Meetings
Commission strategy
This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.
Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.
Meeting: 06/11/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Strategic approach to budgets and savings
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 2
Minutes:
The Commission considered the approach
Officials will take to finding the savings required to bridge the funding gap
in the draft 2024-25 Budget, and information provided to begin considerations
of longer-term sustainable savings from 2025-26 onwards.
Commissioners
agreed that officials would bring proposals for meeting the 2024-25 budget gap
to the January Commission meeting; noting that these proposals would primarily
focus on variable cost management and the Project Fund.
They also agreed to progress proposals for longer-term sustainable savings as part of the 2025-26 budget development process next year, following the completion of the autumn / winter planning round.
Meeting: 06/11/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Medium Term Resourcing Framework
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 5
- Restricted enclosure 6
Minutes:
The
Commission approved the Medium-Term Resourcing Framework (MTRF) for the period
2024-25 to 2026-27, with adjustments made since their consideration of a draft
on 25 September.
Commissioners welcomed the inclusion of the workforce plan and noted that a piece of work was planned to be undertaken by the Commission’s Independent Advisers to examine the Commission’s staffing structure, including benchmarking with other parliaments, and that Ken Skates would be the lead Commissioner for the work.
Meeting: 25/09/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Medium Term Resourcing Framework
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 9
- Restricted enclosure 10
Minutes:
Commissioners
received the draft Medium-Term Resourcing Framework for the period 2024-25 to
2026-27, and considered the relationship between this approach to longer term
more detailed planning and the annual budget setting cycle.
Commissioners
discussed the approach to the medium-term and the framework as a tool to plan for and effectively manage and
respond to any gap between required and available resourcing in a strategic
manner. The framework would set out forecast budget requirements for 2025-26
and 2026-27, set on the basis of a ‘managed growth scenario’ within the
Medium-Term Financial Plan; propose a Commission Target Establishment each
financial year as part of the Workforce Plan, as the primary strategic tool for
aligning resourcing priorities with resource availability; and adopt a staff
development strategy through the Workforce Plan to ensure people resourcing is
aligned with priorities.
Commissioners
noted that the document was intended as an operational document to inform the
setting of the Commission’s annual budget and its internal priorities. They
reflected on the relationship to the current year cost saving exercise and
requested a further iteration of work be undertake to identify areas for
discussion by the Commission at their next meeting in relation to
prioritisation of service provision, cost saving and income generation.
Commissioners
discussed staff wellbeing and the tools available to support this. They
welcomed information about the new EAP provision that was about to commence for
Commission staff, Members and their staff. Thay also considered a number of
specific detail and requested a note
about telephony and arrangements for the disposal of ICT equipment.
Commissioners noted the executive summary of the Medium-Term Resourcing Framework (MTRF), on the basis of the further work to be undertaken.
Meeting: 10/07/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Draft Medium-Term Resourcing Framework
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 13
Minutes:
The Commission was updated on
work to develop a medium-term financial and workforce planning framework
(MTRF). This was based on agreed principles and planning assumptions, to help
manage the known, significant future resourcing pressures for the Commission.
They were also presented draft 2024-25 budget proposals, pending more detailed
work prior to the presentation of a final budget proposal at the Commission’s
meeting in September.
Commissioners
noted the background and drivers for a Medium-Term Resourcing Framework, giving
more prominence to the longer-term perspective, whilst acknowledging the annual
budget scrutiny process remains unchanged. They noted the financial planning
scenarios and the additional resourcing that would be required by each over the
period 2024-25 to 2026-27. The overall approach to the MTRF would be to enable
transparency on major programme costs by separating it from existing Commission
operational cost reporting and introducing an annual Workforce Planning Target
to include an Efficiency Factor set each year at such a level that a proportion
of the required growth in establishment each year will need to be absorbed by
the then extant establishment.
Commissioners
discussed a suggestion to involve Members more collegiately in the medium to
long term approach to budget setting and the Commission portfolio holder for
budget and governance offered to be involved in activity to support that.
