25 March 2021

Attendees

Those present: 

Mostaque Ahmed, Finance Director and Managing Director, Finance, Portfolio and Performance
John Benger, Clerk of the House (Chair)
Isabel Coman, Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates
Marianne Cwynarski, Managing Director of the Governance Office
Sarah Davies, Clerk Assistant and Managing Director of Chamber & Committees
Mandy Eddolls, Managing Director of HR and Diversity
Alison Giles, Director of Security for Parliament
Colin Lee, Managing Director of the Select Committee Team 
Tracey Jessup, Chief Digital and Information Officer
Saira Salimi, Speaker’s Counsel
Penny Young, Librarian and Managing Director of Research & Information

Apologies:

Ian Ailles, Director General of the House of Commons
Edge Watchorn, Acting Managing Director of Participation

In attendance:

Carl Akintola-Davies, Head of Learning and Organisation Development
Laura Frey, Learning and Organisation Manager
Philippa Hardman, Gameshift
Heather Harrison, ParliON
Clare Jennings, Director of Communications    
Markos Koumaditis, Human Resources Director
Juliana Moosa, ParliON
Will Newing, Business Change Manager
Tim Parkin, Programme Manager, HR & Diversity
Sarah Petit, Cultural Transformation Director
Patsy Richards, Decant Director
Joe Watt, ParliGENDER
Katharine Williams, Governance Manager and Secretary to the Commons Executive Board

Meeting

1. Monthly updates

a) Parliamentary business

The CEB took note of an update from the Clerk Assistant and the Managing Director of the Select Committee Team.

b) Finance

The CEB took note of an update from the Managing Director of Finance, Portfolio and Performance.

MDs were asked to review their contributions to the corporate business plan.

c) Major projects

The CEB took note of an update from the Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates.

d) Security

The CEB took note of an update from the Director of Security for Parliament and the Chief Digital and Information Officer.

e) Sub-boards

The CEB took note of an update from the Managing Director of the Governance Office.

The CEB noted that the Risk Oversight Committee had been closed and the work would become part of CEB meetings from April 2021.

2. Urgent or exceptional items

a) Covid-19 measures on the House of Commons Estate: Roadmap

The CEB approved the continued delegation to the Covid Planning Group in line with its terms of reference through to July 2021, at which point a further review would be undertaken.

The CEB considered the principles that had been agreed to by the Commission and Administration Committee, the possible impacts on teams and whether any actions need to be taken. The CEB agreed:

• To act as role models for social distancing measures as greater numbers returned to the Estate.
• That the lifting of restrictions did not necessarily mean a return to previous practices where new ways of working were more efficient or effective.
• The need to communicate the House Service’s approach to the return clearly, to manage Members’ and employees’ expectations.
• The CEB agreed that teams should plan for a limited summer opening programme in 2021, subject to government legislation and advice.

3. Quarterly theme: People

a) Quarterly Workplace Equality Network feedback session

The CEB noted and responded to updates and comments from representatives of ParliON and ParliGENDER.

b) Update on working arrangements and moves

The CEB noted the Red Team’s report on the plans, considered the points made and thanked colleagues for their input.

The CEB agreed:

• The narrative on working arrangements and moves needed to explain why this change was happening. While Covid-19 and Estates works were contributing factors, the change was about helping people to work in the best ways.
• The principles underlying the programme would be adjusted to make business need the parameter for decisions about working arrangements. This would need to be applied at organisation level and team level as well as in individual cases.
• More work must be done to understand the needs of colleagues whose roles required them to be on-site at specific times, and the needs of these colleagues must be given equal consideration to those of all other colleagues. The CEB recognised that while these ‘frontline’ colleagues might not be able to benefit from remote working options there would be other changes to working arrangements and the use of space on the Estate that could improve their experience. The CEB noted that work on this was already underway.
• There was more work to do to provide clear guidance to managers. The CEB noted that this work was underway.
• An advisory group should be established to disseminate best practice on managing working arrangements. This group would not have any role in arbitrating individual cases, which would be subject to normal HR procedures.
• The pilot period should run for 18 months from June 2021 to December 2022 and should have a 6- and 12-month review point. The new start date would align better with the expected lifting of lockdown restrictions and allow planning and communications to take place within teams beforehand. MDs should be provided with a timeline for the pilot to ensure a consistent approach across teams and to help with their planning. This should cover activities in the preparation period, the launch and review points.
• MDs committed to recording data to support the review of the pilot, in particular to gather evidence of any impact on equality, and asked to be provided with advice on what data to collect and how.

c) Developments in People and HR information

The CEB noted the paper.

d) Annual whistleblowing update

The CEB noted the update.

e) Learning & Organisation Development ’Future Directions’

The CEB endorsed the four main goals set out in the paper as the appropriate direction of travel for learning and organisation development at the House of Commons.

The CEB agreed that L&OD colleagues in the House and Digital Service should continue their collaborative work and produce detailed objectives and plans for each goal, to be presented in a further Board paper in June 2021. 

The CEB asked that the plans be based on analysis of the organisation’s ability to meet business needs.

4. Reflections, updates and AOB

a) Cultural Transformation: Quarterly progress report

The CEB noted the quarterly update, specifically that the Cultural Transformation team would focus on the return to the Estate and any cultural issues arising from that.

The CEB considered feedback and recommendations on what more it could do to help challenge poor behaviour.

The CEB noted the 2021-22 Cultural Transformation action plan.

b) Feedback on CEB development work

The CEB noted feedback and recommended next steps from Philippa Hardman.

c) Culture reflection

The CEB agreed that board members would take it in turns to lead this item.

4. Take note papers

The CEB noted the following papers:

a) CEB decision and action log / minutes

b) Reports from the Commission, Administration Committee and Finance Committee

c) Sub-board agendas and minutes

d) Minutes of the Restoration & Renewal Sponsor Body – January

e) Internal audit reports:

i. SharePoint benefits realisation

ii. Contract lifecycle management: follow-up of agreed management actions

iii. Financial viability of suppliers

5. By correspondence

The CEB took the following papers by correspondence ahead of this meeting:

a) R&R Standards Group terms of reference

The CEB endorsed the terms of reference.

b) Financial Monitoring Report P10

The CEB noted the report.

c) Portfolio Performance Report summary February 2021

The CEB noted the report.