Department For Social Development Appoints Independent Board Members

8 December 2006
DEPARTMENT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT APPOINTS INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS

The Department for Social Development (DSD) has confirmed the appointment of two independent members to its Board.
The role of the Independent Board Member is:

to provide an independent and external perspective on the work of the board;

to provide constructive challenges across the board's business;

to improve the rigour of board processes; and

to balance the mix of skills of personalities on the board.

The members appointed are:
John West who has worked for The Ulster Bank since 1980 and since 2000 has held the post of Director of Manufacturing with responsibility for managing the main support operations for the bank's customer facing businesses.
Alan Gibson, a retired Chartered Accountant who has been an Independent Member of DSD's Audit Committee for several years.
The appointments will run from 1 December 2006 to 31 November 2008.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
DSD Board: Terms of Reference
Context
1. As part of the overall organisation, and in order to support the Departmental Minister, the Permanent Secretary as the Principal Accounting Officer has established a Departmental Management Board (the Board). This document sets out the membership, role and business etc, of the Board.
2. The Board assists the Permanent Secretary to meet his/her responsibilities to establish and oversee the corporate governance arrangements of the Department. The Board itself is a key element of corporate governance arrangements, agreeing the range of other elements and, through its scrutiny role, overseeing the policies, plans and effectiveness of many of those other elements. A separate policy statement approved by the Board sets out the Department's corporate governance arrangements in more detail.
Membership
3. The Board comprises the Permanent Secretary (chair), Deputy Secretaries with responsibility for the Resources, Housing & Social Security Group and the Urban Regeneration & Community Development Group and the Chief Executives of the Department's Social Security and Child Support Agencies. In the absence of a Board member, a deputy is not to be substituted. In the absence of the Permanent Secretary, another Board member chairs the proceedings. Independent members can serve on the Board.
Remit
4. Under the general guidance and direction of the Minister, the Board's remit is to:

Set the strategic direction for the Department, including its mission, vision, values and strategic objectives;

Develop, promote and oversee the implementation of policies and programmes in line with the Department's strategic direction;

Develop and oversee the implementation of the Department's strategic and business plans, including its contribution to the Programme for Government, Priorities and Budget, Public Service Agreements and NI Public Service reforms;

Monitor performance against plans, budgets and targets;

Oversee the management of the Department's staff, finance, information, and physical resources;

Establish and oversee the implementation of the Department's corporate governance arrangements; and

Agree responses to external reports.

Regularity of Meetings
5. The Board normally meets on the last Monday of each month. Meetings are not open to the public.

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