Commissioners agreed Officials
would continue to develop the 2024-25 budget proposals, in liaison with the
Llywydd and Commissioners, prior to the presentation of a final draft budget
proposal to the Commission in September.
The
finalised draft budget would be laid in line with Standing Order requirements
in the Autumn.
Meeting: 26/09/2022 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Resources Management Strategy
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 16
Minutes:
Commissioners
received information recommending an approach to resource management following
the requested capacity review exercise which was concluded over the summer.
The
information set out medium-term resource challenges and cost pressures the
Commission must manage; and summarised resource management strategy options.
Commissioners reflected that capacity demands come externally, as well as being
planned internally, and cannot always be controlled, and discussed the
importance of not creating undue pressure on staff.
Commissioners
noted the following strategic planning assumptions:
· that the growth in resource requirements over the next three years may not be fully funded;
· that the Commission’s resource requirements over the coming 3-4 years (the period into the first year of the 7th Senedd, where the impact of the current Senedd Reform proposals will fully arise) must be proactively managed;
· that control of any proposed growth in the Commission’s staffing establishment should be the primary means by which to manage the resourcing pressures over this period, noting that there will otherwise be only limited scope to manage required capital costs, inflationary pressures and various fixed costs requirement growth; and
· that there may not be resourcing available for the potential additional Senedd Reform establishment costs beyond those already presented to Commission.
Commissioners agreed that Executive
Board should develop a three-year Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP), covering
the period 2024-25 – 2026-27, that applies both a ‘cap’ on the overall
Commission staffing establishment and a requirement to balance controllable
revenue growth with commensurate savings and efficiencies in the three years
covered by the MTFP in order to seek to deal with the resourcing challenges
ahead. Commissioners commented that Senedd Reform should not be at the expense
of Commission services provided. They agreed to see the draft plan in the spring.
Commissioners also highlighted the importance of engaging staff in order that they would feel confident that the process would work.
Meeting: 11/07/2022 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
Ways of Working: Developing a Resource Management Strategy
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 19
Minutes:
Commissioners received a
paper which set out an approach to Senedd Commission resource management for
the remainder of the Sixth Senedd, in the context of Senedd Reform. They
discussed the importance of taking a broad view, to understand the full
picture.
Commissioners noted that a
review of existing Commission capacity and resources, including the scope for
allocating existing resources to absorb the likely transitional capital costs
of any final Senedd Reform plans would be undertaken. They agreed to receive a
draft ‘Resource Management Strategy’ in the Autumn.
Commissioners
noted the provisional planning assumptions set out and agreed the in-principle
position that transitional capital costs of any final Senedd Reform plans would
need to be covered through requests for the necessary, justified, non-recurrent
funding via the annual budget process.
Commissioners also noted that a rigorous internal process undertaken at this stage, supporting evidence-based budgetary growth requests made in the Sixth Senedd would also assist the Seventh Senedd when it comes to determining its resource needs. Any uplifts in capacity and resources would be made in properly phased way in the coming years, from a robust baseline.
Meeting: 11/07/2022 - Senedd Commission (Item 6)
Commission Strategy (updated)
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 22
Minutes:
Commissioners noted the update to the priorities for the 6th Senedd which had been made following discussion at the last meeting, with wording relating to the Commission as a bilingual organisation.
Meeting: 09/05/2022 - Senedd Commission (Item 9)
Corporate Delivery Plan
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 25
- Restricted enclosure 26
Minutes:
Commissioners noted the Commission’s 2022-23 Corporate Delivery Plan.
Meeting: 31/01/2022 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Delivering the Commission Strategy
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 29
Minutes:
Commissioners noted a paper informing them of the governance framework within which the Chief Executive, supported by the Executive Board, would detail plans with clear outcomes and performance measures to provide evidence of progress and enable mapping of performance against the Commission strategic goals.
