The Well-being of Future Generations Act
Priorities for delivery from the perspective of the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner
Caerphilly Local Service Board Standing Conference Tuesday 22nd March 2016
• WHAT we are trying to achieve: Well-being goals
• HOW we need to change: 5 ways of working (Sustainable Development Principle)
• Overview of duties on public bodies
• Public Services Boards: • Assessment of Local Well-being
• Well-being Plan
• Support and Challenge: • Future Generations Commissioner
• Auditor General for Wales
• Local Authority Scrutiny
Today…
Well-being goals WHAT we are trying to achieve
Integration between the goals
× Justifying what you have always done – “choosing” the goals that are in your comfort zone
× Looking at each goal in isolation
Using different frames to think about the goals as a set
Thinking about how a decision / service can contribute to as many of the goals as possible
(Maximising your contribution)
Using the five ways of working to deal with perceived conflicts between the goals
Five ways of working HOW you need to change
Long term
“ the importance of balancing short term needs with the need to safeguard the ability to meet long term needs, especially where things done to meet short term needs may have detrimental long term effect”
Long term
× Issues that only relate to short term risks (3 – 5 years ahead)
× Reluctance due to uncertainty about future trends
Shift to thinking about long term needs and long term well-being
Evidence of thinking about long term roles of services
Prevention
“ how deploying resources to prevent problems occurring or getting worse may contribute to meeting the body’s well-being objectives, or another body’s well-being objectives”
Prevention
× Decisions only react to problems (don’t consider causes of problems)
× Governance structures are a barrier to innovative (e.g. preventative approaches)
What investment could support prevention
Collaboration and sharing resources across sectors to address shared problems
Involvement
“the importance of involving other persons with an interest in achieving the well-being goals, and of ensuring those persons reflect the diversity of the population of –
i. Wales
ii. The part of Wales in relation to which the body exercises functions”
Involvement
× One size fits all consultations
× The most vocal people in a community
Understand the diversity of the people you serve and what this means for their services Opportunity of digitisation Management of assets
Integration
“the need to take an integrated approach, by considering how –
i. The body’s well-being objectives may impact upon each of the well-being goals;
ii. The body’s well-being objectives impact upon each other or upon other public bodies’ objectives, in particular where steps taken by the body may contribute to meeting one objective but may be detrimental to meeting another”
Integration
× Silo working
× Looking at impacts separately and at different times
Governance structures that enable integration
Integrated approach to impact assessments
Integrated reporting
Collaboration
“how acting in collaboration with any other person (or how different parts of the body acting together) could assist the body to meet its well-being objectives, or assist another body to meet its objectives”
Collaboration
× Lack of consideration of shared challenges
× Different parts of an organisation working against one another
Understanding the roles of other organisations
Opportunities to jointly involve people
Overview of duties on public bodies
Set well-being objectives (by April 2017)
Take all reasonable steps to meet your objectives
Report annually on progress towards your objectives
Corporate planning
Financial planning
Workforce planning
Risk management
Performance management
Procurement
Assets
Duties on Public Services Boards Assessment of Local Well-being
oShift from assessment of needs to assessment of well-being.
oThe state of well-being – how things are at the moment
and why oPredictions of likely future trends oMust consult the Commissioner before publication
Duties on Public Services Boards Well-being Plan
oSet well-being objectives, and reasonable steps to meet these objectives.
oRight balance between delivering for the short term and doing so in the context of priorities for the long term.
oOpportunities for collective action.
oMust seek advice of the Commissioner.
Support
Future Generations Commissioner
Advice / assistance to public bodies
Advice / assistance to PSBs in relation to Well-being Plan
Encourage best practice and collaboration
Undertake research
Other support
Welsh Government, umbrella bodies, professional bodies, expertise from other sectors
Future Generations Commissioner
Can review how a public body is meeting well-being objectives
Auditor General for Wales
Can examine how a public body is acting in accordance with the five ways of working and must do this once every five years
LA Scrutiny Committees
Can review or scrutinise the decisions made or actions taken by the Public Services Board
Challenge
Cathy Madge Strategy and Policy Lead, Office of the Future Generations Commissioner [email protected] 02921 677 400 www.futuregenerations.wales
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