Written evidence submitted by the National Assembly for Wales for the Administration Committee’s inquiry into election planning and services (EPS 08)

01. Overview                           

01.01.  Elections to National Assembly for Wales were held on 5 May 2016. The work needed to transition to the Fifth Assembly was initially scoped over the autumn of 2014 and discussed by the Assembly’s Management Board in January 2015. Plans were developed and actioned over the following 18 months to deliver on an ambition to give Assembly Members and their support staff a positive experience of the transition to the Fifth Assembly. 

01.02.                              This was the second time that the Assembly had dissolved. Many of the challenges encountered during the 2011 dissolution had been addressed, however, 2016 was the first experience of dissolution for 24 of the 60 Assembly Members. Prior to the election 13 Members had announced they were standing down, therefore, a certain level of turnover was expected.

01.03.                Of the 60 Members elected to the Fifth Assembly, 38 had been Members in the previous Assembly. Only one of the remaining 22 Members had been Assembly Members previously, although a small number were, or had been, Members of Parliament or Members of the European Parliament.

01.04.                              Feedback on the welcome and induction arrangements was generally extremely positive. Some matters were problematic for a small number of Members, for example one Member felt that they had experienced a delay in receiving their ICT kit, another was concerned he had not been made aware of some of the facilities available. However these were addressed quickly and affected a small number of individuals rather than being common to all.

01.05.                              This submission outlines plans that were put in place and materials produced to support newly elected and returning Members and their staff during the first few weeks. More information can be provided on request.

02.                              Project and work planning

02.01.  Assembly Commission staff preparations for the Fifth Assembly covered the following key areas for the period immediately before and after the election:-

                                     Oversight of Assembly Commission preparations for the elections, formal decision making, communications and guidance for all;

                                     Dissolution of the Fourth Assembly, particularly advice and help to Members who were stepping down and procedural issues because of the change in the nature of the Assembly’s (see Section 6);

                                     Transition for Members who were re-elected (see Section 9);

                                     Welcome for all Members after the election;

                                     Preparation of accessible information for new Members and their staff;

         Induction and Member Development programme to facilitate changes and secure improvement and readiness for the new Assembly;

                                     Procedural preparations; and

         The Official Opening of the Fifth Assembly.

02.02.                              The approach aimed to give Members and their staff full and early information to enable them to plan for dissolution. For those Members who planned to step down the aim was to ensure they had the advice needed to bring their Assembly work to a close within appropriate timescales.

02.03.  The evaluation of the transition to the Fourth Assembly had indicated that a streamlined method of delivery should be adopted, with centralised oversight and a number of work streams taken forward by specific teams as part of business as usual. 

03.                Delivery strands

03.01.  Senior officials were given the responsibility of delivering separate strands of work, allocated to those with operational responsibility for those areas meaning delivery was part of business as usual as far as possible. The strands were:

         Pre-dissolution – finalising the work of Presiding Officers and Assembly Commission; planning for formal business relating to the end of the Fourth Assembly;

         Dissolution period - advice and guidance for Members and their staff, including the use of Assembly resources, redundancy arrangements, winding up offices and casework, advising on what they could and could not do during the election period;

                       The election – public information, including communicating results with the public; liaison with Returning Officers and receiving official returns;

                                     Member welcome and induction – plans for oath/affirmation, welcome and induction arrangements, support with staffing and allowances;

         Early business and procedural advice – including the elections of specific office holders such as Presiding Officers and First Minister;

         Official opening – preparations for the official opening of the Fifth Assembly;

                                     Operational preparations - matters including office and ICT allocation, capacity and resource planning.

03.02.                Each Strand Lead provided oversight and leadership for the achievement of key outcomes within their strand and reported on progress to Management Board via a Senior Responsible Officer. The Strand Leads were responsible for ensuring co-ordination across service areas and that the delivery of outputs and outcomes were focused on the needs of Assembly Members and other stakeholders. They also had oversight of resource needs (and pinch points) and helped to find solutions, appropriate communications and management of risks and issues.

04.                Lessons from 2011 and engagement with the political groups

04.01.                              Lessons learned in 2011 and improvements made included:

         as far as possible paying attention to the individual needs of Members, aiming to provide more tailored and personal communication, particularly through drop in sessions and discussions with groups of staff;

                                     taking account of the responsibilities of Members as employers and the concerns of their support staff;

                                     engaging the political groups in planning; and

                                     developing advice for Members and their staff on what they would and would not be able to do during dissolution.

