Board buddy register review
Summary
Board Report Number: SEPA 08/23 - February 2023
A review has been undertaken of the Board Buddy register to ensure the groups remain fit for purpose and applicable to SEPA’s priorities for 2023-24. This paper presents the output of the review and a refreshed list of the current, on-going and archived groups.
This report intends to mitigate any risks of key areas of SEPA’s strategic work being unsighted by the Board, by keeping the Board Buddy register up to date.
Will be considered, as appropriate, in respect of individual groups.
The report is for noting.
Agency Board and Corporate Leadership Team (CLT).
Jennifer McWhirter, Clerk to the Board;
Jenny Faichney, Unit Manager (CLT and Board Support)
- Active Board Buddy Project Groups.
- Board Buddy Group on hold or “on-going”.
- Archived Board Buddy Groups (for information).
Introduction
The Clerk to the Board advised the Board at the Strategy meeting in December 2022 that the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and Board Support team will be reviewing with the CLT the Board Buddy register to ensure the groups remain fit for purpose and applicable to SEPA’s priorities for 2023-24. This paper presents the output of the review of the register and a refreshed list of the current, on-going and archived groups.
Appendix 1 of this paper contains a list of Board Buddy Project Groups which are currently active. Appendix 2 lists the groups that are currently on hold or “on-going” on the register. Appendix 3 lists, for information, the groups that are archived on the register.
As part of the refresh of groups, new Board Buddy project groups were also considered. A proposed group has so far been noted on International Engagement to support the ‘take stock’ review of SEPA’s international activities, also superseding the group on International Services. A possible group on managing major emergencies was noted at the December Strategy Board meeting during discussion on the Floods in North East Scotland. Further information on these will follow when available.
Background to Board Buddies
In 2016 Board members took part in an externally facilitated board development discussion, taking stock of and agreeing how Board members can best add value to staff outwith normal board and committee discussions. One of the outputs of this was the concept of Board Buddying. In May 2020 the Board agreed that Board Buddy projects needed specific Terms of Reference (ToR) to include both the purpose and the duration of the projects.
Board Buddy project groups can be set up to provide advice to a project team to help with a particular task, including advice on target and milestone setting or experience and examples from other organisations and businesses to learn from best practice. The Board Buddies can also act as a sounding board for the SEPA project team on emerging ideas and concepts, and on how to tackle barriers or problems. The Board Buddies also act as a link to SEPA’s Board, providing advice on how best to engage the Board more widely.
The Board Buddy register is maintained by the CLT and Board Support team. The active register gets circulated with the papers for each Agency Board meeting and CLT and key contacts for the groups are asked in advance of circulation for their updates on engagement activities such as recent meetings held.
Recommendations
The Board is asked to note the list of active groups and on-going groups in Appendices 1 and 2 and inform the Clerk to the Board if there are any errors. The active register will continue to get circulated with the papers for each Agency Board meeting.
Appendix 1: Active Board Buddy Project Groups
Communications (Nov 2020 to Dec 2023)
CLT lead: Bridget Marshall
Board Buddies: Julie Hutchison, Craig Hume, Philip Matthews.
Remit: to provide support and advice on communications strategy and operational options, especially as SEPA develops a new stakeholder plan and deploys new communications channels.
An internal Communications session took place on 10 Nov 2022.
Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) (Sept 2019 to Aug 2023)
CLT lead: David Harley
Board Buddies: Fran van Dijk, Craig Hume (IS workstream), Vinay Mulgundmath
Remit: to provide strategic oversight, direction and advice to support the successful delivery of the DRS project.
Most recent meeting was held on 3 Nov 2022. 2023 meetings have been scheduled for February, April, June, and August prior to DRS going live on 16 August 2023.
Finfish Aquaculture (April 2021 to May 2023)
CLT lead: Ian Buchanan
Board Buddies: Philip Matthews, Julie Hutchison, Craig Hume, Bob Downes
Remit: to provide advice on practical strategies for achieving the vision and actions for finfish aquaculture plan.
Meeting to be set up for early 2023.
Flooding (FRM) (Aug 2017 to Dec 2023)
CLT lead: David Pirie
Board Buddies: Harpreet Kohli, Julie Hutchison, Philip Matthews
Remit: to support SEPA’s work in flood risk management, in particular the development and launch of SEPA’s Flood Strategy and Scotland’s Flood Risk Management Strategies.
Most recent meeting was held on 21 Sept 2022. A meeting is scheduled to take place on 10 February 2023.
Future of Work in SEPA (May 2021 to March 2023)
CLT lead: Jennifer Russell
Board Buddies: Martin Hill, Julie Hutchison, Nicky Chambers
Remit: to help to create a clear vision of the future nature of work in SEPA, and what this will mean for our people, workspaces and technology. The first phase will be helping the project team to develop the strategic framework that underpins the future nature of work.
Most recent meeting took place on 26 Jan 2023.
Performance measures (Sept 2022 to TBC)
CLT lead: Bridget Marshall
Board Buddies: Nicola Gordon, Harpreet Kohli, Craig Hume
Remit: to help the organisation embed the Stacey Barr Pump Performance approach as it develops the Annual Operating Plan and the Corporate Plan.
Most recent meeting took place on 21 Nov 2022.
