Tag Archive for: Public Sector

Public Sector Climate Action Mandate 2024 – What You Need to Know

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Public Sector Climate Action Mandate 2024

The Public Sector Climate Action Mandate (PSCAM) for 2024 was approved and updated by Government in December 2023 in preparation for Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP24). The aim of the PSCAM is to support public sector bodies covered by CAP24 that have targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency by 2030. The Mandate sets out goals and targets that must be actioned by public sector bodies. The 2024 Mandate is an expansion of the 2023 Mandate in which existing actions have been added and expanded. This article will talk through the updated Mandate, explain its purpose and describe the new requirements that it presents.

What is the Mandate?

The aim of the PSCAM is to support public sector bodies in Ireland covered by CAP24 that have targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. The Mandate also supports targets to improve energy efficiency in the public sector by 50% by 2030. Each public sector body to which the Mandate applies is to develop a Climate Action Roadmap that will outline how it will deliver on energy efficiency and reduced emissions targets. Guidelines to develop Climate Action Roadmaps are provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It should be noted that the Mandate does not apply to every public sector body. Local Authorities, Commercial Semi- State Bodies, and schools are exempt from adhering to the Mandate. The Mandate specifies how public bodies covered by the Mandate may use Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a process to meet an organisation’s needs for goods, services, works, and utilities by choosing solutions that have a reduced impact on the environment.

Status of the 2023 Mandate

Many of the requirements found in the 2024 Mandate are unchanged from previous years. For example, the requirement to establish and support Green Teams remains unaltered, and senior management and members of State Boards are still required to complete a climate action leadership training course. As well as this, nothing has been removed from the Mandate, meaning that any work that has been completed to fulfil the previous Mandate remains valid. The updated mandate expands on Green Public Procurement requirements outlined in the previous mandate, with additional requirements that relate to construction, water use, paper use, and waste management in an organisation.

Changes from the 2023 Mandate

  • A new requirement related to construction that states that best practice guidelines must be adhered to for the preparation of Resource and Waste Management Plans for construction and demolition projects for procured or supported construction projects from 2024.
  • A new requirement on targeting food waste on premises from 2024 by using a standardised food waste measurement approach as outlined in the EPA Protocol Pathway.
  • A new requirement stating that all contract arrangements related to food and canteen services must also address food waste prevention and food waste segregation.
  • A new requirement that states that water refill points should be provided for staff and that the usage of the refill points should be measured and monitored.
  • A new requirement to gradually eliminate the use of single use items for events.
  • A new requirement for the collection and recycling of produce, requiring that waste collection services are segregated into a minimum of three streams: residual/general waste, recycling waste and organic/biowaste.
  • A new requirement related to paper that states that paper consumption should be measured and monitored.
  • An amendment stating that the planning of deep-retrofit building measures for Public Sector bodies and sectoral groups should be undertaken at sectoral level for homogenous sectors.
  • An amendment stating that public sector bodies with a large estate should develop a portfolio building stock plan, in line with guidance published by SEAI. The previous mandate stated that the EPBD was to be consulted for guidance.
  • A new requirement stating that small public sector bodies should include a basic building stock analysis or statement as part of their Climate Action Roadmap, in line with guidance published by SEAI.
  • A new requirement stating that public sector bodies with a vehicle fleet should develop a plan for the installation of charging infrastructure in relevant locations and should be included in an organisation’s Climate Action Roadmap.

Taken together, meeting the new Mandate will require attentive work. Crowleys DFK’s team of subject matter specialists are available to assist your development to meet these requirements.                                                

Vincent Teo | Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

Vincent Teo
Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

 Dr. Conor Dowling | Research & Policy Executive | Risk Consulting

Dr. Conor Dowling
Research & Policy Manager
Risk Consulting
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Infrastructure Guidelines – Outline of Changes to the Public Spending Code

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Infrastructure Guidelines – Outline of Changes to the Public Spending Code

From January 1st 2024, changes have been made to the Public Spending Code (PSC) concerning infrastructural and large-scale capital projects. The new “Infrastructure Guidelines”, which have replaced the PSC requirements for capital expenditure as previously outlined in Public Spending Code: A Guide to Evaluating, Planning and Managing Public Investment, December 2019, apply to all Government departments, local authorities, the HSE, public bodies, and any other body in receipt of public funding. The new “Infrastructure Guidelines” describe a new project lifecycle, with a series of stages to be completed prior to implementing a project. Here we will cover the key areas you should be aware of, while our Expert Team is available to provide further explanation and assistance.