04.02.                              Feedback was gathered from Members shortly after the 2011 election and was also sought as part of the Hansard Society’s Assembly Line study that looked at the experiences of newly elected Members.[1]

04.03.  Engagement with Members, their staff and the political groups started a year before the election and they were regularly consulted as plans were developed and evolved, in particular in relation to the Welcome and Induction arrangements. A question on post-election arrangements was included in the 2015 Members’ survey and many Members provided a number of suggestions as part of this process.

04.04.  Officials engaged with the political groups regularly over the 12 month period running up to the election. No formal working group was established, although regular discussions were held with senior representatives from each of the parties to discuss proposals and gain their support. Their advice was sought on the type of information that would be useful to Members and their staff early on and the best ways of sharing this. They were also asked to give a steer on the timing of the induction sessions and their content, and this proved to be extremely valuable in securing Members’ participation in the induction programme.

04.05.  During the planning stage, contact was also made with political parties not represented previously in the Assembly, to identify and establish key contacts, provide information on the support in place over the first few weeks and advise on arrangements for early Assembly Business.

04.06.  Regular contact with all political parties was essential for the successful planning and delivery of the welcome and induction. All parties were engaged in the process and while they were understandably less engaged during the dissolution period this did not cause any difficulties. Senior representatives from the parties were fully briefed on the plans, the induction programme and early Business and had key contacts that they could approach with any queries and for advice.

05.                              Scenarios Group

05.01.                In addition to the clear deliverables identified in the planning process, some aspects of the transition to the Fifth Assembly were likely to remain as uncertainties, such as the election of additional political groups.

05.02.  These issues were considered by a ‘Scenarios Group’ - a forum to consider possible scenarios relevant to transition to the Fifth Assembly and give assurance that all necessary preparatory work was in hand.

05.03.  The group, drawn from senior staff across the organisation, identified required actions and priorities and communicated these to appropriate work streams and service areas so that options could be prepared where appropriate.

05.04.                              The discussions undertaken by this group were widely regarded as a highly effective way of ensuring breadth of consideration of cross cutting issues.

06.                              Communication through the Election period

06.01.  Members and their staff were given detailed guidance on their use of Assembly resources during the dissolution (election) period. This included the extent of access to services provided by the Assembly Commission, such as ICT, secure areas on the Assembly Estate and the Assembly’s Research Service.

06.02.                A secure internet site was created that Members and their staff could access during dissolution holding information such as guidance on handling casework during an election period. This site was closed once all non-returned Members had completed the process of winding up their offices.

06.03.                              Specific guidance was developed for Members standing and Members not standing for re-election. For the former group, specific advice was prepared for those not re-elected to assist them with matters such as winding up their offices, completing casework and dealing with staff redundancies. Commission staff were on hand to guide and provide advice on all these matters during dissolution.

06.04.                              During the dissolution period all candidates were sent a letter by post outlining the welcome arrangements in place if elected and referring them to the Electoral Commission’s guidance on the rules that may disqualify them from being Assembly Members. Candidates were also asked to complete a questionnaire asking for practical information that would be useful prior to their arrival, for example, expected arrival times, language preferences and accessibility needs. This was also available as an online survey.

06.05.  Letters were sent to all candidates, many of whom were standing in a regional list seat as well as a constituency seat. 121 of these returned a completed form. Of the 60 Members returned, 35 had responded to the questionnaire. This exercise proved extremely useful for planning and ensuring Members had a positive experience on arrival. Enough staff guides were on hand to meet Members on arrival and oath taking arrangements were well managed. Even so, it was a resource intensive exercise and there was no way of guaranteeing that candidates would complete the questionnaire. 

07.                Contact and induction programme for new Members

Welcome and arrival

07.01.  Section 23 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 requires Assembly Members to take the oath of allegiance or make the corresponding affirmation in the form set out in Section 2 of the Promissory Oaths Act 1868 (c.72) as soon as is reasonably practicable after being returned as a Member. Until then, they must not do anything as a Member other than participate in the election of the Presiding Officer or Deputy Presiding Officer. No salary, allowance, gratuity or payment towards the provision of a pension, allowance or gratuity can be paid, although entitlements are paid retrospectively once the oath or affirmation has been made. In practice, this also means Members cannot receive access to services and operational support, such as ICT and Assembly facilities, until the oath has been taken or the affirmation made. Staff employed by Members are also unable to access such services until the Member has taken the oath. This affected returning Members in particular.

07.02.                              Welcome arrangements were set up around an oath taking event, taking place over three days immediately following the election starting at 8:00 on Friday 6 May. This enabled new and returning Members to take their oaths or make the affirmation quickly and begin their work as Assembly Members. The majority of Members took the Oath in the Senedd Siambr (chamber) in Cardiff Bay. Provision was made for Members in north or west Wales if they preferred, with many taking up this opportunity. 

