(Public Pack)Agenda Document for North Wales Economic Ambition
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Complete Agenda Meeting NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD Date and Time 1.00 pm, FRIDAY, 31ST JULY, 2020 Location Virtual Meeting Contact Point Eirian Roberts 01286 679018 [email protected] (DISTRIBUTED 24/7/20) North Wales Economic Ambition Board NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD MEMBERSHIP OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE Voting Members Councillors Hugh Evans Denbighshire County Council Llinos Medi Huws Isle of Anglesey County Council Mark Pritchard Wrexham County Borough Council Ian B. Roberts Flintshire County Council Dyfrig L. Siencyn Gwynedd Council Sam Rowlands Conwy County Borough Council Advisers - Non-voting Dafydd Evans Grwp Llandrillo Menai Maria Hinfelaar Glyndwr University Yana Williams Coleg Cambria Jim Jones North Wales and Mersey Dee Business Council Askar Sheibani Business Delivery Board Professor Iwan Davies Bangor University Chief Officers - Non-voting Annwen Morgan Isle of Anglesey County Council Iwan Davies Conwy County Borough Council Colin Everett Flintshire County Council Judith Greenhalgh Denbighshire County Council Ian Bancroft Wrexham County Borough Council Dilwyn Williams Gwynedd Council Officers in Attendance Dafydd L. Edwards Section 151 Officer Iwan G. Evans Monitoring Officer Alwen Williams Programme Director A G E N D A 1. APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. 2. DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declarations of personal interest. 3. URGENT BUSINESS To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration. 4. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING 4 - 10 The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12th June, 2020 be signed as a true record. 5. RISK MANAGEMENT 11 - 22 Report by Hedd Vaughan-Evans, Operations Manager. 6. GOVERNANCE AGREEMENT 2 23 - 27 Report by Iwan G. D. Evans, Monitoring Officer – Host Authority. 7. NORTH WALES GROWTH DEAL - ENGAGEMENT WITH THE 28 - 35 PRIVATE SECTOR Report by Alwen Williams, Programme Director. 8. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Chairman shall propose that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion on the following item due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 14, Part 4, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. This paragraph is relevant as the contents of the item includes confidential and commercially sensitive information on the projects. This is relevant to the situation of the Councils, but also in particular the parties who are seeking, or are partners to the projects in the Growth Deal Programmes. 9. PROJECT BASELINE REVIEW Report to be circulated separately for Board members only. Agenda Item 4 NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD 12/06/20 NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD 12/06/20 Present: Voting Members - Councillors:- Llinos Medi Huws (Isle of Anglesey County Council), Ian Roberts (Flintshire Council), Sam Rowlands (Conwy County Borough Council), Mark Pritchard (Wrexham County Borough Council) and Dyfrig L. Siencyn (Gwynedd Council) (Chair). Advisors – Dafydd Evans (Grŵp Llandrillo Menai), Maria Hinfelaar (Glyndŵr University), Prof. David Thomas (Bangor University), Steve Jackson (Coleg Cambria), Jim Jones (North Wales Mersey Dee Business Council) and Askar Sheibani (Business Delivery Board). Chief Officers - Annwen Morgan (Isle of Anglesey County Council), Iwan Davies (Conwy County Borough Council), Judith Greenhalgh (Denbighshire Council), Ian Bancroft (Wrexham County Borough Council), Dilwyn Williams (Gwynedd Council), Colin Everett (Flintshire Council). Officers in attendance - Alwen Williams (Programme Director), Dafydd Edwards (Statutory Finance Officer), Iwan Evans (Monitoring Officer), Jane Richardson (Chair of the Executive Officers Group), Hedd Vaughan-Evans (Operations Manager) and Annes Siôn (Democracy Services Officer). 1. APOLOGIES No apologies were received. 2. DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST No declarations of personal interest were received. 3. URGENT BUSINESS None to note. 4. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the EAB held on 24 January 2020, as a true record. 5. HEADS OF TERMS The report was submitted by Alwen Williams - Programme Director. RESOLVED To note the completion of the Heads of Terms. REASONS FOR THE DECISION Page 4 NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD 12/06/20 The Heads of Terms Agreement had been drafted by both Governments in the context of the Proposition Document and in line with the offer from the NWEAB within the Implementation Plan. The NWEAB had discussed and approved the draft document during meetings on 26 July and 6 September 2019. With the publication of the final document, the document was formally submitted to the Board to be noted publically. DISCUSSION The report was submitted noting that it was a signed version of the Heads of Terms agreement prepared in the context of the Proposition Document and Implementation Plan. It was noted that a decision was needed to note