Meeting: 08/11/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Commission Strategic Direction
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 32
Minutes:
Following consideration in July and September of lessons learned, key drivers for change and the agile approach to future service delivery, Commissioners agreed the Commission’s strategy which will provide high level direction to its work over the next five years.
Meeting: 12/07/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Commission Strategic Direction
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 35
- Restricted enclosure 36
Minutes:
Commissioners
considered reflections made by their predecessors about what had been learned
through the most significant pieces/key aspects of work of the Commission in
the Fifth Senedd, and drivers for change that would influence the direction for
the strategy for the Sixth Senedd.
Commissioners discussed the need to be able to innovate, and their wider responsibilities to Wales. They indicated investing in research and good practice in the use of official languages during the pandemic and making progress on procurement practices as matters to consider alongside future ways of working, and agreed to discuss further in the autumn.
Meeting: 15/03/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Commission Strategic Direction
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 39
Minutes:
Commissioners
reflected on lessons learned through the most significant pieces/key aspects of
work of the Commission during the fifth Senedd, alongside drivers for change
for the foreseeable future to provide a direction for the strategy for the
Sixth Senedd.
They discussed aspects relating to each of their portfolio areas and provided feedback to inform the summary of reflections and drivers for change to be presented to the next Commission. They identified benefits to broadening understanding of the Commission’s role and responsibilities, and asked for focus to be given to helping citizens understand the roles of MS.
Meeting: 08/02/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Commission strategic direction
Minutes:
Commissioners
noted that they will consider at the next meeting reflections on the 5th
Senedd to support the development of the strategy for the Commission over the
period of the next few years. To inform this paper, Commissioners agreed to
meet with officials individually to capture their reflections on what has been
learned through the most significant pieces/key aspects of work of the
Commission during the period of the fifth Senedd, and to identify matters that
might shape the direction of travel alongside drivers for change for the
foreseeable future.
Meeting: 05/11/2018 - Senedd Commission (Item 9)
Assembly on a page
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 44
- Restricted enclosure 45
Minutes:
Commissioners noted a short document that had been produced to summarise the updated purpose, vision, goals, priorities and values of the Assembly Commission.
Meeting: 19/03/2018 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Commission Strategy away day
Minutes:
As part of the Commission’s revised planning cycle, Commissioners agreed it would be useful to continue the approach taken last year by holding a strategy setting workshop away-day.
Meeting: 11/07/2016 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Commission Strategy update
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 50
Minutes:
Commissioners
considered an amended version of the paper they had considered at the 30 June
meeting when a new strategy for the Commission was agreed. The revisions and
additions that Commissioners wanted to see were most particularly in relation to
the outcome of the EU Referendum and security. There was also a minor change to
the wording of the statement of purpose.
Commissioners
confirmed that the changes reflected what they had asked for and agreed the
revised paper.
Commissioners
agreed that a branded Strategy and Priorities document that reflects the
Commission’s decisions should now be produced and published.
Meeting: 30/06/2016 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Commission strategy 2016-2021
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 53
- Restricted enclosure 54
Minutes:
In thinking about the Commission strategy, Commissioners
considered the nature of the Commission as a permanent body, the legacy from
the previous Commission and themes to prioritise over the next five years given
current and anticipated challenges and opportunities.
The Assembly will experience significant change and challenge over the next five years and the Commission’s strategy will direct the services which the Commission provides to Members and the people of Wales over that period. The services will need to continue to evolve and be agile in responding to those challenges.
The strategic goals will inform financial planning for the term of the Assembly and provide direction for the Commission’s Management Board, service planning, and individual performance objectives to ensure that staff deliver the outstanding support the Commission, and Assembly Members, will expect.
Commissioners considered key areas on
which the Commission should focus its priorities. In particular Commissioners
discussed: implications of the referendum outcome; constitutional change; the
continuing pressures of a 60-Member Assembly; the rapidly changing digital
social world and the way people’s increasingly sophisticated digital experiences
are shaping their expectations of engagement and the Assembly’s services
;security issues; and how to build on momentum that has been achieved.