07.03.  The following services were on hand to provide advice over the 3 day period and Members were encouraged to have early discussions with each of these areas on their first visit:

Staff Guides

07.04.                During the Welcome event all Members (newly elected and returning) were assigned a staff guide to assist with any queries and ensure they were able to access the advice and support needed. The guides were on hand to assist Members on arrival at the Assembly and to make the oath taking experience as smooth as possible. They were asked to make sure Members were aware of the different services present to advise them on the day, make sure they and their guests had a positive experience, show them round the estate if requested and act as a point of contact for the next few weeks if the Member wanted this. Feedback on this arrangement was very positive and many Members (newly elected and returning) felt that having an official on hand to welcome them made the experience very smooth. Even so, a small number of Members were unaware that they could contact their guide for further advice after the initial welcome period.

07.05.  The guides were volunteers recruited from across the Assembly Commission. While there was no specific requirement in terms of grade or thorough procedural knowledge, Guides were expected to be helpful, welcoming and able to signpost to sources of information and advice if required. All guides received training which was held during dissolution. This was delivered by the Guides coordinator and officials leading on election arrangements and covered practical issues, walk-throughs of the arrangements and some consideration of scenarios that might arise. Guides also received a written briefing that they could refer to on the day.

Information packs

07.06.  Information packs were handed out to Members at the oath taking event.  For new Members, these included:

                                     A new Members’ Handbook;

                                     security booklet;

         induction schedule and brochure;

                                     key contact booklet;

                                     guides to Plenary and early business;

         ICT security rules and maps of the Assembly estate.

07.07.  This information was also available electronically in a searchable format and on the Members’ intranet.

07.08.                              Returning Members received a brief guide to the changes being introduced in the Fifth Assembly, security booklet, senior staff key contact booklet and the guide to early business.  

07.09.                              Officials liaised with the political groups in developing these documents to ensure the right information was provided at the right time. Developing and producing this information required a significant investment of staff time. While the feedback has generally been positive, with some Members feeling that the documents were useful reference points, a few felt that that they were handed too much information early on.

07.10.                              Alongside these materials we updated the information given to Members’ support staff, including a detailed handbook setting out the support and advice available to them. These are given to all new starters.

Induction programme

07.11.                              Newly elected Members were encouraged to attend induction sessions. This was supported by the party groups. All 22 new Members attended the sessions highlighted in the paragraph below, with tailored programmes of follow-on sessions developed for different parties in consultation with political groups and relevant Assembly staff.

07.12.                              The content and schedules varied according to the needs of each political party, although all new Assembly Members attended the following sessions, delivered on a party group basis during the first week:

                       Chamber and early business (including training on the Chamber ICT system);

                                     Standards of Conduct briefing; and

                                     Setting up your office – advice on staffing, allowances and the legal parameters around handling casework. 

07.13.                              The induction programme worked to the principle of providing the right information at the right time – mirroring the activities and priorities Members were likely to be facing in the first few weeks, including participating in the formal Proceedings of the Assembly during this period.  These were identified during discussions with the political groups during the planning period, as follows:

         Week 1: Getting started and understanding how the Assembly works (see above);

         Weeks 2-4: Setting up an office (induction sessions on Support for Dealing with Casework, Information Governance, Working Bilingually, Tabling Business and Chamber Business);

         Weeks 5-8: Business as usual (sessions included subject briefings for casework, Members’ Bills, Security).

07.14.  The follow on sessions held during weeks 2-8 were flexible. They were arranged for individual or small groups of Members, according to specific needs, including briefings on security and working safely, tabling business, chamber business, research and legal support for dealing with constituency issues, topical and research briefings on issues that arise as part of casework (for example housing, planning and health) legislation and making laws, and bilingual working.

07.15.                Alongside these sessions regular induction briefings were arranged for any staff appointed by Members. These were delivered cross party and on a party group basis depending on the number of attendees and the requests received. They continue to be delivered regularly, in addition to more detailed training or briefing sessions on relevant issues (see Section 13).

07.16.  Overall the induction programme was successful and generated interest in the ongoing programme of tailored professional development for Members and their staff. The approach was flexible, making it possible to offer bespoke support and arrange sessions at quite short notice if requested. Although this was quite resource intensive for officials involved, it ensured that sessions were relevant and timely, and provided an early opportunity for senior officials to engage with newly elected Members.

