Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 4 - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Liz Jardine 

Items
No. Item

1.

Introductions, apologies and declarations of interest

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Elisabeth Jones (Chief Legal Adviser), Mair Parry-Jones (Head of Translation and Reporting Service) and Gareth Watts (Head of Governance and Audit).

 

2.

Communication note to staff - Lowri Williams

Minutes:

Lowri Williams would draft a note of the Management Board discussion for the staff news page.

 

3.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Minutes:

The minutes of the 13 November Management Board meeting were agreed as a correct record. An action grid would be circulated following meetings and with meeting papers in future.

Following the staff survey discussion, a document outlining what ‘you said, we did’ would be circulated for the Board’s review; and a discussion on internal communications was scheduled for the Management Board meeting in the new year.

 

 

4.

Corporate Risk

Minutes:

Dave Tosh led the Board through the regular review of existing and emerging corporate risks and the updated register, inviting Heads of Service to advise of any new corporate risks flagged by Risk Champions or changes to the register of current risks.

In relation to the existing risk around the Brexit process and implications of leaving the EU, the Constitutional Change Steering Group met on 6 December and outlined the plans of the Brexit Working Group to scenario plan in January, which would feed into the risk register and corporate planning processes.

The Board noted changes to the register following the last review, and discussed two new risks outlined in the form of a Risk on a Page (ROAP). It was recognised that the capacity review ROAP did not specify all the controls in place and Gareth Watts and Kathryn Hughes were looking at whether to provide a more detailed description, however, as a first level record it provided a focussed summary of a risk and mitigations.

The ROAP capturing the risk relating to harassment identified the current work in place or underway, with longer term objectives to follow. Craig Stephenson described the complexities of the work to align all strands under one code, and the impacts on timescale and Assembly business, and these should be reflected in the risk along with how they were being handled. The Board recommended wider communication of the resources available via simple signage around the building.

Management Board agreed that both risks would be added to the corporate register.

The Board discussed the management of the inter-related risks of reform and constitutional change, capacity and financial pressures and noted that the capacity review would assist in providing some answers. ACARAC had been presented with a summary paper to provide them with assurance and the Committee welcomed the paper being assured by the measures taken to manage such a complex risk profile. The Board agreed the paper provided a useful aide memoire and communication to staff.

ACTIONS:

·                Governance team to review ROAP template;

·                Craig Stephenson to discuss signage with the working group;

·                Anna Daniel to reframe the document on managing inter-related risks to share with staff;

·                Dave Tosh, Gareth Watts and Kathryn Hughes to review the inter-related risks to update and identify what were now issues rather than risks.

 

5.

Capacity Review

Oral item

Minutes:

Manon Antoniazzi provided an update on progress of the Capacity review. The conclusions were emerging with some high level principles, but there was still work to do to bridge the gap with practical guidance and actions. The draft report would be taken to the Commission meeting in January. It was not possible in the timescale to give a level of detail but it would build on what the review had identified and give shape to the high-level proposals.

The Directors would be meeting on 18 December to clarify the distribution of the established posts and start to articulate the proposals. A draft paper in progress for that meeting would be circulated to the Board for input.

Work was also progressing on budgetary models to put to the Finance and Public Accounts Committees when reporting on the capacity review, and the service planning process early in 2018 to plan for pressures and the resources needed to support them, would also inform that. The Capacity review was due to be published in February and the Board briefly discussed communication to staff and stakeholders.

 

6.

Financial Management Report November 2017

Minutes:

Nia Morgan gave a brief outline of the FMR for November, and gave tribute to all Service areas for their efforts in reviewing and reorganising forecast spend to release funds to allow for a safe contingency amount at this point in the year until needs become clearer. This fund would be reallocated to Service areas as necessary through the Investment and Resources Board looking at the priority and merit for prudent expenditure, and to release pressure on the next financial year.

The Llywydd had given a clear public message last night of commitment to being as economic as possible in supporting a larger Assembly. As requirements become clearer over the next few months planning for the following years would need to be done to avoid overloading next year.

ACTIONS:

·                Dave Tosh to circulate a budget planning cycle, a draft of which would be presented to Commissioners in April.

·                Heads of Service to advise Nia Morgan if any emergency expenditure was needed and to be vigilant in identifying risks or approaching pressure points.

 

7.

IRB Update

Oral item

Minutes:

Manon Antoniazzi provided an update on the recent meeting of the Investment and Resources Board. There was a need to exert even tighter control on budgets.

The Board had considered various models for the budget profile in future, in response to the recommendations of the Finance Committee and would develop further when more clarity on the budget position was available. This would feed into the Committee’s inquiry looking at other parliaments and how they manage and present their budgets. A letter was also being prepared, to demonstrate to the Finance Committee how the determination underspend had been used this financial year, and explain the context of how the total investment fund was made up.

IRB had discussed their Terms of Reference in light of recommendations from an internal audit taking into account the balance between IRB and Management Board responsibilities. Any new approach to this would be considered at the next meeting, before amending the Terms of Reference.

Action: Nia Morgan to circulate to Management Board a paper outlining the different models

8.

Media Grid

Presentation

Minutes:

Non Gwilym gave an overview of current grid that captured corporate and business related communications activity to facilitate planning.

The following week would see the launch of the Expert Panel’s report, for which there was a lot of interest, and 2018 would be very busy, with the Commission consulting on the report.

Forward planning was very important, especially looking for any pinch points from January through to mid February. The Board flagged three current matters to include in the grid.

Actions:

·                Recirculate link to grid and Heads to advise Non Gwilym if anything was missing.

·                Management Board in January to be extended to accommodate a fuller discussion.

 

9.

Any other business

Minutes:

Manon congratulated everyone who had been involved in preparation of the Llywydd’s speech at the Wales Governance Centre annual lecture on 6 December.

The next meeting would be held on 11 January.