Following my earlier email on the English Heritage Quinquennial Review,
Geoff Evans at the National Assembly for Wales has kindly pointed out that a
Draft Interim Report for the Cadw Quinquennial was considered by the
Environment, Planning and Transport Committee on Weds 15th May. This is
available online - use the following link which will redirect you to the
appropriate page:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?M20734AE
As with the EH report I copy at the foot of this message the Executive
Summary and Recommendations.
The report summarises the outcomes from the first stage of the review and a
second stage will "be commissioned following consideration of this interim
report, and will be the subject of the final report. It will review the
strategic effectiveness of Cadw and, if appropriate, consider whether any
improvements are needed to the way Cadw delivers its function".
Alex Hunt
Research and Conservation Officer
Council for British Archaeology
_____________________________________________________
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The main findings of this report are that in relation to the historic
environment of Wales, Cadw:
(a) Cadw (or a body like it) is needed to help in identification ,
conservation, presentation, sustainable exploitation etc of the historic
environment of Wales;
(b) Cadw has considerable achievements to its name in a variety of fields;
(c) Cadw has performed well since the mid 1990s against the targets set for
it;
(d) Cadw's remit and associated targets would appear to need a thorough
review to reflect better its current strategies and functions, and the main
policies and key themes of the Assembly to more clearly seek outcomes
desired for the historic environment of Wales as well as organisational
outputs;
(e) Cadw would benefit from greater ministerial and political "ownership" of
its overall mission, while at the same time safeguarding the non political
way in which it conducts the statutory decision making and advice it carries
out on behalf on the Welsh Assembly Government; and
(f) Cadw needs some changes to its organisational model, but not radical
structural change.
I recommend that:
1. the Welsh Assembly Government produces a new long term mission statement
for Cadw which after wide consultation is given Assembly endorsement. (
paragraph 4.10)
2. the process of producing a new mission statement and three-year corporate
plan includes the production of a new mix of performance indicators which
are less wholly focussed on process measurement and include some on outcomes
sought for the historic environment of Wales. (4.16)
3. Cadw considers this report and the responses to the consultation exercise
as one input to its policy and management development (5.6)
4. the functions currently discharged by Cadw are necessary. (6.11)
5. Cadw does not merge with the Countryside Council for Wales. (6.21)
6. Cadw does not merge with the National Museums and Galleries of Wales. (6.
25)
7. that substantive consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of
merger with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of
Wales be deferred to the current Quinquennial Review of the Royal
Commission. (6.29)
8. Assembly Sponsored Public Body (ASPB) status for Cadw be ruled out, at
least for the short and medium term. (6.42)
9. the option of turning part of Cadw into an ASPB not be considered
further. (6.52)
10. The status quo model (of the executive agency model of organisation as
it currently is) is not the appropriate model in the medium and longer term.
(6.54)
11. The precise organisational status of Cadw should be changed to better
enable it to develop and implement policies which further the key themes and
major strategies of the National Assembly for Wales. The precise
organisational model should be one of the following:
a) Executive Agency within the Welsh Assembly Government with a Ministerial
Policy Board
b) Conventional policy division(s) within the Welsh Assembly Government. If
one division, part to retain the valuable Cadw brand as its title. If more
than one division or unit , one to be called Cadw; or a mixture of a
conventional division to lead on policy, statutory casework and strategy
advice to Ministers and others , and a closely related executive agency
called Cadw which would lead on properties in care. (6.55)
12. Whichever precise model of organisation structure for Cadw is adopted,
at least part of the organisation should operate under the title "Cadw".
(6.56)
13. The Welsh Assembly Government, advised by Cadw, and in consultation with
Environment, Planning and Transport Committee (EPT) Committee and external
stakeholders, determines its strategic priorities for the historic
environment (6.57)
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