Reduce Organisational Silos
RHI Inquiry · The Report of the Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme · Issued 13 March 2020 · Addressed to: Northern Ireland Executive
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
In keeping with the spirit of the Ministerial Pledge of Office, the Northern Ireland political parties, supported by the Northern Ireland Civil Service, should together agree a set of actions to reduce organisational silos arising between the government Departments and their linked public bodies and to promote behaviours of collaboration and joined-up departmental working in the interests of the whole Northern Ireland community.
RHI Inquiry, The Report of the Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme · 13 Mar 2020 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024) assessed this recommendation as "Likely to be Implemented", upgrading it from "Unlikely" in the first progress report, noting that a Shared Leadership Board had been established between Departments and Arm's Length Bodies, though further work was needed to reduce organisational silos fully (NIAO Second Progress Report, October 2024).
Response — verbatim from government
●Northern Ireland Executive
[Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 5-7, 25, 37, 39-43 together as a group under the 'Ministers and Special Advisers' theme.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can be accepted in full, with the exception of the consideration of an independent mechanism to assess special advisers' compliance with the Code of Conduct. They have been addressed through work to date, including: revisions to the Ministerial Code of Conduct, Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and NICS Code of Ethics, and the introduction of new Guidance for Ministers; the publication of new enforcement arrangements for ministerial standards of behaviour; agreement on the development of a multi-year outcomes-focussed Programme for Government, aligned with the Budget, including stakeholder engagement and consultation; departmental induction and briefing for Ministers on the return of the Executive, and Executive away-days; the strengthening of Private Offices including the higher grading of the Private Secretary and Assistant Private Secretary roles; identification of the team where matters of policy in respect of Special Advisers are to be dealt with. Further work is required to: deliver induction programmes for Ministers and for special advisers; arrange for publication of relevant interests of civil servants.
Northern Ireland Executive · 7 Oct 2021 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 15 Oct 2024 NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024): Likely to be Implemented. Upgraded from 'Unlikely' in the 2022 assessment. Shared Leadership Board established between Departments and Arm's Length Bodies, Programme for Government themes demonstrating cross-departmental collaboration, and revised codes requiring collaborative working. NIAO welcomes the progress made. Source →
- 15 Oct 2024 · NIAO Second Progress Report NIAO identified reducing organisational silos as one of 3 recommendations requiring additional work. The mandatory coalition structure of the NI Executive inherently creates departmental silos along party lines. View source → Insufficient Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.