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19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 4WE
By email
24th February 2023
Dear Chair,
Thank you for your letter dated 20th February. You have requested a list of the Partnership Agreements for Arms Length Organisations which are coming up for renewal in 2023, these are:
• Digital Jersey
• Jersey Business
• Jersey Sport
• Visit Jersey
• Jersey Consumer Council
• Jersey National Park
• Jersey Arts Centre
• ArtHouse Jersey
Additionally, the Art House Jersey business plan and the business case and terms of reference for the barriers to business work have been provided in confidence alongside this letter in appendix A and B.
Your letter also raises a number of questions and I have set out answers to each of these in-turn below.
How sports policy will inform the Island Public Estate Strategy
The Island Public Estate Strategy is presented by the Minister for Infrastructure to provide an inventory and assessment of the Government's existing assets but does not set out the future requirements for facilities. The Island Public Estate Strategy is therefore informed by the current estate rather than any future requirements. For more information on how sport features in planning for maintenance and future facility requirements, I would direct you to the Minister for Infrastructure.
How objective industry input, including from individuals, has been and will be sought during the formation of strategies under your remit?
The key stakeholders and how they are engaged varies depending on the needs of the strategy in question. The Export Strategy for example ran a public consultation from May to September 2022
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via gov.je as well as a specific business survey which was circulated via Arms-Length and industry representative channels. This combined with stakeholder meetings meant around 100 responses were received and contributed to shaping the strategy.
The continued development from Outline Economic Strategy to the Future Economy Programme will include similar workshops to engage with key stakeholders, including industry members, which will take place in the coming months.
What is the membership of the Supply Chain Cell?
The membership of the Economy supply chain security and resilience group is as follows:
• Group Director, Economy (Chair),
• Chief Economic Advisor
• Sector Lead Hospitality and Retail
• Sector Lead Maritime and Aviation
• Sector Lead Agriculture and Fish
• Head of communications for the Department for the Economy
Was a tender process undertaken with respect to the barriers to business work, and was a provider separate to Jersey Business considered?
A tender process has not been undertaken for this piece of work given that it falls within the scope of the partnership agreement with Jersey Business. Given its role as the ALO responsible for business support and engagement, Jersey Business is ideally placed to undertake this work, engaging with stakeholders across Jersey's business community.
What Key Performance Indicators are currently included in Strategic Partnership Agreements?
Key performance indicators relate to annual business plans rather than Partnership Agreements. This is because KPIs relate to specific programmes and workstreams and are tailored to individual ALOs. Partnership Agreements do not include KPIs but rather provide a framework for key responsibilities and governance arrangements for ALOs.
It was mentioned that consistency of Strategic Partnership Agreements is being pursued: are these currently inconsistent and does this indicate inconsistent delivery from strategic partners?
The Government established in August 2021 an Arm's Length Bodies Oversight Board (ALBOB) comprising senior officers from across Government. This Board is overseeing a number of workstreams seeking to ensure a common approach is taken to maintaining strategic alignment and good governance across all major Arm's Length organisations and States Owned Entities. Partnership Agreements are bespoke to each organisation they are made with but any renewals to Partnership Agreements should be made in accordance with best practice to maintain the highest standards in governance arrangements.
Could you provide detail of any tender process regarding the Strategic Partnership Agreements?
No tender processes are anticipated regarding the Partnership Agreements due for renewal in 2023. As you would expect each of these ALOs have a number of existing work streams and services aligned with Government priorities alongside well-established governance arrangements and working relationships. The purpose of renewing the Partnership Agreements is to ensure continued strategic alignment and good governance in ALOs to ensure they remain well placed to deliver on Government priorities.
Who or what is the Luxury Hotel Group discussed in the hearing and by what process was this organisation selected to work with the Government of Jersey?
Luxury Jersey Hotels is a consortium of Jersey hotels, comprising many of the 4 and 5 star properties on the island. A number of its members are not represented by other industry organisations. The organisation has a representative who attends the strategy Steering group which is composed as follows:
o Visit Jersey
o Jersey Hospitality Association
o Luxury Jersey Hotels
o Chamber of Commerce
o Jersey Business
Sub-groups of industry representatives or working groups may also be convened to address certain topics, as the need arises, which may include other government officers, business leaders and industry stakeholders on an ad-hoc basis.
What is the proposed process of allocation of funding through the Technology Accelerator Fund, what is the membership of the allocation decision board and how are any independent members recruited?
As noted in the public hearing, the allocation of funding and governance arrangements, including the oversight board, will be set out in the forthcoming Strategic Programme Plan (SPP). This document is currently being prepared by Digital Jersey as delivery partner and will be considered by Ministers in due course.
Could you provide extracts of the Community Risk Register regarding supply chain? These extracts are provided confidentially in appendix C.
It was indicated that the Economy Group Director will be carrying out the Arms-Length Organisation (ALO) and Value for Money review. Please advise how grants to ALOs will be assessed pending his review and if his review will extend to consideration of ALO capability compared to that in the private sector or elsewhere in the public sector or potential in-house capability, subject to recruitment?
The Departmental Delivery Plan commits to a review of the accountability and funding structure for Arms' Length Organisations. The scope of this particular piece of work has not yet been determined but it should be noted that the relevant officers within the Department undertake detailed grant appraisals twice per year which provides an opportunity to evaluate the performance of each ALO against their respective business plan and KPIs and their alignment with Ministerial priorities.
All 2023 grants to Arms Length Organisations have been determined as part of the Department's budgeting for the year and so will not be contingent on the outcomes of this review.
Grants for future years will be managed by a member of staff within the Department for the Economy, to be recruited during 2023, whose wider role will also include ensuring ALOs are sufficiently resourced and meeting best practice in their governance and reporting.
I hope the above provides clarity to the questions you have posed. Yours sincerely,
Deputy Kirsten Morel
Deputy Chief Minister
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture E k.morel2@gov.je