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Strategic Planning and Corporate Governance document sample
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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ROLE OF THE BOARd The operation of these committees are • Advice and audit opinions from:
directed by Terms of Reference approved by
The affairs of the Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA * State Audit office regarding annual
the Board and serve to monitor the
are directed by the HNCMA Board. The audits
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA’s administrative
HNCMA Board is appointed by, and
and operational activities and provide policy * Australian Government – following
accountable to the Minister for Environment,
recommendations for the Board’s an audit of the HNCMA’s Corporate
Climate Change and Water, and is
determination, or where appropriate, advice Governance processes (Walter
committed to implementing high standards
to Government. Turnbull)
of corporate governance that enhance the
accountability of both the Board and staff to Appendix II provides a full listing of the * Natural Resources Commission –
Government and community. This HNCMA’s sub committee activities and following audit of HNCMA NRM
commitment reflects the Authority’s statutory service level agreements with government Systems
administrative and operational agencies.
* Deloitte Audit of HNCMA Project
accountabilities (defined by the legislation
The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA operates in a Administration Commissioned by
detailed in the previous section of this
changing policy environment. The Board the Joint Steering Committee
report).
obtains up to date information on new policy
* Internal Audit by Walter Turnbull to
The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA Board has and future business opportunities, in a
Review HNCMA on-ground project
established a Finance, Audit and Corporate manner that enhances corporate governance
implementation
Governance Committee (FACG) to oversight accountability, by director and senior staff
internal matters of corporate governance networking including: * Internal Audit by Deloitte to review
and to provide recommendations, both to financial administration of HNCMA
• The personal professional and
the Board and Government, on issues and NHT funded projects
administrative networks of the directors,
matters requiring improved statutory
and senior staff • Routine Ministerial / host agency
compliance. The Annual Report of the
correspondence and directions
Finance, Audit and Corporate Governance • Advice through the Service Level
Committee is included as a preamble in the Agreement host agency for shared • Submissions to government inquiries
Financial Reporting section of this annual corporate services and agency service including IPART, use of groundwater in
report. providers under other agreements and the Southern Highlands, and transfers
MoU’s of water from the Shoalhaven to the
To implement these corporate governance
Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment
responsibilities the Board has implemented a • Chairman’s participation in NSW CMA
number of initiatives that include: Chairs Council meetings. This meeting • Quarterly HNCMA presentation days
is also supported and advised by the that include information from relevant
• Completion of Director training in
DNR / DECC executive, and/ or other government and community projects
Corporate Governance by the
director participation in SLA working operating in the catchment and around
Australian Institute for Company
groups (eg SAP development). the State.
Directors (AICD) by all Directors and the
General Manager, • General Manager’s participation in the
NSW CMA General Manager’s group
• Training on implementation of the Native
general meetings and subcommittees.
Vegetation Act 2003
• Board projects, including the
• Establishment of Strategic Board
development of HNCMA Complaints
subcommittees, with defined
Handling Policy and Corruption and
accountabilities, for:
Fraud Control Policy
* Finance, Audit and Corporate
• NRC advice and sponsored support
Governance
projects to develop HNCMA strategic
* Protocols and Policy Development planning processes
* Strategic Planning • Access of policy update emails /
internet access to advice from key CMA
* Inter CMA Liaison
agency regulations
* Local Government Advisory Group
* Aboriginal Advisory Committee
* Executive Committee
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CHAIRMAN, dIRECTOR ANd CORPORATE GOvERNANCE BOARd ACCESS TO
GENERAL MANAGER HIGHLIGHTS OF 2006/07 MANAGEMENT ANd
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT MECHANISMS FOR dEvELOPING
Key details of these achievements are
AGENCy KNOWLEdGE
The role of the Chairman is directed by the included in the Annual Report of the Finance,
letter of appointment from the Minister. The Audit and Corporate Governance Committee The Board directs and controls Hawkesbury-
Chairman’s performance is assessed by the 2006/07. This report includes a number of Nepean CMA operations by initiating the
Minister using a common state-wide recommendations that were endorsed by the development of, and monitoring the
methodology in a process that is coordinated Board for internal audit and improved implementation of, key business documents
by the CMA Chair’s Council. governance. that include the:
The performance of the Director’s is The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA implements • Catchment Action Plan and Annual
assessed by the Chairman using a common Financial Management Delegations that were Implementation Plan prior to submission
state-wide methodology. Outcomes from this approved by the Board in early 2006, the to government
assessment inform the Chair of any director’s implementation of which are monitored by
• Natural Heritage Trust Investment
training and development needs, as well as the Finance, Audit and Corporate
Strategy and proposed Investment
other issues of director performance. Governance Committee. These delegations
Prospectus
were implemented under Section 18 of the
Each Board director, in response to the skill
Catchment Management Authorities Act • Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA annual
qualifications, implements portfolio
2003 and developed in consultation with Business Plan and budgets.