Commissioners agreed the Commission strategy
2016-21, subject to a number of additions, most particularly the implications
of the outcome of the EU Referendum and heightened security issues.
The Commission also concluded that the strategy and priorities will need to be reviewed periodically by the Commission to ensure that its priorities adapt to the changing context and Assembly needs.
Meeting: 12/05/2016 - Management Board (Item 6)
Commission strategy 2016-2021
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 57
- Restricted enclosure 58
Minutes:
A further draft of the strategy was reviewed to assure the Board that
it reflected discussions, linked with the budget and captured the right level
of ambition whilst maintaining continuity. The Board discussed some minor
amendments but otherwise agreed it was good.
The strategy would be presented to the Commission at their meeting on
30 June.
It was agreed that draft Commission papers would not be published
internally and Dave Tosh would clarify the Management Board Terms of Reference.
Meeting: 07/03/2016 - Management Board (Item 4)
Commission strategy and corporate values
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 61
- Restricted enclosure 62
- Restricted enclosure 63
Minutes:
Anna
Daniel presented a paper that had been prepared as a framework to assist
Management Board in their consideration of what would be presented to the new
Commission in relation to its strategic goals and priorities for the next five
years. Additionally, the Board were asked to reflect on the organisation’s
values and how they might be refreshed.
Management
Board discussed the framework and recommendations and agreed to:
·
integrate the budget strategy into the Commission strategy;
·
emphasise the continuation of the goals over past Assemblies, and
strengthen the evidence about the success the goals have delivered;
·
incorporate the themes from the annex into the horizon scanning section
and set out the proposed priority areas under the strategic goals for
consideration by the Commission;
·
give more prominence to the Equalities, Bilingual and Sustainability
responsibilities;
·
revisit the corporate values once the Commission has agreed its
strategic goals and priorities.
Actions: Anna Daniel to meet with Claire Clancy to discuss the next iteration
of the strategy paper.
Meeting: 06/03/2014 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Commission Strategy meeting - 3 April
paper 4
Minutes:
A private strategy meeting
would be held on 3 April at which Commissioners would discuss their priorities for
the remainder of this Assembly, preparations for transition to the Fifth
Assembly and significant constitutional issues on the horizon.
Meeting: 14/07/2011 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
2 Revised draft Commission strategy
Supporting documents:
- AC(4)2011(3) Paper 2 - Revised Draft Commission Strategy 2011-16, item 2 PDF 75 KB View as HTML (2/1) 12 KB
Minutes:
The draft strategy for 2011-16
had been updated to reflect comments from Commissioners about their priorities
and ambitions for the organisation.
The revised draft statement of purpose and strategic goals were agreed, subject to further minor amendments requested by Commissioners to simplify the wording of the strategy.
Meeting: 29/06/2011 - Senedd Commission (Item 3)
3 Draft Commission strategy 2011-16
Supporting documents:
- AC(4)2011(2) Paper 3 - Draft Commission Strategy 2011-16, item 3 PDF 159 KB View as HTML (3/1) 33 KB
Minutes:
Claire Clancy introduced the
paper which provided a draft, high level strategy for the next five years. It was noted that the new Commission Strategy
would be underpinned by service plans for each of the Assembly’s service
areas. These would provide objectives
against which performance would be measured.
The three strategic goals were agreed by the Assembly Commission though
further work was requested on the wording of the third goal in order to make it
more positive. Commissioners also suggested
a fourth strategic goal in relation to the Assembly as an “ambassador” for
Wales.
The draft Strategy detailed how
the goals would be delivered by Commission staff. The aim had been to set out the Commission’s
expectations and provide clarity to aid delivery of the strategic goals. A number of suggestions were offered by
Commissioners about this approach. It
was agreed that a revised version of the draft strategy would be prepared for
the Commission’s next meeting on 14 July.
Action:
Claire Clancy to provide revised draft version of
the Assembly Commission Strategy.