24 March 2022

Attendees

Those present: 

Mostaque Ahmed, Finance Director and Managing Director of Finance, Portfolio and Performance  
John Benger, Clerk of the House [Chair] 
Isabel Coman, Managing Director of In-House Services and Estates 
Marianne Cwynarski, Director General (Operations) 
Mandy Eddolls, Managing Director of People and Culture 
Alison Giles, Director of Security for Parliament 
Colin Lee, Managing Director of the Select Committee Team  
Saira Salimi, Speaker’s Counsel 
David Smith, Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service 
Penny Young, Librarian and Managing Director of Research and Information

Apologies:

Sarah Davies, Clerk Assistant and Managing Director of the Chamber and Participation Team  
Tracey Jessup, Chief Digital and Information Officer 

In attendance:

Precious Aiwekhoe Laws of Attraction [item 1b]
Carl Akintola-Davies, Head of Learning and Organisation Development [item 1c]
Maxine Albert, Deputy Head of Diversity & Inclusion [item 1a]
Paul Bosher, Laws of Attraction [item 1b]
Ajeet Brar, Diversity Inclusion Co-ordinator [item 1a]
Jack Dent, Projects Lead [item 1d]
Anne Foster, Director of Diversity and Inclusion [item 1]
Laura Frey, Learning & Development Manager [item 1c]
Matthew Hamlyn, Chamber Business Team Strategic Director (representing Sarah Davies)
Clare Jennings, Director of Communications      
Markos Koumaditis, , Human Resources Director
Gosia McBride, Head of the Governance Office and Secretary to the House of Commons Commission
Katharine Williams, Governance Manager and Secretary to the Commons Executive Board 

Meeting

1. Quarterly theme: People

a. Diversity and Inclusion strategy 2019-22 report and next steps

The CEB approved the draft report and achievements and challenges to date, and approved the one-year bridging strategy for 2022-23.
The Director of Diversity and Inclusion updated the board on plans for appointing and supporting board-level sponsors for the Workplace Equality Networks. A note on this would be circulated.

b. Inclusive recruitment

The CEB agreed that it needed to invest the time and resource into getting recruitment right, and that great recruitment would inherently be inclusive. Having heard a presentation on best practice and external examples, board members agreed to reflect and provide feedback offline. Recruitment principles and a roadmap for delivering a more inclusive recruitment process (which was aligned to other strategies and initiatives) would be considered by the HR Policy and Strategic Support Group before being brought back to the CEB.

c. Learning and Organisation Development strategy update

The CEB noted the paper and delivery plan. The CEB agreed the points summarised in Table 1 of the paper subject to points made in discussion:

• Coach and Focus: in response to feedback from both staff and managers more formality and structured engagement would be introduced to the system, making it an effective tool for managing performance, learning and development and welfare. The way this was done could be tailored to the needs of different teams.
• Training and support for managers: there would be more central support for managers on performance management; colleagues in the People and Culture Team were being trained to provide this. Further work was needed to identify whether there was a standard set of management training that should be managed centrally.
• Approach to learning: in principle the House Service should be a learning organisation and opportunities for learning and development were encouraged. However, CEB also recognised that this would manifest differently where business needs varied across different areas and roles. There was a difference between learning as an organisation and learning as individuals.

d. Use of consultants and interims

The CEB approved the draft policy and wider implementation work. The work would be taken forward by the People and Culture Team but would need collaboration across the organisation. The CEB noted that there was an urgent dependency on resolving recruitment challenges that stemmed from market-competition.

The CEB also clarified that the policy was not intended to discourage the use of consultants when done in the right way, since this could be of great benefit to the organisation.

2. Monthly updates

a) Director General (Operations)

The CEB took note of an update from the Director General (Operations) covering Restoration and Renewal and Covid.

b) Parliamentary business

The CEB took note of an update from the Chamber Business Team Strategic Director and the Managing Director of the Select Committee Team.

c) Finance

The CEB took note of an update from the Managing Director of Finance, Portfolio and Performance. The Audit Plan for 2022-23 would be circulated for noting.

d) Major projects

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

e) Security

The CEB took note of an update from the Director of Security for Parliament and the Managing Director of the Parliamentary Digital Service.

f) Sub-boards

The CEB took note of an update from the Head of the Governance Office.
The CEB noted that the Senior Remuneration Committee had formally closed and responsibility for advising the Clerk on SCS pay now sat with the HR Policy and Strategic Support Group.

3. Reflections, updates and AOB

a. Culture reflection

With reference to staff survey feedback that too few senior managers were perceived to embody the values, the CEB reflected on their own past experiences of seeing the poor behaviour of customers and clients go unchallenged by senior colleagues. They agreed collectively and individually to be honest with themselves about when they found challenge difficult and why.

b. Communications

The CEB noted updates from the Communications Director.

c. The war in Ukraine

The CEB recognised pressures on colleagues stemming from the situation in Ukraine.

4. Take note papers

The CEB took note of the following papers:
a) CEB decision and action log / minutes
b) Reports from the Commission and Domestic Committees
c) Sub-board agendas and minutes
d) Pay gap reports
e) Change review: initial findings
f) Pass checking review – quarterly report
g) Internal audit charter 2022
h) Risk management update
i) Parliament Week 2022

5. By correspondence

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

a) Financial monitoring report – P10

The CEB noted the paper.

b) Portfolio performance report - February

The CEB noted the paper.

c) Chief Digital Information Officer – interim arrangements

The CEB noted the paper.