Issue - meetings

The report was noted.

Jonathan Burnes gave members an overview of the Evaluation Framework as per the report.

Members were advised that this was about bringing everything that was happening previously all together and encapsulating it into a document that is readable by everyone and then a plan to look at what, how, when and who will be evaluating.

Officers advised that the frameworks first question answers why they are evaluating and explained that it is crucial for demonstrating the impact of the city deal over its lifetime and that officers have had lots of feedback through scrutiny, both this committee and through gateway assurance reviews and audit, all looking at emphasising how benefits are now being evidenced and start being reported through the City deal.

Jonathan Burnes advised that he chaired an evaluation task and finish group that oversaw the development of the framework.

The Task and finish Group consisted of project programme leads and PMO team members who met monthly and shaped the framework into the one in the report. They looked at making sure that it was practical and workable in in what they were trying to present. Members were advised that the point of the framework is looking at the rationale, the principles, roles and responsibilities and its methodology.

How are you calculating these things? How, how was it presented and being open and transparent about that approach.

Officers explained that they want to look at two midterm evaluations and a final evaluation for the portfolio. Basing it on years 1 to 7 for midterm evaluation and then the second midterm would be between 25/26 up to 2029/30. The final evaluation will be in 2032/33, which is when the 15 years of the portfolio ends.

Members were advised that in the document every project and programme is listed with a schedule of what will be evaluated and when.

Officers have worked with all the projects and programmes, and they put them into a draught, and these are all collated in the portfolio office into an evaluation profile. The Profile will summarise every evaluation that projects will do, what that will entail and who will conduct it. Officers stated that they don't want to start evaluating things for evaluation’s sake and want to do it at the right time.

The framework will form part of a large document called the monitoring evaluation plan. Officers will do the monitoring reports, this will be the evaluations which help support that reporting.

Members felt that the framework was good but on item 7, in relation to the governance and oversight it should have wording in there about scrutiny so that people are aware that there is a scrutiny function to carry out especially as the document is one of the more important documents the committee scrutinises on a regular basis.

Officers agreed and noted that there is only one reference to scrutiny and that is more about the input as opposed to the process so they will feed that back through the governance process  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9