Executive Board
The Executive Board, led by the Ombudsman, Dame Julie Mellor, DBE, is the senior team responsible for delivering the work of the Ombudsman.
Executive Board Terms of Reference
Role of the Executive Board
The role of the Board is to take responsibility for the delivery of PHSO’s strategic vision, policies and services to the public and other stakeholders. It also provides a forum for the discussion of the development and co-ordination of major work programmes and provides leadership to all staff working for PHSO.
The Board takes specific responsibility for:
- Developing and agreeing the four year Strategic Plan and the annual Corporate Business Plan;
- Ensuring co-ordination of, and agreeing to, the annual divisional business plans;
- Establishing a clear framework for accountability in delivering plans;
- Ensuring that risks are actively identified and addressed;
- Agreeing high level budget allocations;
- Agreeing an appropriate performance monitoring framework;
- Monthly performance monitoring of PHSO’s business;
- Agreeing corporate policies (e.g. employment policies, casework policies);
- Providing staff with a clear and compelling sense of purpose and direction;
- Effective communication of its decisions.
Membership of the Executive Board
The Board comprises the Ombudsman, who acts as chair, the Deputy Ombudsman, the Deputy Chief Executive, and the Director of Communications.
Accountability
The Ombudsman is solely accountable to Parliament for the decisions and operation of her Office. The Deputy Ombudsman, Deputy Chief Executive, and Director of Communications are individually accountable to the Ombudsman for actions within their areas of responsibility.
Meetings of the Executive Board
These shall be held twice a month on a planned cycle of dates set in advance. Normally meetings will be held on Tuesdays with the exception of public holidays or other planned arrangements.
Papers for the Executive Board
Minutes of the first meeting of each month will be produced and actions recorded in a rolling action plan. These will be made available to staff when approved via the intranet along with any Executive Board papers within five working days of the meeting. Minutes will also be published as part of the Publication Scheme. Confidential items will not be made available.
There will be a cascade briefing of key messages to managers as soon as possible after the first meeting of the Executive Board in the month (and not more than five working days later). Managers will be expected to disseminate the messages to their staff within one week of receiving the briefing.
The second meeting of each month which falls after the end of a business quarter* will be used by the Executive Board to formally review organisational performance and progress against business plans. Formal minutes and action points will be produced.
The second meeting of each month that does not fall after the end of a business quarter, will be set aside for discussion of issues where exploration of the issues is required by the Executive Board supported by their staff before a course of action can be recommended. No papers will be produced for this meeting. A brief discussion note will be produced.
*currently: January, April, July, October
Review of Executive Board Terms of Reference
The Executive Board Terms of Reference will be reviewed on a biannual basis from March 2010.
Date: March 2011
