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STATES OF JERSEY
STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD (FOLLOW-UP) (R.152/2022): EXECUTIVE RESPONSE
Presented to the States on 9th November 2022 by the Public Accounts Committee
STATES GREFFE
2022 R.152 Res.
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FOREWORD
In accordance with paragraphs 64-66 of the Code of Practice for engagement between Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee' and the Executive', (as derived from the Proceedings Code of Practice) the Public Accounts Committee presents the Executive Response to the Comptroller and Auditor General's (C&AG) Report entitled: States Employment Board: Follow up (R.152/2022) presented by the C&AG on 8th September 2022 and to the States on 1st November 2022).
Comments
- A substantial part of the Public Accounts Committee's (the Committee's) role, as set out in the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey, is to assess the use of public funds and whether sound financial practices have been applied. This includes understanding whether good governance and best practices have been applied in planning, implementing and administrating projects undertaken by the Government of Jersey.
- The C&AG published her report on 8th September 2022 and the Committee received the Executive Response to the report on 24th October 2022. The report followed on from the 2019 review of the operation and role of the States Employment Board (SEB). This report concluded that the arrangements for the SEB were not fit for purpose and three main areas of weakness were identified. In the current report the C&AG found that considerable progress had been made during 2021 and 2022 in implementing many of the recommendations made in the 2019 report. In addition, most of the recommendations made in other relevant C&AG reviews.
- In the most recent report, the C&AG made 18 recommendations, 7 areas for prioritisation and 3 areas for consideration. The Committee is pleased to note that all of the recommendations have been accepted and all but one of the areas for prioritisation and areas for consideration have been accepted as well.
Rejected area for consideration
C&AG Area for consideration 3 | Executive Response (Reasons for rejection |
Consider recording meetings to assist with the accuracy of minute taking. | Comprehensive minutes are taken as per recommendation 17. The Members review the accuracy of the minutes at each meeting. |
- The Committee notes that the rejected area for consideration relates to the recording of meetings from SEB meetings in order to assist with the accuracy of minute taking. The Executive Response has suggested that this is not required as comprehensive minutes are taken of all meetings and Members of the SEB review the accuracy of the minutes at each meeting. It is important to note that recommendation 17 of the C&AG's report has been accepted and states the following:
R.152/2022 Res.
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C&AG Recommendation 17 | Executive Response | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
Ensure that the minutes from the previous SEB meeting are circulated with the papers and signed off at the next meeting. | Minutes will be made available at the next ordinary meeting of each SEB (the planned monthly meetings). A new Memorandum between the States Greffe and People & Corporate Services has been introduced | October 2022 | States Greffe Group Director for People & Corporate Services |
- The Committee is pleased to note that a commitment has been made to sharing minutes in a timely manner in order for formal consideration at the following scheduled meeting. Given this commitment it does not consider that any further action is required in respect of the area for consideration that has been rejected. It will, however, continue to monitor whether or not this is being achieved on a regular basis or not.
Timescales for implementation
- One area that the Committee will raise comment on is the timescales which have been provided within the executive response for implementation of the recommendations. Whilst the Committee is pleased to see the commitment to implementing the recommendations made by the C&AG it would state that the timescales provided for a number of recommendations appear to be ambitious. It is noted that nine of the recommendations have target dates occurring before the end of 2022 with the latest date for implementation for one area of consideration being December 2023. The Committee intends to follow up on the progress of recommendations scheduled for completion by the end of 2022 at its first quarterly hearing with the Chief Executive in early 2023 in order to ascertain whether or not the timescales committed to in the response have been implemented or not. It will also continue to ensure that the progress implementing the recommendations is maintained in respect of those intended to take place in 2023.
Conclusion
The Committee is generally satisfied with the response to this report and believes that no further action is required at this time. It shall continue to monitor the accepted recommendations and points outlined above in relation to the timescale for implementing recommendations before the end of 2022. It also expects to see evidence that all (accepted, partly or partially, accepted) recommendations have been added to the Recommendations Tracker so that their progress towards implementation can be tracked closely.
Deputy L. Feltham
Chair, Public Accounts Committee
R.152/2022 Res.