DFID Management Board
Meeting on 17 July 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.
10.00-12.00 - Location: PS 3W13 and AH280
|
Time |
Topic |
Attending |
Purpose |
MB Obj |
|
10:00 - 11:00 |
Quarterly Management Report (1st ¼ 2008) |
|
To review DFID’s Q1 2008 performance |
A, B, C, D |
11.00-11.45 |
ARIES Rollout |
Elizabeth Robin |
To provide an update on ARIES rollout and review our approach to driving benefits from the new ARIES system |
C, D |
11.45-12.00 |
Action Matrix |
Lucy Livings |
To provide update on MB decisions and subsequent actions |
C |
Attendees |
Nemat Shafik (Chair), Sue Owen, Mark Lowcock, Andrew Steer, Sam Sharpe, David McLeod (Non – Executive Director) Doreen Langston (Non-Executive Director) |
Observers |
In PS: Anthony Ford-Shubrook, Jamie Steacy Buck, George Holroyd, Katja Jobes, Vincent Floreani, Harshad Sarvia, Satbir Singh Chowdry, Will Monteith, Camilla Harkness, Shiona Ruhemann, Deirdre Watson, Tom Engel, John Sands, Lizzie Smith, Ronnie Erskine In AH : Fiona Tamburrini, Peter O’Neill, Paula Hallam, Elizabeth Robbins, Frances Harper, Kenny Osborne, Jane Shute, Craig Addies |
The Quarterly Management Report
1. Ronnie Erskine introduced this item. He updated the Board on the work that had been done to reshape the QMR to ensure that it is fully linked to the new PSA and DSO framework and with the delivery of the Making it Happen agenda. The Board:
i. welcomed the new format and thanked the team for their work;
ii. asked that a bound version of the QMR be produced for each relevant Management Board meeting and that the title ‘QMR’ is more prominent on the document cover;
iii. agreed that in future versions they would like to see more charts and analysis with less words, clearer reporting against Making it Happen work streams, more comparison of data with past trends, tougher judgements on progress, more intermediate milestones for three-year CSR targets, and more focus on outcomes;
iv. asked that FCPD provides a deeper assessment of Divisional spending profiles in the next QMR, with advice on whether resources should be reallocated from any under spending Divisions. This should be based on a conversation with Directors in advance to ensure problems are understood and to ascertain what the forward spend profile looks like;
v. agreed that HR needed to provide more clarity on headcount numbers, as these were fundamental to plans for workforce changes over the next few years;
vi. agreed that HR should work with Managers to improve the sickness absence numbers in AH;
vii. agreed that FCPD should undertake some work on travel and air miles to think through a strategy/policy for how we ensure value for money.
viii. asked that more detailed portfolio reporting be included in the larger six monthly QMRs;
ix. asked that the Investment Committee go back and think through the standard Indicators again. They would like to see fewer indicators, with less discretion for country offices to choose what they monitor, so that aggregate figures can more easily be monitored through the QMR;
x. asked FCPD to undertake a piece of work over the summer to pull together all the DFID spending targets and to ensure we are clear about: a) what the targets say DFID will do and by when; b) what the definitions are of what is inside and outside the targets; and c) whether we are making the right judgements in terms of whether we are on track or not. Future QMRs should include traffic light scores on key targets.
Corporate Risk
2. Lizzie Smith introduced this item. She thanked the Director Generals for their engagement in agreeing their risks before the Board meeting and felt that this has helped overall organisational ownership of the risks. The Board:
i. agreed that Risk 8 should be removed and managed in future at divisional level;
ii. agreed that Risk 2 be retained, noting the improvement in probability;
iii. noted the assessment of deteriorating trends for Risks 1, 3 and 9;
iv. expressed concern over the trend of Risk 9 and asked FCPD to consider whether probability should move to ‘high’;
v. asked FCPD to consider how best to use traffic light ratings for mitigating action progress.
ARIES Rollout and Benefits realisation
3. Ronnie Erskine introduced both papers. The Board commended the team for the work that had been done on this. They recognised that the roll out to date has been complex but that it has gone well. The Board:
i. asked the team to come back to the Board if problems arose in the next phase and if there were any further large financial implications to be considered;
ii. agreed that they wanted to measures both staff savings and qualitative benefits from ARIES;
iii. agreed on the need for balance between standardisation of office operating models, and discretion for individual managers
iv. agreed the team should implement option two as outlined in the paper for driving out benefits (i.e. to work with pilot offices to develop best practice approaches; and to require Divisions to report on ARIES savings and benefits as part of wider workforce and budget reporting);
v. asked the team to ensure they have a plan for engaging Directors and Heads of Offices actively to ensure that ARIES benefits realisation is owned and occurs;
vi. endorsed the creation of an ARIES Optimisation unit and that this Unit should undertake further work on quantifying benefits and timeframes.
The Management Board Action Matrix
4. The Board noted the completed actions on the matrix and asked for a push over the summer for completing remaining actions on the grid.
Lucy Livings
Management Board Secretary
