NERC Assurance Board - Terms of reference
Purpose
- The purpose of the NERC Assurance Board (NAB) is to provide assurance and challenge to the Executive Chair that NERC:
- is not exposed to unacceptable or unknown risk
- is operating in line with its legal obligations
- is operating in line with obligations which flow from Managing Public Money
- is operating within its delegated powers
- is financially stable - able to meet its obligations over time, within the resources available, or likely to be available
- has in place proper processes of allocation and evaluation for all funding streams
- has a satisfactory internal control framework
- is able to provide meet any other assurance requirements of either the Executive Chair or UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) / Business Energy & Industrial Strategy.
- It will also provide UKRI and the UKRI Audit, Risk, Assurance & Performance Committee (ARAPC) with assurance that NERC has robust assurance processes and procedures that they can rely on, whilst not replicating the responsibilities of ARAPC.
Scope
- Given the purpose, the scope covers the entire remit of NERC activities.
- The board will receive feedback from and place reliance on the workings of a Centre Assurance Board in respect of each research centre, enabling its primary focus to be on head office.
- It's detailed scope will include review and challenge of:
- the Transformation Programme
- NERC stewardship returns to UKRI
- head office centre activity & resource plans (Programme Resource, OpEx and Capital)
- NERC's top risk register and risk management arrangements
- NERC's annual statement of research integrity
- quarterly health & safety reporting to UKRI
- UKRI internal audit reports specifically relating to NERC
- UKRI funding assurance reports in relation to NERC research centres
- NERC's capital project delivery assurance returns to UKRI
- NERC's staff survey and people action plan.
Membership and ways of working
- The NAB will be chaired by the NERC Council Senior Independent Member (SIM)
- Membership will comprise of the Chair and NERC's Non-Executive Directors
- The NERC Executive Chair and the NERC corporate directors will attend. Additional NERC officers will be invited to attend as required.
- NAB meetings will be held bi-annually either before or after a NERC Management Board meeting, and will take place after the Centre Assurance Boards, but prior to the mid-term and annual stewardship return.
- A minimum of two members will be present for the meeting to be deemed quorate.
- Conflicts of interest will be declared, according to NERC practice, although the nature of NAB business is unlikely to require members to leave the room.
- NAB will report via the NERC Executive Chair to NERC Council.
- NAB will be subject to an effectiveness review on a regular basis.
- NAB will be supported by a secretariat.
- The NAB Chair will be responsible for agreeing the agendas and minutes of the meeting.