Regenerative SEPA (May 2021 to March 2023 (for review)
CLT lead: Bridget Marshall
Board Buddies: Fran van Dijk, Philip Matthews, Nicky Chambers
Remit: to help the project team develop the strategic framework for successful delivery of a Regenerative SEPA.
Most recent meeting took place on 10 Oct 2022
Regulatory Matters - Direct Commissioning (from Sept 2022 (ongoing))
CLT lead: Lin Bunten
Board Buddies: Bob Downes, Julie Hutchison, Nicky Chambers
Remit: to provide Board support to SEPA in considering requests from the Scottish Government for SEPA to undertake direct commissioning of works to address environmental problems.
First meeting took place on 17 Oct 2022.
Regulatory Report (Feb 2023 to March 2023)
CLT Lead: Lin Bunten
Board Buddies: Julie Hutchison, Nicola Gordon. All Board members also have an opportunity to review the draft report with comments due by 13 February.
Remit: start/finish group requested by SEPA Chief Executive to provide support and challenge to the SEPA leads on the strategic content of the 2020-22 Regulatory Report.
SEPA's Role to meet NetZero Targets by 2045 (May 2022 to TBC)
CLT lead: Ian Buchanan
Board Buddies: Vinay Mulgundmath, Nicola Gordon, Nicky Chambers
Remit: ToR being drafted.
No meeting has been held yet.
Appendix 2: Board Buddy Group on hold or “on-going”
Board Succession and Diversity
CLT lead: Jennifer Russell
Started May 2017; reviewed in December 2021; to be reviewed again 2023 with new ToR to follow.
Board Buddies: Fran van Dijk, Craig Hume
Remit: to inform Board recruitment activity.
Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS)
CLT lead: Bridget Marshall
Started March 2022; reviewed in July 2022 and put “on hold” (Board Buddies will still be called upon, when necessary).
Board Buddies: Julie Hutchison; Harpreet Kohli
Remit: to ensure the Board remains sighted on SEPA’s work with ESS, ESS/SEPA relations will be reported through the CEO’s Board report, as required.
Estates Project
CLT lead: Jennifer Russell
Started Nov 2014 for office moves (Perth and Edinburgh 2015/2016). Was put on hold until the Estates Strategy work commences.
Board Buddies: TBC
Remit: details to follow when new work commences.
Appendix 3: Archived Board Buddy Groups (for information)
Air Quality (including AHERS Strategic Liaison Group) (moved to archive Jan 2023)
Annual Environment Incident Report (started Feb 2015; moved to archive Jan 2023)
Charging Scheme Consultation (ended Jan 2016)
Climate Change Commitment Statement (ended Feb 2018 following consideration of final draft statement)
Communications (ended March 2018 following development of Communications Strategy)
Communicating One Planet Prosperity
Compliance and Beyond Report (started Dec 2019; moved to archive Jan 2023)
Cyber Security (ended Dec 2019 following SEPA gaining Cyber Essential Plus status)
Digital Strategy & implementation plan (ended following Board sign-off of the Digital Strategy; archived May 2017)
EU Exit (ended March 2021)
Financial reporting (ended Nov 2020 following review of format of the financial report to the Board)
Flood Risk Management (superseded by Flooding (FRM) group)
Future Planning (also known as Workforce Planning and Estates Strategy)
Green Recovery (ended March 2021)
Health & Safety I (ended Oct 2018 following advice on Board reporting)
Health & Safety II (ended April 2022 following advice on strengthening of the leadership and management culture on Health and Safety across SEPA)
Health & Wellbeing
Information & Evidence Strategy (archived May 2017)
Internal Change (Process & Culture)
Internal Environmental Performance (ended Feb 2016 as target setting completed)
International Services (superseded by new proposed group on International Engagement)
NETREGS (moved to archive Jan 2023)
Penetration Testing (ended Dec 2016)
Pensions (Finance continue to provide pension update papers to Board - moved to archive Jan 2023)
People Strategy (ended Dec 2016 following approval of People Strategy)
People Survey (ended April 2018 following consideration by Board of plan of work)
Performance measures (superseded by new Performance measures group Sept 2022)
Performance reporting (ended Oct 2017 following agreement of the performance reporting framework)
Phase 2 Regulatory Practice
Procurement Strategy (ended July 2020 following delivery of the Procurement Operating Plan)
Regulatory Strategy (ended August 2015)
Regulatory Reform
Revenue (superseded by Commercial Services Group (which became International Services Group))
Risk Management (ended Oct 2017 following development of new approach to risk management)
Sector Plans: Chemicals Manufacturing; Commercial & Public Premises, Development and Use; Crop Production; Dairy production (processing and leather); Fin-fish Aquaculture; Forestry & Timber Production and Processing; Housing; Landfill; Metal Recycling & Re-processing; Mining & Quarrying; North Sea Oil & Gas De-Commissioning; Nuclear; Packaging Manufacturing, Reuse & Reprocessing; Transport & Utilities Infrastructure; Tyres; Water & Waste Treatment (public and private); Whisky Distilling (various end dates - archived Jan 2023)
SEPA becoming a One Planet (Net Zero) Organisation (ended March 2021)
Strategic Partnerships
Strategic Plans/Outcomes (Corporate Plan & Annual Operating Plan) (ended March 2017)
(The) Future of IT Design (ended March 2022)
Transformational Change (moved to archive Jan 2023)
Unconventional Oil and Gas
Waste and Resources (procurement)
Water Environment Fund (ended Sept 2020)
Workforce planning