Departmental capacity for grant design
Initial lack of departmental capacity and insufficient local engagement in the design and delivery of grant schemes.
18 items
1 source
2 inquiries
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Inquiry recommendation
53match
RHI-19 - Business Case Approval Redesign
The processes within a Department for approving new expenditure and business cases including, where it forms part of that process, the role of Casework Committees, should be thoroughly re-designed to be more rigorous, testing and independent. Such processes should be less bureaucratic and pay greater attention to examining the unique features of the project proposed.
Matched on
terms: design
Inquiry recommendation
48match
RHI-29 - Departmental Finance Functions
The finance function within a Department should exert the necessary authority and capability to fulfil the requirements of 'Managing Public Money Northern Ireland', namely to retain a firm grasp of the organisation's financial position and performance. The Inquiry recommends that the Department of Finance take action to review and, if necessary, strengthen the leadership of and support for...
Matched on
terms: departmental
Inquiry recommendation
48match
RHI-11 - Project Management Disciplines
Best practice project and risk management disciplines should be the default practice within the Northern Ireland Civil Service when developing novel and complex policies and managing their implementation. These disciplines can be widely applied and should not be confined only to major or capital projects. They can be tailored to the specific circumstances of an initiative and are...
Matched on
terms: design
Inquiry recommendation
36match
RHI-1 - Policy Skills Assessment
A new policy at its earliest stage should be subject to a rigorous process to determine whether the Northern Ireland devolved administration has (or is prepared to assign) the necessary skills and resources to deliver the policy safely and competently. The scope for economies of scale through working in partnership with another administration (for example a Westminster Department,...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
36match
RHI-13 - External Expertise on Project Boards
Project boards are an essential element of project management oversight and must include individuals who can challenge and who are not directly responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the project. Such boards, in appropriate circumstances, can benefit greatly from the inclusion of individuals external to the Northern Ireland Civil Service, preferably with experience/expertise in the project subject matter.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-30 - Budget Holder Financial Training
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...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-21 - Sceptical Business Case Scrutiny
The Department of Finance's distinctive role in scrutinising business cases should be searching and sceptical, guarding against over-reliance on the assurances offered by the applicant Department.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-16 - Third Party Governance
Where other government bodies, such as Ofgem, or contractors or other third parties are involved in the implementation of a project, the 'home' Department must retain overall control and overall project management. The governance arrangement between the Northern Ireland Department and the third party must be owned and led at a senior level in the Department.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-14 - Risk Tracking and Reporting
The risks involved in implementation of an initiative must be tracked, re-considered regularly and used to manage, improve and adjust the project in real time. How the risks are being acted upon should be reported to the Project Board and to the relevant Minister.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-10 - External Consultants Guidance
The Northern Ireland Civil Service should consider what changes are needed to its guidance and practices on the use of external consultants arising from the experience of RHI. Specific recommendations include: (a) that better assessments are needed at the outset of a given policy or project pre-procurement, as to what type of specialist support is to be sought...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
32match
RHI-3 - Policy Skills Training
As far as practicable, Northern Ireland Civil Service teams working on policies, particularly new and untested initiatives, should be trained and supported so that they have the skills to do the job, not least the ability to model the policy, the skills to test it in advance under different conditions and scenarios, and the self-awareness to seek and...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
31match
RHI-15 - Programme Boards for Sector Coordination
Co-ordination of groups of projects aiming to achieve change in a particular sector – e.g. renewable energy projects – would be stronger through use of high level Programme Boards. Such boards should meet regularly and receive reports of relevant experience as to how the projects are working 'on the ground'. Had such a board existed, taken such reports...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
31match
RHI-12 - Invest NI and SIB Collaboration
The leaders of the Northern Ireland Civil Service should work with Invest Northern Ireland and the Strategic Investment Board to consider how both organisations can better contribute their expertise to the work of mainstream Departments, particularly in relation to good practice on implementation of programmes and project management. This could for example include providing advice at the early...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
31match
RHI-2 - Novel Policy Scrutiny
Novel, potentially volatile and untested initiatives should in future be scrutinised thoroughly, well ahead of ministerial and business case approval. The Inquiry commends processes such as a 'starting point Gateway assessment' and, at a suitable point, a 'feasibility signoff' completed by the Department's Accounting Officer. With regard to particular policies driven by unpredictable demand, consideration should always be...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
27match
RHI-23 - Ministerial Notification of Approval Conditions
Ministers should always be advised of any conditions attached to the approval of a policy or project by the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance should also require, and be kept informed of, regular reviews to ensure compliance with such conditions by the spending Department.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
27match
RHI-22 - Proactive DoF Monitoring
Particularly where a policy initiative is demand-led, novel, complex and/or likely to be lengthy, consideration should be given to increasing Department of Finance involvement from an early stage and on an ongoing basis, including a more proactive role in monitoring the financial progress of the relevant initiative, rather than merely reactively dealing with periodic requests for additional expenditure...
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
23match
SP33 - CT Policing online activity analysis capability
Counter Terrorism Policing’s capability to access and analyse data relating to a referred person’s online activity should be reviewed in the context of Prevent referrals, to determine whether staff have the technical tools required to undertake this assessment. The Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should ensure this review is conducted.
Matched on
classifier match
Inquiry recommendation
23match
RHI-20 - Flexible Expenditure Rules
Public expenditure rules should be sufficiently flexible so that false economies can be avoided. In order to deliver a policy objective, Departments should not be required to choose a more expensive option in overall terms because they cannot use the available funding in a flexible cost-effective way. The Department of Finance should engage with HMT to determine how...
Matched on
classifier match