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Section 3 Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships
3.1 The Role of the Board
What specifically is the role of the Board of a public body?
The main purpose of a Board of a Scottish public body is to provide effective leadership, direction, support and guidance to the organisation and to ensure that the policies and priorities of the Minister (and the Scottish Executive) are implemented.
The three main functions of a Board are:
- To represent the interests of the Minister. In the majority of cases, Boards of public bodies are appointed by Ministers in order to ensure the delivery of, or to advise upon, Ministerial policies. The representation of a body's views to Ministers by a Board is perfectly legitimate and acceptable, but such action should be viewed within this wider context. Crucially, Board members should be clear about Ministerial policies and expectations for their body. If they are in any doubt on this point at any time, they should seek clarification from the Chair.
- To provide active leadership of the public body by:
- agreeing the organisation's strategy;
- setting cost effective plans to implement the strategy;
- establishing a performance management framework which enables under-performance to be addressed quickly;
- establishing the values and standards of the organisation and ensuring that the organisation adopts and complies with Codes of Conduct for Staff and Board Members;
- ensuring that the highest standards of governance are complied with, that the organisation complies with all Ministerial guidance, its Management Statement and Financial Memorandum and legislation, and that a framework of prudent and effective controls is in place to enable risks to be assessed and managed;
- focusing on the difference that the organisation is making in the outside world, i.e. effects on customers and citizens; and
- ensuring that the body is a Best Value organisation.
- To hold the Chief Executive (and senior staff) to account for the management of the organisation and the delivery of agreed plans on time and within budget.
In addition to any special responsibilities set by Ministers or set out in the statute that established the public body, the basic tasks of the Board are:
- to establish the corporate mission, aims and objectives of the body in line with Ministerial expectations. This should make explicitly clear:
- why your body exists?
- what it hopes to achieve?
- what are the values and beliefs that guide its work?
- to oversee the development (and review) of strategies, plans and policies of your public body;
- to ensure the operation and work of your public body is closely aligned with the work of other service delivery public bodies to ensure efficiency and effectiveness at the highest strategic level;
- to oversee the development (and review) of performance targets, including key financial targets;
- to provide continuity of direction and management by making appropriate arrangements for delegation; and
- to establish and promote the body's role in the community by:
- developing mechanisms for gathering and responding to the views of stakeholders, including customers;
- keeping people informed;
- representing the body within the community; and
- ensuring that the body operates in an open, accountable and responsive way.
The Effective Board ensures that: |
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- Alternative strategies for the organisation are developed
- The selected strategy is totally aligned to the organisation's purpose, consistent with Ministerial objectives and aspirations and is affordable
- Cost effective plans to implement the agreed strategies are developed, adopted and implemented
- It monitors organisational performance ensuring any underperformance is addressed swiftly
- The organisation complies with any Ministerial guidance or direction issued
- The organisation adopts and complies with its Code(s) of Conduct
- It maintains its focus on strategy, performance and behaviour and is not diverted by detail
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