Key Players in the new Guidelines

Addressed mainly to stages in project lifecycle relating to evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects, the “Infrastructure Guidelines” create new responsibilities for key individuals involved in these areas. Three individuals or positions are of particular importance, these being the Accounting Officer (AO), the Approving Authority (AA), and the Sponsoring Agency (SA).

The AO’s responsibilities are considerable here. It falls to the AO to ensure that their Department/Office/Body and any other relevant agency under their remit are compliant with these guidelines. Additionally, the AO is responsible for managing the budgets of the individual projects and the capital budget for their area overall.

Ultimately the AO is responsible for the project and the “Infrastructure Guidelines” provide a wide range of specific responsibilities for the AO to fulfill, such as monitoring the project as it is implemented and Assessing the Final Business Case. Alongside the AO in fulfilling these responsibilities is the AA, referring to the Department funding the project. Both the AO and AA should be aware of the wide-ranging responsibilities set out in the “Infrastructure Guidelines”.

The SA may be a government department, local authority, state agency, higher education institute, cultural institution or other state body and its responsibilities lie in evaluating, planning and managing public investment projects. Again the “Infrastructure Guidelines” set out key tasks that must be fulfilled.

Stages in Project Lifecycle

The core of the new “Infrastructure Guidelines” relates to the new stages of the project lifecycle which have been established and which all projects must follow. The new guidelines focus on three preliminary stages in the lifecycle which occur prior to implementation, these being:

  1. Strategic Assessment & Preliminary Business Case
  2. Pre-tender – Project Design, Planning and Procurement Strategy
  3. Post Tender – Final Business Case

It should be noted that the guidelines provide a simplified version of this process for projects with an estimated capital cost of less than €20m. For these projects, the following two approval stages must be fulfilled prior to implementation:

  • Preliminary Business Case
  • Post Tender – Final Business Case

The “Infrastructure Guidelines” emphasise that these stages are “incremental”. This means that a project is not locked in merely from having passed the first or second stage. Should a project at, for example, the third approval stage, be deemed to be no longer worthwhile for whatever reason, the project can be set down.

Extensive guidelines for following these phases have been made available by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Below are the key areas relevant parties should consider:

1. Strategic Assessment & Preliminary Business Case

This “Strategic Assessment” refers to the process of determining and defining the rationale for a project and ensuring that it is in line with government policy. This assessment should be submitted to the Approving Authority which will then, if acceptable, move the project to the Preliminary Business Case.

At this stage, the Sponsoring Agency must develop a Business Case which sets out, for instance, the investment rationale and objectives of the project. It should include a description of the short-list of potential options to deliver objectives set out, assessment of affordability within existing resources, assessment of delivery risk, and several other areas. The purpose of the Preliminary Business Case, then, is to provide the AO and AA with information regarding the viability and desirability of public spending proposals. It also creates a framework for assessing  a project’s costs, benefits, affordability, deliverability, risks and sensitivities.

2. Pre-tender – Project Design, Planning and Procurement Strategy

The purpose of this stage is to develop the options set out in the Preliminary Business Case, with the end goal of developing a Detailed Business Case which will set out procurement strategy and project execution plan. This is a process of reviewing and confirming assumptions; approval from the AO and AA here moves a project to Tender. The critical issue to be considered in the Design and Planning Stage is ensuring that output requirements are given strong definition to avoid amendments later in the project.

3. Post Tender – Final Business Case

The development of the Final Business Case represents the final stage in the approval process for a project. Again the purpose here is to subject a project to critical scrutiny, using understanding developed relating to costs, benefits, risks, and delivery and applying this. The Final Business Case will be the document which will be used by the Approving Authority to determine whether a project is to progress to the award of contracts. It should be noted that this occurs after tendering. However, completion of the tendering process does not represent the award of a contract.

Major Projects

As noted above, for projects costing below €20 million, the above process has been simplified, requiring a Preliminary Business Case and a Final Business Case. For projects costing above €200 million, considered as “major projects” in the new guidelines, there are additional requirements in the project lifecycle.

