ADA Committee workstreams 2018

ADA’s Policy & Finance and Technical & Environment Committees met on 9th January to set the scene for the issues to be worked on through 2018. The general consensus was for each committee to tackle fewer subjects in more detail and for ADA to play a greater role in managing the delivery of those agreed workstreams, subject to resource availability.

For P & F, the subject headings agreed for work to be progressed included;

Audit & Governance and in particular how better use is made of the IDB1 information to inform governance improvements, how we can assist smaller IDBs in managing their requirements and ensuring transparency of information available for public scrutiny.
Lead: I Thomson

Membership Fees. Working to review the evolving membership trends and, in particular, to consider appropriate fee structures for smaller IDBs.
Lead: R Caudwell

IDB Ratings. This workstream continues from 2017 towards establishing a robust system for updating the 1991 rating systems and seeking a mechanism to enable the enlargement of Internal Drainage Districts.
Lead: I Moodie

Publicity and Communications with Branches & Members. Work to progress the updating of general information booklets and understanding the support needed by Branches, local events and promotion of IDB/LA local activities to schools and teachers.
Lead: M Harrison

Emergency Response Capabilities of IDBs. The aim of this workstream was to have a draft protocol for discussion available by late Spring 2018 and an agreed operational document published by Autumn 2018. This protocol would be closely tied into the current Public Sector Co-operation Agreement principles.
Lead: I Russell

P & F also endorsed the draft ADA budget to be taken to the Board meeting on 13th February.

Much deserved thanks was offered to Ian Thornton chairing his final P & F meeting after many years of its leadership and full endorsement was given to the appointment of the new Chair, Tim Farr, who will take over from Ian from 1st April 2018.

For T & E, the agreed workstreams for 2018 covered the following topics;

Health & Safety. To develop, circulate and create generic information about the health & safety performance of IDBs.
Lead: Ian Benn

ADA Member training. Workstream to develop relevant training guidance to ADA members on relevant topics.
Lead: To be confirmed

Water Transfer Licensing. This workstream continues from 2017 to ensure that a fair and equitable system is developed by the EA to recognise the work that IDBs do in transferring water through their districts in relation to the new water abstraction and transfer licensing regulations.
Lead: I Moodie

Data & Evidence. To make use of IDB1 information to provide a series of visual metrics about the activities of IDBs and the gathering of evidence to support those metrics.
Lead: To be confirmed

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