Corporate Governance: Designing a service that adds value

Corporate Governance

Richard McLean@mcleanonline

DESIGNING A SERVICE THAT ADDS VALUE

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What I’m going to be talking about

• Intro: Why the environment matters

• Case study:oThe basics: What the service? Who’s it for?oChanges for directorsoChanges for delivery teams

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Governance of digital delivery in government has got a bad press

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There are great governance principles out there:Go and follow them!

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The environment matters

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“Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.”

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“Good managers are bullshit umbrellas”

Meri Williams

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Like governance of a digital service, corporate governance can slow down delivery

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The Food Standards Agency

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The Food Standards Act 1999

“There shall be a body to be called the Food Standards Agency.”

“The Agency is a body corporate.”

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The Food Standards Agency has a unique role in Government

• To protect public health from risks relating to food

• To protect consumers’ interests in relation to food

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Expenditure: 0.08% of food sector turnover

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I joined the FSA to deliver food we can trust

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Redesigning corporate governance in the FSA

Case Study

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What is the service?

•Setting directionWhat objectives do we want to achieve?

•People and moneyWhat people and money are we going to use to achieve those objectives?

•Providing assuranceAre we achieving those objectives?

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Who is the service for?

• Tax Payers

• Parliament

• NAO

• FSA Board

• Chief Executive

• Directors

• SROs

• Delivery teams

Corporate governance can appear complex

…and never ending• FSA Board

• Audit & Risk Assurance Committee

• Food Advisory Committees

• Science Council

• Exec Management Team

• Portfolio Board

• Investment Board

• People Panel

• IT Management Board

• Programme Boards

• Project Boards

As a Director, I want…

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Pain points

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Consider the right things at the right time in the right place

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As a delivery team leader,I want…

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Institute for Government, October 2016

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“Only one more hurdle to go”

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The simplest way to simplify governance is to strip out layers

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Stripping out layers of governance

• Exec Management Team

• Portfolio Board

• Investment Board

• People Panel

• IT Management Board

• Programme Boards

• Project Boards

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Working out loud

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END

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Some further reading/viewing• GDS: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/governance/index.html

• https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2013/07/04/exploring-user-needs-governance/

• https://digitaltransformation.blog.gov.uk/2014/06/24/governance-principles/#trust-and-verify

• https://medium.com/@markdalgarno/principles-for-governance-of-agile-user-centred-delivery-677b7ae82313#.7usy7p66o

• NAO: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/governance_agile_delivery.pdf

• Institute for Government: http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/making-success-digital-government

• HMT & Cabinet Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/220645/corporate_governance_good_practice_july2011.pdf

• Stephen, J., Page, J., Myers, J., Brown, A., Watson, D. and Magee, I., Sir, System Error: Fixing the flaws of government IT, Institute for Government, London, 2011 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/system-error

• HM Treasury, The Green Book: Appraisal and evaluation in central government, The Stationery Office, London, 2013 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-green-book-appraisal-andevaluation-in-central-governent

• HM Treasury, Agile Digital and IT Projects: Clarification of business case guidance, HM Treasury, London, 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-green-book-appraisal-andevaluation-in-central-governent/agile-digital-and-it-projects-clarification-of-business-case-guidance

• http://12thprinciple.org/

• http://sdlearningconsortium.org/index.php/home/what-we-have-learned/full-report-2016/

• ‘Is Whitehall's obsession with business cases getting in the way of delivery?’ Civil Service World, Andrew Greenaway http://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/opinion/whitehalls-obsession-business-cases-getting-way-delivery

• ‘Why agile doesn’t scale’ Dan North https://youtu.be/H9ev3ga1dSQ

• ‘Why Leadership Training Fails—and What to Do About It’, Michael Beer (et al) in HBR Oct 2016@mcleanonline #SDinGov