08.                              Post-Election professional development opportunities including training in parliamentary procedures

08.01.  At the start of the Fourth Assembly in 2011, a programme of continuous professional development for Assembly Members and their staff was introduced. This programme continues to be in place and levels of engagement during the first few months of the Fifth Assembly have been high amongst Members and their staff. Since May 2016 44 of the 60 Members and 139 of the approximately 250 Assembly Members Support Staff have participated in some form of CPD. The programme will evolve according to the needs identified by individual Members, groups or Members’ support staff, and will reflect the changes that Members will face in carrying out their work in the Fifth Assembly.

08.02.                              The type of support delivered to date or planned for the coming months includes Members’ bills, scrutiny of legislation, scrutiny of tax legislation, communications and public engagement, leadership, topical briefings (for example Wales Bill and Brexit briefings), ICT training and Welsh tuition.

08.03.                              Delivery is tailored and flexible, through short one to one briefings in person or using technology such as skype, committee sessions, and sessions for groups of Members, groups of staff or both. Any sessions that are aimed at the Assembly’s committees tend to happen during committee time and are rarely longer than 2 hours. As the workload of the committees increases it may be necessary to consider different ways of delivering support to committee members. Sessions for smaller groups of Members, or those delivered on a party group basis are often tagged onto other meetings, such as group meetings. The team liaises with Members’ offices and group offices to find slots that are likely to be convenient and secure time for these in the Members’ calendars as early as possible. This can often mean using Monday afternoons, breakfast or lunchtime slots.

08.04.  Factual briefings on procedural and topical issues, or matters such as employment are usually delivered in-house, by officials that have expertise in the relevant areas. Any sessions that are relate to behavioural change or enhancing skills, for example on the effective scrutiny of legislation, or communications, would usually be delivered by an external expert sometimes with support from officials. 

08.05.  Feedback is generally very positive and there is support across all parties for the programme. Even so there have been a small number of instances where Members have felt that they haven’t gained a significant amount from participating in a session. All feedback is taken on board and shapes future support and delivery. Many of those newly elected to the Assembly have taken up the support available, as have many of those that were Members in previous Assemblies. The induction period was a key opportunity to flag up the type of support available and develop relationships with Members and their staff, but the programme builds on the momentum gained during the previous Assembly. 

09.                Support for returning Members

09.01.                Arrangements for oath taking were the same for newly elected and returning Assembly Members, meaning returning Members were able to access the same level of support from officials if they wished, including advice on their legal duties in relation to the registration of Members’ interests, staffing advice and access to ICT support. Many returning Members took up the opportunity to take the oath or make the affirmation in the Assembly’s North Wales office, which meant they were able to get to work immediately after the election without having to travel to Cardiff first.

09.02.                              Specific information was prepared for returning Members, including a summary of the main practical changes that had been made in time for the Fifth Assembly, key changes to the Determination on Members’ Pay and Allowances and updated advice on security. This was a recommendation that came from the Assembly Commission, who felt that it was important to draw returning Members’ attention to any changes or issues that would affect them.

09.03.  In the weeks after the election returning Members were also given one to one advice on matters such as staffing and office arrangements if required. They were also given the opportunity to talk to their ICT account manager about their ICT requirements.

10.                              Office accommodation for Members and their staff

10.01.                              Members were asked to pack up their offices on the Assembly estate prior to the dissolution of the Fourth Assembly and the contents stored on the estate until the outcome of the election was known.

10.02.                              Early discussions with the political groups meant Members could be allocated a temporary office on the first day. Any subsequently required moves were negotiated between or within the political groups.

10.03.                              Since the election the Members’ Business Support team has worked very closely with Members to help them find their constituency or regional office accommodation, supplemented by guidance on issues such as accessibility and contracts or lease arrangements. The Assembly Commission is also undertaking security reviews at each office.

11.                              ICT/ digital technology for Members and their staff

11.01.                              All Assembly Members have an ICT account manager as their key contact on all ICT matters. Newly elected Members were provided with temporary standard desktop ICT equipment. Following discussions with ICT staff they were able to choose a mobile device, which was available for them to use in the first few days. Members could then choose an appropriate package of kit from an ICT equipment catalogue - this approach aims to give Members flexibility according to their staffing and office requirement. The ICT team also supports the installation of broadband in Members’ constituency or regional offices.

11.02.                Members returning to the Assembly were initially given the equipment they had used at the end of the Fourth Assembly, including any phones or tablets that were not hired for their use during dissolution. They then had the opportunity to discuss theirs and their staffs’ ICT requirements, replacing their old kit with new equipment of their choice and making any additional kit required available quickly. Additional items beyond the Assembly Commission provided allocation can be purchased using Members’ office costs, as long as they are compatible with the Assembly’s systems and can be supported by the ICT team.