responsibilities aligned to the Hawkesbury-
other NSW CMAs and Department of
Nepean CMA’s operational priorities. The Board directs the development of these
Natural Resources financial managers.
Directors are expected to convene/ attend documents by initial director participation in
routine sub committee meetings for which In the past year the Hawkesbury-Nepean sub committee and working group meetings,
they are members, convene community CMA has implemented a number of participation in community forums, and by
consultation meetings, and/ or to represent initiatives aimed at strengthening internal final determination of the documents by the
the HNCMA at external events that are governance. Full details of these Board. The FACG monitors Hawkesbury-
approved by the Chairman. achievements are included in the Annual Nepean CMA financial and administrative
Report of the Finance Audit and Corporate compliance.
Directors prepare and submit business
Governance Committee. These initiatives
papers for the Board consideration detailing Directors have full and regular access to
included
the work they undertake between meetings/ HNCMA management through:
and to provide recommendations on issues • Implementation of audit findings of the
• Routine meetings between the
requiring a Board determination. NSW Audit Office’s annual review of
Chairman and General Manager
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA activities,
and audit initiated by the Joint Steering • Attendance of Executive at all open
Committee of HNCMA administration of sessions of the Board
NHT funding
• The active participation of Directors as
• Internal Audits of project administration sub committee convenors/ members
(Walter Turnbull) and Natural Heritage involving executive staff
Trust Project Administration(Deloitte)
• Routine telephone, e-mail and personal
• Development and determination of new contact with managers related to
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA policy for Director portfolio’s and sub committee
Complaints Management and roles.
Corruption and Fraud Control.
The Board also initiated development of a
new strategic planning process in
partnership with the Natural Resources
Commission. This process seeks to allow
effective Board consideration of emerging
issues and to ensure that any response is
consistent with the Hawkesbury-Nepean
CMA’s statutory role and available resources.
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Full staff accountability to the Board is further HNCMA GENERAL MANAGER State Government Corporate
supported by a range of formal and informal Planning And Compliance
The HNCMA General Manager position is
reporting processes that include:
graded at Senior Officer Grade 1. In the year ahead, the Hawkesbury-Nepean
• General Manager reporting to the Board CMA will be focused on further aligning our
The incumbent officer, Bernie Bugden, was
business and project planning with key
• Submission of formal sub committees appointed to the position for a period of
government policy such as the State Plan,
and working group reports and three years in April 2004 following and
the National Framework for Adaptation to
recommendations to the Board externally advertised recruitment process
Climate Change, the NSW Greenhouse Plan,
that was administered by the former
• Direct feed back on community issues and the National Biodiversity Climate Change
Department of Infrastructure and Natural
by Director participation in Hawkesbury- Adaptation Framework. This work will require
Resources. This department concurrently
Nepean CMA community consultation further consultation key NSW and Australian
administered the recruitment process for the
meetings Government Ministers and agencies and
General Manager positions in all 13 NSW
community stakeholders.
• Finance, Audit and Corporate CMAs.
Governance Committee analysis and This policy alignment will require the
At 30 June 2007 the Department of
reporting on financial and operational Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA to apply its
Environment and Climate Change, as the
audits undertaken by the NSW and current Catchment Action Plan to develop a
new host employment agency for CMA staff
Australian Governments future Annual Implementation Program
was developing new policy to determine
Investment Strategy and (State Plan) Results
• Internal audits and reviews of future position grading and to resolve
and Services Plan to ensure that project
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA activities appointments to all CMA General Manager
outcomes are aligned with the Natural
initiated by the Board on the positions.
