DFID Management Board
Meeting on 2 May 2008
In working towards the delivery of the Public Service Agreement the Management Board will aim to:
- A. communicate the vision, role, direction and priorities of DFID to staff and other stakeholders;
- B. consider the strategic challenges and risks to the organisation;
- C. ensure effective allocation and management of DFID's staff and financial resources; and
- D. monitor and improve DFID's performance.
10.00 – 12:30 - Location: PS 3W13, AH280
Time |
Topic |
Attending |
Purpose |
MB Obj |
|
10.00 – 10.40 |
Quarterly Management Report (4th ¼ 2007/08) Driving Corporate Performance |
Sam Sharpe Dominic O’Neill |
To review DFID’s Q4 07/08 performance To consider a revised system to track corporate and divisional performance |
A, B, C, D |
10.45 – 11.15 |
Corporate Risk Register |
Lizzie Smith |
To agree the new shape and content of the CRR and review the update |
B, C |
11.15 – 12.00 |
Strategy Unit Update |
Anna Wechsberg Kate Tench | To update on SU’s Issue Identification Briefs |
B |
12.00 – 12.15 |
Investment Committee Forward Work Plan |
Sam Sharpe |
Review ID Forward Agend |
C, D |
|
Attendees |
Nemat Shafik (Chair), Sue Owen, Mark Lowcock, Andrew Steer, Martin Dinham, Sam Sharpe, Doreen Langston (Non-Executive Director) Apologies: David Macleod |
|
Observers |
In PS: Alistair Wray, Andrew Preston From AH via VC: Richard Montgomery, Penny Innes, Steven Barlett, Gillian Mitchell, George Jackson Lee, Hugh McGarvey, Kenny Osborne, Alex Stannard |
Investment Committee Forward Work Plan 2008/09
1. Sam Sharpe introduced the Investment Committee’s Forward Work Plan 2008/09.
2. The Management Board thanked the team for the impressive work plan, which was agreed. The Board agreed that:
(i) the two Non-Executive Directors should collectively bring public and private sector knowledge to the Committee and individually have experience of a Whitehall counterpart to the Investment Committee and exposure to emerging market investment decision making;
(ii) the Investment Committee should draw-up Terms of Reference for each post and progress with recruitment.
Quarterly Management Report Q4 2007/08
3. Sam Sharpe introduced the fourth Quarterly Management Report (QMR) for the financial year 2007/08, which covers the period January – March 2008.
4. The Management Board thanked the team for a useful report which would be the last time that the QMR appeared in this format. The Board agreed that:
(i) nearly meeting the 1610 headcount target was a major achievement;
(ii) the air miles data needs to be reviewed for accuracy and that further analysis on travel expenditure should be completed. To reduce air miles travelled, Directors should think more carefully about numbers of staff travelling overseas in delegations and encourage the use of rail for UK domestic travel. Directors will need a divisional breakdown of air miles to manage this issue effectively;
(iii) a combination of ARIES and monthly expenditure updates will provide the Board with real time financial data and greater in-year resource flexibility across the bilateral programmes. This will help DFID to respond effectively to the differential impacts caused by global economic shocks;
(iv) the Procurement Capability Review Action Plan should be discussed at the Audit Committee;
(v) FCPD should explore how the business can maximise the benefits of ARIES and that a paper on this should be submitted to the Board.
Driving Corporate Performance: Making It Happen
5. Sam Sharpe and Dominic O’Neill introduced the new performance management system, characterised as ‘evolution, not revolution’.
6. The Management Board thanked the team for an excellent set of proposals to revise DFID’s system for tracking and reporting corporate performance. The Board:
(i) agreed to endorse the proposals in paragraph 8 and in particular praised the idea of twice yearly performance reviews with Directors;
(ii) asked FCPD to improve staff awareness of corporate performance reporting – getting this right will be key to Making it Happen;
(iii) agreed on the need for more in-year measures on staff wellbeing. There is an over-reliance on the annual Management Survey and HRD should aim to fulfil the capability review commitment to introduce pulse surveys.
Corporate Risk Register Review and Update
7. Anna Wechsberg and Lizzie Smith presented the Corporate Risk Register (CRR) Review and Update.
8. The Management Board welcomed the review and update. This is an evolving management tool which must be responsive to changing domestic and international risks. The Board agreed:
(i) to the addition of two new risks as set out in paragraph 3;
(ii) to the changes set out in paragraph 4 with amendments as follows:
(iii) that Risk 1 should explicitly reflect the rise in food and energy prices;
(iv) that we could consider dropping Risk 2 in due course if the overall number of top risks increased further;
(v) that the impact rating of Risk 4 should be changed from high to medium and should include the possibility of a major scandal within one of our multilateral partners;
(vi) that the impact rating of Risk 5 should be changed from medium to high;
(vii) that Risk 6 should focus exclusively on staff safety;
(viii) that the impact rating of Risk 7 should be reviewed;
(ix) that we should consider dropping Risk 8 at the next review of the CRR if sufficient progress had been made on mitigation actions;
(x) that the Corporate Risk Register should continue to be a restricted document. It should be distributed to the SCS along with guidance that asks them to actively consider the impact of these risks on their area of work.
Strategy Unit Update
9. Anna Wechsberg presented the Strategy Unit Issue Identification Briefs on barriers to technology transfer, measuring influencing, Africa’s energy potential and bilateral programme scenarios.
10. The Management Board commended the Strategy Unit and co-operating teams for producing thought provoking and challenging research. The Board agreed:
IIB 5: Africa without borders: Africa’s energy potential
(i) that this work be taken forward in the context of the Pan Africa Business Plan. This should include looking at how we use our investments in CDC and global funds and multilaterals to tackle this;
(ii) that PRD do an assessment of the political context and consider funding policy work using capacity outside DFD to move the agenda forward.
IIB 3: Addressing the barriers to technology transfer: Can DFID raise its game?
(iii) that technology diffusion will be an important area of work for the new Growth Centre.
IIB 4: Appraising, measuring and monitoring influencing: How can DFID improve?
(iii) that developing and recruiting influencing skills should underpin workforce planning, learning and development and HRSC discussions;
(iv) that there is significant read-across between this work and DFID’s Communications Strategy;
(v) that an influencing ‘toolkit’ of guidance should be compiled showcasing positive influencing experiences e.g. IDA negotiations and EMAAD’s China policy;
(vi) that further decisions, beyond the pilot, on how far we take this work, should be taken by the Investment Committee.
IIB 6: Bilateral programme scenarios for 2013 and 2018
(vii) that the scenarios should be more stretching and explore possible shifts in UK public opinion, global power changes, the pace of change in fragile states and the future absorptive capacity of the multilateral system;
(viii) the Management Board would have an awayday in June to discuss the bilateral programme, the appetite for more radical scenarios and UK public opinion.
Raj Baisya
Management Board Assistant Secretary
