writing to Richard Leonard, the former Scottish Labour leader who chairs Holyrood's public audit committee on October 27 to let him know of his report.
He made clear he was concerned there was no accountable officer at HES for a period.
Mr Boyle's Section 22 report is due to be presented to ministers next month with the government expected to present it to parliament afterwards.
Once it is given to parliament, Audit Scotland will publish it on its website and send out a news release to journalists.
The fact that the report will be put into the public domain is bound to lead to many questions from opposition politicians and from journalists about what went on and how the crisis apparently got so badly out of control.
Negative headlines are likely to follow again when Mr Boyle gives evidence in person to the Holyrood's public audit committee, probably in the new year.
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Culture secretary Angus Robertson has already come under fire for failing to meet HES's former chair Dr Hugh Hall despite him making repeated requests to the government for him to do so.
For his part Mr Robertson has said the civil servant who received the message from Dr Hall did not pass it on as Dr Hall was himself under investigation.
His intervention in turn prompted accusations that the cabinet secretary was prepared to "throw a civil servant under a bus" to cover his own lack of personal engagement with the board.
And so, to my mind anyway, with so many questions surrounding what went on in the agency and how the situation was dealt with by the Scottish Government, the HES saga looks sets to roll on for some time into the new year, which of course is not ideal timing for the government with the Holyrood elections looming in May.
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