12.                              Information and training for Members as employers

12.01.                              The Members’ Business Support team is responsible for providing advice to Members on their allowances, including their staffing arrangements, providing detailed, ongoing HR advice on matters such as Members’ legal duties as employers, recruitment and performance management. The team also manages the Members’ budget and implements the Determination on Assembly Members’ Allowances and Expenses.

12.02.                              The team was on hand to provide advice and guidance to Members from the outset, in the following ways:

                                     Immediate advice on the first day as part of the oath event;

                                     45 minute induction session on setting up and office and staffing;

                                     One to one meetings with all Members to advise on allowances, including staffing matters;

                                     Ongoing support, if requested, for recruitment of both temporary and permanent staff; and

         Regular advice to Members on employment and HR matters as part of business as usual. The team also runs a weekly drop-in session during Plenary.

12.03.                              Members were given detailed policies, written guidance and a pocket guide following the election. Advice is also available on the Members’ intranet.

12.04.  Members can appoint temporary staff for up to six months through a simple process. If they wish to make a permanent appointment they must carry out an open recruitment, which includes advertising on the Assembly’s website for two weeks. The rules around recruitment are set out in the Determination on Members’ Pay and Allowances.

13.                              Resources and support for Members’ staff, including constituency-based staff

13.01.  Members employ staff that work at the Assembly and in their constituency or regional office across Wales. Anticipating that many newly elected Members would be taking on staff immediately after the election, information was prepared that could be given to all new starters. This resulted in the production of a new Assembly Member Support Staff Handbook, outlining the code of conduct, terms and conditions and support available to them in carrying out their work. This was developed in consultation with a group of Assembly Members’ Support Staff in the run up to the election who advised on useful content and matters of interest. Detailed information is also available to all on the Members’ intranet. 

13.02.                              Induction sessions have been held regularly since the election (every week for the first two months) in Cardiff Bay, with some of these focussing on the formal business of the Assembly, while others were aimed more at those carrying out constituency work. 49 support staff have attended induction session since the election. Participants are asked to comment on the relevance of the content and any feedback is taken into consideration so that the sessions remain relevant. These are usually a full day and continue to be held regularly, as do more detailed briefings and training sessions for Members’ staff in Cardiff, and an increasing number of training sessions being arranged in other locations across Wales. Delivery of these sessions is flexible. Induction and ongoing CPD is delivered to support staff on a cross-party or on a party group basis, for individuals Members’ offices or indeed for individual Members of staff. Members’ staff are regularly asked to identify areas for further development and asked for feedback.

13.03.  Topics include: Members’ bills, chamber business, making use of the research service, dealing with casework, handling data, Welsh language and bilingual working, lone working, dealing with vulnerable people, communications and social media, and topical briefings such as planning, housing, Brexit and the Wales Bill.

13.04.                Job specific training packages are in place that aim to support those carrying out specific roles in Members’ office. These include specific support for constituency-based staff or those dealing with casework, including sessions on ‘conversations with vulnerable people’, lone working and managing casework.

13.05.                              During the Fifth Assembly we will be trialling more flexible methods of delivery, including face to face in a wider range of locations across Wales and the use of technology to deliver sessions via Skype/webinars and online support.

14.                              Services provided by Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

14.01.                Pay and allowances for Members of the National Assembly for Wales are determined by a statutory, independent Remuneration Board. The Remuneration Board’s Determination for the Fifth Assembly was published a year before the election, which allowed guidance and advice to be prepared well in advance. The Board’s decisions and pay and allowances arrangements are implemented by the Members’ Business Support team, who had regular, early contact with Members from the outset to ensure they had access to the advice and guidance they needed.

15.                              Lessons learned and initial observations

15.01.                              Our initial observations of this work can be summarised as follows:

                                     Early engagement with political groups was essential for planning, engagement and buy-in;

                                     Close working with political groups was also essential for arranging induction sessions and communicating key information in the first few weeks; 

                                     Arrangements for the oath taking/affirmation worked well and having a small number of key services present for early discussions with Members on arrival was useful, but follow up sessions during the first few weeks were essential for advising on issues such as allowances and staffing;

                       Initial and follow-on induction sessions were well planned, receiving positive feedback. This work has also helped embed ongoing CPD into the work of the Assembly. Arranging and running these sessions can be resource-intensive but worthwhile as an early source of information and advice to Members and a way of initiating discussions with officials;

                                     Attempts were made to give Members key pieces of information at relevant times. However, some felt that there was still a substantial amount of information to take in early on;

                       Early contact with Members’ staff, for example through induction sessions, has built positive relationships with Members’ offices across Wales. 

26 October 2016