Specifically, all “major projects” must, at the Preliminary Business Case stage, pass through an External Assurance Process. Furthermore, at this same stage, the Preliminary Business Case must be submitted to and reviewed by the Major Projects Advisory Group. Finally, Government consideration must be given to the project at both the Preliminary Business Case and Final Business Case stages.

Contributors
                                                    

Vincent Teo | Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

Vincent Teo
Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

 Dr. Conor Dowling | Research & Policy Executive | Risk Consulting

Dr. Conor Dowling
Research & Policy Executive
Risk Consulting
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Central Government Accounting Standards – What You Need to Know

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Central Government Accounting Standards – What You Need to Know

From January 1st, new Central Government Accounting Standards (CGAS) will see significant reform of financial reporting for all Government Departments and Offices of Government. These new standards, being based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) generally favoured by the European Commission, aim to modernise financial reporting in Ireland along lines proposed by successive IMF and OECD reports.

The CGAS will change how public sector Vote accounts are to be prepared, requiring that financial statements also include information prepared on an accruals basis in the Statement of Financial Position. This article will run through the key changes imposed by the CGAS and explain the principles behind these.

Requirements

The CGAS coming into effect from January 1st are envisioned as a stage in a wider process of reform of financial reporting in Ireland. For the moment, the CGAS and their requirements apply to the following bodies:

  • All Departments and Offices of Government
  • The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission
  • The National Training Fund
  • The Social Insurance Fund

For these bodies, the CGAS imposes requirements as to how their Statements of Financial Position are presented. Specifically, they are now required to account for all of the following in their Statements:

  • Property, Plant and Equipment
  • Intangible Assets
  • Impairment of Non-Cash Generating Assets
  • Impairment of Cash Generating Assets
  • Service Concession Arrangements
  • Inventory
  • Leases
  • Provisions, Contingent Liabilities, Contingent Assets
  • Short-Term Employee Benefits

For each of these areas, a relevant CGAS detailing the exact requirements has been prepared by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. In addition, each of the CGAS has been provided with a manual, or Central Government Accounting Manual (CGAM). These manuals provide guidance on how the CGAS should be implemented and are a support for Finance Officers working to bring their organisation into line with the CGAS.

Government documents relating to the CGAS have emphasised that all relevant bodies must ensure that the principle of materiality is observed in their financial reporting. As an accounting principle, materiality requires that financial statements include all information and items that relevant decision makers, such as investors, might consider to impact their activity. In other words, an organisation’s economic activity can be considered to be material if it might be of interest to any and all bodies which would view that organisation’s financial statements.

In principle, then, the CGAS are to replace a cash-based system of financial reporting with reporting carried out on an accruals basis. Under the CGAS, an organisation must record economic activity regardless of whether cash was exchanged or involved in that activity. For example, under the CGAS, contingent liabilities such as guarantees, where no cash exchange has yet occurred, have to be reported.

Transitions and Enforcement

As noted, the CGAS are being adopted as part of a modernisation of Irish financial reporting, with the aim of bringing Ireland into line with the majority of OECD and EU countries. Ultimately, this reform project will formalise accrual accounting financial reporting in Ireland. Given that this reform is to secure the international credibility of financial reporting in Ireland, Central Government guidance has emphasised the importance of compliance with the CGAS.

Where a relevant body is unable to comply fully with any of the CGAS, sanction for a temporary derogation should be secured from the Government Accounting Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. This application should include a timeline for how the body will build its compliance with whatever elements of the CGAS it cannot currently meet. This sanction will have to be renewed on an annual basis; sanction received in 2024 will not apply in 2025, and so on. Where a Department or Office is non-compliant, this must be stated in their Statement of Accounting Policies and Principles in the Appropriation Accounts, as should whether any temporary derogation has been received.

It should be noted that as government reform of financial reporting is an ongoing project, future CGAS with new requirements are imminent. Continued monitoring of this area is recommended to ensure key reforms are not missed.

