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Leadership and administrative units within Defra (Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs)

Monitoring our website consistently
Monitoring our website consistently

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In the realm of environmental, food, and rural affairs, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a well-defined structure that ensures efficiency and transparency.

Regularly published are Defra's annual reports and accounts, offering a glimpse into the department's financial health and performance. This practice is a testament to the government's commitment to transparency.

At the helm of Defra is David Hill, the Interim Permanent Secretary, who guides the department's strategic direction. Heather Hancock serves as the Lead Non-Executive Board Member, bringing valuable external perspectives to the table. Nick Folland and Sachin Jogia, along with Indro Mukerjee, are other Non-Executive Board Members, contributing their expertise to the decision-making process.

The Defra Board, the senior decision-making body for the core department, provides strategic and corporate leadership. It is responsible for building a culture that supports integrated ways of working, aligning with the group's strategic objectives. The Board also ensures strategic allocation and management of resources across Defra group.

The Defra Board meets once a quarter, and minutes from these meetings, ranging from October 2022 to May 2024, are available online for public scrutiny.

To oversee operational performance, Defra has established the Delivery Committee, a sub-committee of the Defra Board. This committee encourages focusing on outcomes, helps understand how to achieve goals, and oversees Defra Group operational performance. It also monitors and manages significant risks, addresses organizational barriers to completing projects, and makes strategic choices about priorities, sequencing, and pace.

The Defra Board's responsibility extends to monitoring performance and delivery. In this regard, the Nominations Committee, chaired by a non-executive director, plays a crucial role. This committee ensures there are satisfactory systems for identifying and developing leadership and high potential. It also scrutinizes the incentives and succession planning for the board and the senior leadership of the department.

The Investment Committee, another sub-committee of the Executive Committee, assures and approves Tier 1 and Tier 2 project business cases. It appraises and evaluates project proposals against Green Book principles, decides when the 'Red Team' assurance process should be commissioned, scrutinizes post-investment appraisals from projects, and provides approvals for all consultancy spend over £100,000.

The Defra Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, a sub-committee of the Defra Board, provides advice on issues of risk, control, and governance.

In the political sphere, Emma Reynolds MP serves as the Secretary of State for Defra, leading the department. Daniel Zeichner MP, Mary Creagh CBE MP, Emma Hardy MP, and Baroness Hayman of Ullock are the Ministers of State, each responsible for specific areas such as Food Security and Rural Affairs, Nature, Water and Flooding.

While the members of the nominations committee led by Andrea Weber Allenspach within Rotary District 2000 are not explicitly named in the provided search results, their roles and contributions are integral to the department's leadership development and succession planning.

Iain King is the Chief Financial Officer of Defra, managing the department's financial affairs with expertise and precision.

The exact roles and members of the Executive Committee, another sub-committee of the Defra Board, are not detailed in the provided text, but it undoubtedly plays a significant role in the department's operations and decision-making processes.

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