Policy Skills Assessment

[Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 1-4 together as a group under the 'Policy Development' theme.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing guidance, including: the role of the Senior Responsible Officer in respect of the delivery of a project or programme; existing Business Case guidance; the obligation upon civil servants under their Code of Ethics to provide objective and impartial advice, and to give Ministers all the facts; departmental systems to set priorities and targets (consistent with the PfG) to report progress against key targets. They have been addressed in work to date through: the review of recruitment and selection policies and practices as part of the NICS People Strategy; the Review of Business Case and Expenditure Approval processes. Further work is required to: reflect key principles in the guidance relating to policy making, Business Cases, Project Management including Gateway guidance, and risk-management; address the knowledge and skills of those in policy roles, including training with an emphasis on modelling and testing, by conducting a fundamental review of the Practical Guide to Policy Making through the Policy Champions' Network, and follow through to the Policy Skills Guide and policy-skills training offer; embed NICS ethical standards; ensure financial and non-financial performance target reporting to the Minister, including outside the budget period.