Resource Commission’s state targets and
recommendation of the Finance, Audit
The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA Board that all project activities effectively target key
and Corporate Governance Committee
reviews General Manager performance by policy objectives. This planning also needs to
• Director attendance at staff monitoring organisational and personal promote a smooth transition from the
presentations of on-ground project performance against the performance criteria existing NHT2 funding regime to that of
implementation. within the HNCMA approved Business Plan. NHT3 and to maintain the existing current
This sets staff and organisational catchment wide momentum in natural
• Board inspection of Hawkesbury-
performance against operational and resource management project activity and
Nepean CMA project works.
financial management targets in the support from our many project partners and
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA’s Annual stakeholders.
Implementation Plan and approved budget
This momentum will also be enhanced by
as defined in the NSW Government Budget
the completion of our first Investment
Papers.
Prospectus by which we anticipate will
promote new investment partnerships with
the corporate sector that will allow us to
LOOKING FORWARd TO 2007/08
implement a range of priority projects that
The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA Board can not be implemented with the currently
intends to refine the strategic planning available investment funds. The new
processes, and initiate further targeted prospectus will further promote the policy
internal audits. The Board will continue to objectives listed above and promote ethical
closely monitor the implementation of the business standards as required by ICAC
annual investment plan and investment policy and all relevant legislation.
strategy. These actions seek to align
Attainments of these objectives will require
HNCMA business functions with the policy
the Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA to continue
and institutional resources of the new host
to pursue a range of similar alignments in its
agency [DECC] and the new providers of
project and business systems to ensure
shared corporate services (DoC).
continuing compliance with NSW
Board members will all undertake aboriginal Government net cost of service policy as
cultural awareness training during the defined by the 2007/08 budget papers, all
2007/08 year. appropriate law and financial and business
practice policy that maintain high levels of
accountability to government and
community.
22
sTRATEGiC PLANNiNG
Strategic planning is important for setting the The Protocol defines roles and Looking ahead to 2007/08
Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA’s direction and responsibilities for Strategic Planning.
The Hawkesbury-Nepean CMA will further
providing a process to focus and prioritise Importantly, in order to deal quickly with new
develop its strategic objectives for key areas
HNCMA effort and investment as well as to issues as they arise, it also sets out the role
of operation and natural resource
review and report on the effectiveness of this of the Strategic Planning Issue Filter which
management in the catchment. The HNCMA
investment. the HNCMA has adopted to assist the
will continue to apply and refine the Issues
HNCMA in managing the many diverse
Throughout 2006/07 the Hawkesbury- Filter as a means of adapting management
issues that arise from day to day. The filter is
Nepean CMA Board and senior staff have and reviewing priorities in a dynamic
used to assess and prioritise new natural
been developing and refining its strategic environment with expanding sources of
resource and operational matters that are
planning process. investment and collaboration.
important or urgent for achieving the
In December 2006, the HNCMA received objectives or targets of the HNCMA. A high priority will be strengthening
funding and advisory support from the NRC participation of the corporate sector. This
Strategic objectives for the next five years
to develop a strategic planning process should provide supplementary investment
support the HNCMA’s vision of “a healthy
framework through the professional and improve the capacity of the corporate
and productive catchment valued now
assistance from Mr Peter Egger of Phacelift sector to become involved in natural
and in the future” and the achievement of
Consulting Services (since appointed NRC resource management in the catchment.
the Resource Condition Targets in the CAP.
Assistant Commissioner). With this guidance
The sum of all these strategic planning
the HNCMA has developed a Board Protocol
elements is the HNCMA’s Strategic Plan.
which sets out the principles driving key
planning and operational activities with Strategic planning has been overseen by a
clearly identified roles and responsibilities. Strategic Planning Working Group which has
subsequently become a formal Sub-
The HNCMA’s strategic planning process
Committee of Board and Staff Members.
provides direction in an environment where
global warming, climate change and land
management practices are affecting the
natural resources of the catchment. A
Strategic Planning Protocol that sets out the
way the HNCMA will plan for future
scenarios is in the final stages of
development. This protocol defines the
strategic planning principles and ensures the
statutory drivers and key Government
inititiatives such as the NSW State Plan and
Greenhouse Strategy are reflected in the
HNCMA action plans. The protocol links to
various HNCMA strategic documents such
as the Catchment Action Plan (CAP),
Investment Strategy, Business Plan, Work
Plan and long-term financial planning.
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