WNC REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS

WNC LIGHT TOUCH REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS - December 2007

AREA	RECOMMENDATIONS		TIMESCALES	ACTION
4. FUNDING AND INCOME	A	*WNC (Chair/Director) to* *undertake a proactive* *review* of the *expenditure and* *allocation of the budget once work programmes have been agreed with Ministers and Commissioners*	Initial examination of expenditure takes place during January. Full costings on proposals, takes place in March/April.	Director & Chair to examine likely costs, in advance of drafting Work Programme. Following agreement of Work Programme with Commissioners and Ministers, to fully cost the proposals.
		*Income and expenditure to be accounted for in the WNC's Annual Report*	Work on the Annual Report begins at end of March, to be completed by end of June, with financial summary included.	Full financial summary report to be included in Annual Report.
7. KEY FINDINGS	B	7.1 Past performance *As a priority the WNC (Director)* should produce a draft memorandum of understanding in consultation with the WNC Chair and Commissioners and to be signed off by the Director General for the Equalities Directorate and Ministers. Key issues to be included: *Format and content of annual business plans and annual report,* *Procedures for signing off business plans e.g. Commissioners and Ministers.* *Reporting mechanism to Ministers and WEU* *Formalising regular reporting meetings to Ministers* *Corporate governance procedures* *Delivery partner protocols set up* *Budget procedures*	Draft MoU to begin in December, with support from GEO. Wider discussion on draft at February Board meeting. Final draft to be completed and presented to DG- GEO and Ministers in mid-March 08 for start of new operational year.	MoU to be drafted incorporating all points contained in recommendation. To be cleared by Board of Commissioners.
		*i. WNC to ensure clear protocols and agreements are set up with Delivery Partners at the outset. WNC Chair to be kept informed where new delivery partnerships arise and keep these under review.*	Draft stencil and evaluation cycle produced, with revised draft produced by end of January 07 for inclusion in MoU in time for February Board meeting.	A draft stencil containing all necessary information to be produced. A cycle of evaluation to be drawn up for all future contracts with delivery Partners. GEO sponsor colleagues to be involved and support as necessary. To be included in new MoU. To be cleared by Commissioners.
		*ii. WNC to establish clear remits and protocols when working with interest groups and Commissioners to be advised.*	Draft stencil and evaluation cycle produced with revised draft produced by end of January 07 for inclusion in MoU in time for February Board meeting.	A draft stencil containing all necessary information to be produced. A cycle of evaluation to be drawn up for all future contracts with delivery Partners. GEO sponsor colleagues to be involved and support as necessary. To be included in new MoU. To be cleared by Commissioners.
	C	7.5 Stakeholders' views *i. That by October 2009 the WNC would have established a working relationship with the CEHR and have presented a paper to the WNC Commissioners and Ministers as to* *how the WNC* *was operating.*	Discussions with EHRC colleagues begin in December 07. Letter sent to Trevor Philips. MoU drafted and agreed with EHRC early spring 08. Paper for Board in early summer 08.	Discussions with EHRC taken place, agreement reached on working arrangements and MoU drafted and agreed with EHRC. Paper presented to Board meeting and updates provided at Board meetings as necessary.
8. IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND GOVERNANCE	D	*i. The WNC* *Board* *by operating as non executive directors can enhance the efficiency of the organisation and provide much appreciated support to staff.*	Brief paper providing information, on operating as Non-Executive Directors, produced for December Board meeting.	Directorate to produce guidance for Commissioners on operating as non-executive directors.
		*ii. The WNC board to review the way it receives reports and information from the WNC secretariat to monitor performance and ensure it meets their needs.*	Chair to hold brief discussion at December Board meeting.	Chair to seek advice from Commissioners as to the best method of receipt of information from the Directorate. New practice adopted by Directorate and Board.
	E	*i. WNC commissioners recognise the need to be mindful at all times that it is an NDPB and as such WNC Commissioners must ensure that it operates accordingly.*	Brief paper providing information, on operating as a NDPB, produced for December Board meeting.	Directorate to provide advice on the definition and role of an advisory NDPB, with some examples of action it can/should take and what it should not.
		*ii. WNC Commissioners recognise the need to ensure that proper governance procedures are in place.*	Draft new Governance Document incorporating several previous WNC papers, provided for December Board meeting. Revisions following Board meeting made, and revised paper produced for February Board meeting.	New Governance document completed and agreed by Commissioners.
		*iii. WNC has an established business planning process. Commissioners to be fully engaged with this as outlined at 8.2. and work with the sponsoring department and Ministers to approve these.*	Business Plan produced following initial discussions between GEO, Chair and Director, for discussion at Feb 08 Board meeting. Revised version produced following discussion and final Plan sent to GEO and Minister for clearance.	Directorate to work on Business Plan for 08 and discussed and cleared by the Board.
