Minutes 29 July 2010

Management Board meeting minutes, 29 July 2010

Future Roles of Heads of Profession

The Policy team set out proposals for a new senior structure for professional cadres and ways to strengthen professionalism across the advisory cadres. The new structure would support a reduction in numbers of Senior Civil Servants. The Board agreed the proposals.

09/10 Expenditure Outturn

The Finance team updated the Board on the final outturn position post-audit and reported an overall underspend in 09/10 of 0.68% against the allocated budget.

Quarterly Management Report Q1 10/11

The Finance team asked the Board to review the Quarterly Mgt Report. The Board agreed that the QMR should be the vehicle for monitoring and reporting progress against DFID’s Structural Reform Plan (SRP) and other key Management information.

June Expenditure Update

The Finance team reported on June’s expenditure. The Board welcomed the report’s monitoring of variance of spending against forecast.

Corporate Risk Register

The Finance team asked the Management Board to note the updated assessments on Corporate Risks and to confirm that these are the key risks DFID is facing. The Board welcomed the Price Waterhouse Cooper report which challenges DFID to join up our internal work on risk management and agreed to schedule an autumn Management Board meeting to update the major risks to be tracked in the CRR.

Consolidation Overseas Project

The Finance Director outlined the progress on the Government Consolidation Overseas (GCO) project. The GCO project sets out a plan for the UK Government to operate from a single platform overseas. The Board welcomed the paper and strongly emphasised the GCO outcome must result in a cost saving measure.

Evaluation

The Evaluation team presented a range of options for the future of DFID’s in-house evaluation function in the light of the establishment of the Independent Aid Watchdog.  The Board asked the Evaluation Dep’t to work out in more detail the more ambitious evaluation option.

Sub Committee updates

Development Policy Committee
The DPC meeting on the 13th of July discussed the big push on impact evaluation and its implications for how DFID does business.

Investment Committee
There had been no Investment Committee meeting since the last Management Board meeting.

Security Committee
The Security Committee meeting on the 28th of July highlighted the need for stronger Management Board messaging on the importance of security.

Audit Committee:
There had not been an Audit Committee meeting since the last Management Board meeting.

Senior Leadership Committee
The SLC met to discuss senior staff restructuring and other issues.

Joan Keaney