Agenda and minutes

No apologies had been received.

The Assembly’s Official Languages Scheme had received the Assembly’s approval on 17 July 2013. Commissioners thanked Rhodri Glyn Thomas and Non Gwilym for the significant efforts they had made to achieve such a positive outcome for this important area of Assembly activity.

There were no declarations of interest.

paper 1a & b

The minutes were agreed.

paper 2 & annexes

The Commission’s budget for 2014-15 will be laid for consideration by the Assembly no later than 1 October. At the 16 May meeting Commissioners had agreed that the budget should be based on the £50.598m sum as set out in the previous two years’ approved budget documents which were scrutinised by the Assembly’s Finance Committee in October 2011 and 2012.

2014-15 will be the final year of the Commission’s three-year investment plan for the budget. Commissioners were pleased with progress on the budget document and happy with the presentation. They made some suggestions about the detailed budget information in Annex 1. Mair Barnes asked for greater clarity about the level of ICT costs in 2014-15 and beyond.

A briefing note had been prepared to inform Commissioners’ discussions with party groups. Angela Burns and Nicola Callow would be available to discuss the budget with groups and individual Members.

The budget will be finalised at the next Commission meeting in September prior to being laid. Commissioners agreed not to publish the papers.

Action: Officials to finalise the budget to reflect Commissioners’ views in line with discussions for consideration at the Commission’s meeting in September.

paper 3 & annex

During the scrutiny of the Commission’s budget in October 2012 the Finance Committee recommended that the Commission should publish annual performance indicators. The Commission had written to the Finance Committee informing them of the proposed indicators and explaining this iterative process will develop over time.

The first of these reports, representing performance from April – June 2013, provided an overview of performance in a number of areas. Included in the report were a number of quantifiable targets or, where there was no obvious target, comparators had been used. Red, Amber, Green statuses had been used to convey performance achievement.

Commissioners proposed changes in some areas and agreed that the document should be simplified before it was published so that readers could easily get a picture of overall performance and any areas of concern. 

The report would be amended in line with Commissioners’ comments, sent to the Finance Committee, and published on the Assembly’s website. It was therefore agreed that the meeting paper would not be published.

paper 4 & annexes

The second Assembly Member and support staff survey had been completed in June 2013 and a subsequent report identifying areas for improvement or action had been developed by staff.

Commissioners agreed that the survey had provided a useful mechanism for gathering feedback from Members and staff and that this played an important part in assessing performance. It was agreed that the survey would be amended in future years, with separate questions for Members and for their staff recognising the different ways in which they use Commission services. Commissioners welcomed the action plan and asked to receive a high level summary of the survey results in future rather than the full report of all the data.

Commissioners agreed that the paper should not be published.

paper 5 & annex

The ICT report had been presented as a ‘dashboard’ which aimed to give an overview of progress and performance in a number of key areas of importance to the delivery of ICT services.

Areas of particular interest included:

·         ICT Strategy

·         Planning for future ICT Services

·         ICT Service performance

It was agreed that future reports would be provided in the same format. Commissioners agreed that the paper would not be published.

paper 6a & b

Commissioners noted the minutes of both Audit Committee meetings.

paper 7 & annexes

The Assembly Commission Audit Committee Annual Report 2012-13 was being presented to the Commission for noting, in accordance with the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

The report recorded the fact that overall assurance levels with the Commission were strong but that there are still areas for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the exercise and management of controls. Particular attention would be paid to these areas in 2013-14.

Of particular interest to Commissioners were business continuity and contract management but it was noted that assurance levels were high.

Commissioners noted the Annual Report and that the Auditor General for Wales had signed the Commission’s Accounts that week. 

Secretariat

July 2013