		*iv. The WNC board has established a quarterly meeting pattern this could be built on good practice and exchanges of information increased.*	Discussion and advice sought from GEO colleagues. Discussion to take place at Board meeting in December 07.	Views on changes to current activity sought from GEO and Board. Any changes considered and appropriate ones acted on by WNC Director.
9. REMUNERATION	F	9.3 Comparison of other Advisory NDPBs *Commissioners should be* *paid a* remuneration fee of £163 per day based on their daily time input.	Chair and Director to discuss draft criteria with GEO and final criteria in place by end of February 08. If finances are agreed, remuneration to begin being paid at start of new contracts in mid 2008.	GEO still to confirm that suitable funding is available to meet this recommendation. Clear, unambiguous criteria drawn up by Directorate and GEO, on the process for agreeing what constitutes a day of work.
		*The Chair's* *remuneration* *should be increased to £13,000.*	If finances are agreed, revised remuneration to be included in advertisement for WNC Chair and begin being paid at start of new contract, in mid 2008.	GEO still to confirm that suitable funding is available to meet this recommendation.
		*The sponsoring department adjust the core baseline budget to increase by £22,560 to cover the* remuneration fees of the commissioners (or accordingly, if time input is assessed to be *greater than 12 days per annum) and the increase in the chairs fee.*	Confirmation obtained from GEO before December Board meeting if possible? Budget for 08/09 confirmed before end January to feed into Work Programme.	GEO still to confirm that suitable funding is available to meet this recommendation. Confirmation to be provided in writing from GEO to WNC and budget for 2008/09 to be agreed.
		*The rate of remuneration and expected time input of commissioners to be clearly stated within their terms and conditions.*	To be included in the Commissioners' section of the new Governance paper to be in place by the end March 08.	Commissioners terms and conditions to be amended to include remuneration once i., ii., iii., are confirmed. Clear criteria produced by Directorate and GEO, on the process for agreeing what constitutes a day of work.
10. STAFFING AND ORGANISATION	G	*The WNC should consider that when it undertakes work from* *other Government Departments* *it should* *include an over head cost for an additional staff resource to manage projects e.g. the Iraqi internship programme.*	Drafts of criteria produced and revised during January 08, in time for inclusion in the GEO MoU for the the February Board meeting. Further revisions made as part of MoU.	Directorate, with the support of GEO sponsor colleagues, draft a set of criteria which includes a standard set of expenses and issues to negotiate and agree with OGDs.
		*Once Ministers have considered the review findings the recruitment process for a new director should commence taking account of the above.* *The Director's posting should be for a period of two or three years.*	GEO to take forward. WNC has formally requested that the restrictions on the future post holder should be. `no more than five years'.	Directorate to support GEO colleagues with recruitment of Director, providing help with job specification, skills needed etc. Question mark over length of posting. To continue to hold for a longer period of time for the post-holder. Two years is far too short to be effective.
11. OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION CHANNELS	H	*The WNC should return to its core remit of engaging with women*'s organisations, particularly those without a national profile, and bringing their voice to government. They should look for low cost and effective means of doing so for feasibility.	Outreach Strategy to be discussed at December Board meeting. Revisions to Strategy to be made in light of discussions, including seeking innovative and inexpensive opportunities for engaging with existing and new partners. Revised Strategy put to February 08 Board meeting.	Commissioners to consider further ways of engaging with women's organisations and to consider effective ways of doing this on a small budget.
		*Chair and Commissioners to look at re-allocation of the budget to maximise communications and stakeholder management.*	Board to consider allocation of resources as part of discussion on Outreach Strategy at December Board meeting. Chair and Director to seek out extra resources within WNC budget to aid maximisation of activity, during January. Revised Communications-Outreach Strategy prepared for February Board meeting.	Directorate to provide financial and staffing on communications/outreach activity update for Commissioners to consider how to maximise impact.
		*The Director of the WNC to play a key role in strengthening stakeholder communications and engagement.*	Director to oversee latest revisions to the new Outreach Strategy which is to be discussed at the December Board meeting. Director to ensure that modernisation of the Website is prioritised as a lead issue. Given the work needed, the Board may wish this to take place in two stages. Director to ensure revisions are made in light of Board and other discussions. Revised Strategy put to February 08 Board meeting.	Director to ensure that activity on WNC's Outreach and Communications work is increased and is more strategic. Work to include: revamping WNC's newsletter and fixing a timetable of four editions per year; Creating a new, modern and more appropriate website as the core interface with the public; Stronger analysis of the partners database and identification of areas of under-representation to target; Confirmation of at least one outreach event in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; At least three (possibly subject-specific) networking events in Parliament to maintain the gender equality profile amongst Parliamentarians; Specific (possible subject-specific) events in the English regions; and a full partner's conference every two years.

WNC/07/5/11