Department for the Economy Board minutes 2024 - 29 August 2024
Present
Ian Snowden (Chair)
Moira Doherty
Shane Murphy
Sharon Hetherington
Richard Rodgers
Laura McPolin
Michelle Scott (deputising for Paul Grocott)
(Name redacted)
Fiona Keenan (Non-Executive Board Member)
Michael McKavanagh (Non-Executive Board Member)
In Attendance
(Name redacted) (Corporate Governance Secretariat)
(Name redacted) (Corporate Governance Secretariat)
(Name redacted) (Central Management Branch)
(Name redacted) (Boardroom Apprentice)
(Name redacted) (Boardroom Observer)
Colin Daysh (for IT Assist and Digital Services items only)
(Name redacted) (For IT Assist and Digital Services items only)
Apologies
Paul Grocott
Agenda items
Agenda Item | Actions Arising from Discussion | Action Owner and Current Position (to be completed prior to the next Board Meeting) |
Agenda Item 1: Board Register of Interests/ Conflicts | No new interests declared. | |
Agenda Item 2: IT Assist Service Portfolio | Colin Daysh presented: - - Colin works in Digital, Security & Finance Shared Services and leads Digital Operations. The other leads are in Digital Security & Engagement, Finance Shared Services and the Integr8 Programme.
- Colin’s IT Assist Service Portfolio comprises of; Personal Computing Services (providing the tools and access required for employees to conduct day to day business); Hosting Services (providing secure, stable and reliable hosting environments for business applications and services) and Collaboration & Communication (providing collaboration and communication services for employees to work more effectively with their colleagues and business partners).
- Services comprise of Application Development, Website Development, User Experience & Design, Testing, Business Analysis, Standards & Advice and Contract Management.
- He is currently concentrating on MS365 and aiming to work with business to exploit opportunities and closing a gap in awareness what current software can be used for.
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Agenda Item 3: Digital Services Resource Review | (Name redacted) presented: - - A high-level action plan was developed by EY to address the results of a maturity analysis to establish the capabilities of Digital Services Branch over an 18-month period and beyond.
AP: To provide for circulation the action plan. AP: To provide a twice-yearly paper for Board on progress of the action plan. - A better sense of systems and issues that Partner Organisations have is needed which could include working groups/ forums
AP: To develop a digital action plan for DfE. AP: To provide for circulation a list of all DfE systems inc expiry dates etc. | (Name redacted) (Name redacted) |
Agenda Item 4: Minutes of Previous Meetings | Amendments were suggested to the minutes of the June meeting and will be adopted. | |
Agenda Item 5: Strategic Issues | Ian Snowden presented: - - The Executive agreed the closure of the non-domestic RHI scheme.
- Minister has met with UK Government Secretaries of State relevant to his NI responsibilities.
- The DfE Business Plan is being launched on 9th September.
- DfE and Invest NI have been active on regional balance.
- Draft report produced by the Magee Task Force.
- Activity on Net Zero and electricity, especially in relation to the 2030 80% target.
- Minister agreed a way ahead for the transformation of the Further Education sector.
- The Programme for Government has been circulated to Departments. It is aligned with DfE’s business plan.
- The Assembly will be looking at this year’s budget. There is a projected overspend of £15m for DfE, with the total NICS overspend of some £0.75bn.
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Agenda Item 6: Budget Discussion | Sharon Hetherington presented: - - Since the Board last met:
- An additional £2m has been received in June monitoring for a shortfall in the HE Teaching Grant.
- Minister has approved release of £11.6m for the Skills Fund.
- Minister approved transfer of £3m to DfI for the City of Derry Airport.
- DoF have commissioned an urgent in-year exercise.
- DfE have run an October Monitoring exercise with £4.4m reduced requirements and bids of £17.4m. Skills for Life to Work bid expected to increase. Overcommitment is circa £10m to £11m at the moment. Capital reduced requirements of £10.8m and bids £2.3m. There will be additional bids.
- A looking forward an exercise has been commissioned for 25/26 to 27/28. Departments have not been asked to model reductions.
- DfE baseline this year included £19m allocated to the previous year.
- 2023/24 Accounts are still on course to meet the statutory deadline.
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Agenda Item 7: HR Update | (Name redacted) presented: - - In her first Board meeting as new HR Strategic Business Partner (Name redacted) clarified her role which is to implement the NICS-wide People Strategy. She will working with management to see how she can help with business priorities and where there are any problems. She will consider any gaps and disconnects. She will look at what the Board needs to know about. She will consider what can be done regarding the age gap. She will work with (Name redacted) and utilise the Resourcing & People Committee (RPC).
- (Name redacted) clarified that her role is to help staff get in the way of procedures, support the RPC and consider how to improve procedures and make processes better. Reasons for staff leaving seem to be mainly for retirement but exit interviews are needed.
- The Chair advised that the Board need analysis rather than just management information.
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Agenda Item 8: Papers for Approval | Project Management arrangements for funding schemes Laura McPolin presented: - - The Board agreed that funding scheme projects remain on the Major Programmes and Projects List for the Development Stage only of the business case duration.
Corporate Risk Register Laura McPolin presented: - - Amendments were proposed and agreed.
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Agenda Item 9: | Topics for September and November Strategic Boards - Regional Balance for September Board.
- Target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030 for November Board
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Agenda Item 10: Any Other Business | There was no other business | |
Date of Next Meeting
Thursday 26th September, Adelaide House, Belfast