RHI-30 Response Accepted

Budget Holder Financial Training

Recommendation

Civil servants who are responsible for holding and monitoring a budget should have to demonstrate core requirements in financial literacy and an understanding of how public spending operates, including what is expected of them according to the core guidance contained in 'Managing Public Money Northern Ireland'. The Inquiry recommends that the financial training requirements for budget holders be reviewed and updated.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
- In October 2021, the NI Executive accepted this recommendation in full (NI Executive Response to RHI Inquiry, Department of Finance, October 2021).
- The NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024) assessed this recommendation as Implemented, stating that budget holder financial training requirements had been addressed (NIAO Second Progress Report, October 2024).
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by Claude (Anthropic) on 10 Apr 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
Jurisdiction
Northern Ireland
Response
Accepted
Accepted Department of Finance
07 Oct 2021

[Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through the delivery of an online package of Public Expenditure training for both budget holders and general-service grades. Finance training programs established; specialist expertise development ongoing.

Read Full Response
Progress Timeline
Official Report
15 Oct 2024

NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024): Implemented. Budget holder financial training requirements addressed.

Source
Report The Report of the Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme 13 Mar 2020
Responsible Bodies
Department of Finance Primary
Recommendation age 6.2 yrs
Last formal update 593 days ago