that the Heads of Terms had been completed. During the discussion the following matters were raised: It was emphasised that signing the Heads of Terms was significant as it showed the clear commitment of both Governments to the work of the Ambition Board. It was also added that the Heads of Terms displayed a good partnership with both Governments and it was noted that the Board looked forward to signing the final document before the end of the year. 6. PROGRAMME GOVERNANCE The report was submitted by Hedd Vaughan-Evans - Operations Manager. RESOLVED Resolved to: Endorse the principle of adopting a programme and project management approach to the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal, including the establishment of Programme Boards to oversee operational delivery. Approve the proposed delivery structure as set out in Appendix 1 and the proposed Programme Board Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix 2. Approve the appointment of Programme SROs and Deputy SROs as set out in Appendix 3 and appoint a Lead Member from the North Wales Economic Ambition Board to sit on each Programme Board. Note that the existing sub-groups for Energy and Digital, will be replaced by the Programme Board once established. Delegate authority to the Programme Director in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and the Executive Support Group to implement the programme governance arrangements and make all other appointments to the Programme Boards. REASONS FOR THE DECISION The NWEAB needed to adopt a programme governance model based on best practice to ensure the successful delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal. Given the scale and complexity of the partnership and the portfolio of work to be delivered, the need to establish a clear model for portfolio, programme and project governance was expressed. Page 5 NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD 12/06/20 DISCUSSION The report was submitted, and the decision noted. The importance of project governance was stressed not for arrangements but for the vision. It was noted that the model was based on a best practice approach for managing projects and was built on the present structure. It was explained that the main change was the establishment of the programme board which would replace the sub-groups. These would not be formal sub-boards of the NWEAB, rather, programme boards which would oversee work and propose recommendations not make decisions. Attention was drawn to the structure and it was explained which Members would be Lead Members for each programme, who would act as a link between the boards and the NWEAB. It was reported that the NWEAB had been identified as a Group to co-ordinate Economic Recovery post Covid-19. It was noted that the aim and objective of the Economic Recovery Co-ordination Group would be to facilitate the period post Covid. During the discussion the following matters were raised:- · A member enquired how the Recovery Group and NWEAB structure worked together and whether there would be an impact on projects. It was noted that four themes had been highlighted for the recovery groups across the region and the economy was one of these; further information would be sent to the members. · It was added that the Board, via the Recovery Group, would set objectives and lead on the work but would not respond directly. It was stressed that there would be a need to work in partnership with the Government. 7. GOVERNANCE AGREEMENT 2 The report was presented by Iwan Evans - Host Authority Monitoring Officer. DECISION To approve the report together with the revised Governance Agreement 2 Project Plan subject to receiving an update at the next meeting of the Board. REASONS FOR THE DECISION The agreement of the underlying partnership and governance framework was key to agreeing a comprehensive Governance Agreement 2. GA2 is a document which primarily codifies the relationship and commitment of the parties, their responsibilities and accountability as well as establishing the supporting governance framework. The Board was required to scrutinise and agree a schedule for completing this work to support the aim of getting a Final Growth Deal Agreement in place by December 2020. DISCUSSION The report was submitted, and it was noted that it had been scheduled for March in order to follow the timeframe of the work programme so as to sign the final deal in December but that Covid had delayed things until this meeting. It was stressed that Governance Agreement 2 was crucial for a Final Deal. It was noted that a Governance Workshop had been held to identify and understand the matters which needed agreement or resolution between the partners. The key issues Page 6 NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD 12/06/20 were outlined. It was noted that there was slippage to the timeframe which would be challenging and a further report would be required at the next meeting. During the discussion the following matters were raised:- · The need to ensure that the scrutiny procedure was as straightforward as possible and would be incorporated in arrangements which authorities already had in place, was noted.