Contributors
                                                    

Vincent Teo | Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

Vincent Teo
Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

 Dr. Conor Dowling | Research & Policy Executive | Risk Consulting

Dr. Conor Dowling
Research & Policy Executive
Risk Consulting

 

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Public Sector Climate Action Mandate 2023 – What you need to know

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Public Sector Climate Action Mandate

In May of this year, the Government approved the updated 2023 Public Sector Climate Action Mandate (PSCAM). The Mandate, first introduced as part of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2021, sets out the goals Public Sector Bodies must achieve as part of the government’s overall strategy for reducing emissions. The newly updated Mandate is an expansion of the 2022 Mandate. New actions have been added and existing actions have been expanded. This article will talk through the updated Mandate, explain its purpose and describe the new requirements it presents.

What is the Mandate?

The CAP’s overall aim is to achieve a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland by 2030. While the CAP acknowledges that the public sector is not the major driver of emissions, the Mandate has been introduced to facilitate the public sector in taking a leading role in reducing emissions. The Mandate must be followed for those bodies it applies to, but it should be noted that it does not apply to every public sector body. Local Authorities, Commercial Semi-State Agencies and Schools are all exempt from the Mandate. Size is also a consideration when adhering to the Mandate. The Mandate places greater responsibilities on government departments and also on organisations that consume over 50 GWh of energy per annum than it does on smaller bodies, which can fulfil the Mandate’s minimum requirements.

Status of the 2022 Mandate

For those public bodies the Mandate does apply to, many of the requirements found in the updated Mandate are unchanged from previous years. For instance, the requirement to establish and support Green Teams has not been altered. Furthermore, nothing has been removed from the Mandate. This means that any work completed to fulfil the previous Mandate remains valid. Any organisation still working on fulfilling the previous Mandate can continue to use the guides made available by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. We anticipate that updated guidelines will be made available for the new Mandate, however, no timeline for this is available so far.

Changes from the 2022 Mandate

For those who are subject to the Mandate, the following are the major changes to be aware of:

  • A new requirement has been added stating that senior management complete a climate action leadership training course in 2023.
  • The requirement that sustainability and emissions be addressed in the annual report has been amended. The annual report must now also address: a) efforts to implement the Mandate; b) compliance with Circular 1/2020 related to air travel emissions.
  • The requirement to review use of paper has been amended to include the need to eliminate paper-based processes and, where this is not possible, to use recycled paper as the default.
  • The requirement to achieve formal environmental certification has been amended with distinct requirements for organisations spending more or less than €2m per annum on energy.
  • A requirement to implement Green Public Procurement (GPP) has been added. This should be performed in line with the EPA Green Public Procurement Guidance.
  • The requirement to create bicycle friendly buildings has been amended to indicate that the priority should be to facilitate moving away from individual car use.
  • A new requirement to phase out the use of parking in buildings, without compromising on supports for those with physical mobility issues, has been added.
  • New recommendations for retrofitting large building have been added.
  • The requirement to procure zero-emission vehicles only has been amended to include a requirement that any procurement contracts a public sector body enters into should use zero emissions vehicles whenever possible.

Contributors
                                                    

Vincent Teo | Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

Vincent Teo
Partner & Head of Public Sector & Government Services

 Dr. Conor Dowling | Research & Policy Executive | Risk Consulting

Dr. Conor Dowling
Research & Policy Manager
Risk Consulting
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Crowleys DFK Awarded Excellence in Public Sector Services

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Excellence in Public Sector Services

We are delighted to have been awarded the Public Sector Magazine’s Excellence in Public Sector Services Award 2020 for our “consistent high-quality services to the public sector”. 

“It is great to be recognised for our work in the Public Sector. Last year we strengthened our Public Sector Department even further by adding another Partner, David Coombes, to our team. This strong leadership has helped ensure that we deliver a seamless and consistent service to our public sector clients.”  commented Vincent Teo, Head of Public Sector Services. 

For more information on our Public Sector Services, please get in touch.  

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Government issue Cloud Computing Advice Note for Public Service Organisations

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Cloud Computing Advice Note Public Service Organisations Crowleys DFK Xero Cloud Accounting

In October 2019, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published the Government’s Cloud Computing Advice Note. The Note sets out the Government’s view that public service organisations must now take a more proactive and progressive approach to embracing cloud computing.

Specifically, public service organisations are encouraged to take a “cloud-first” approach for all new systems. Likewise, they are encouraged to review all existing systems for cloud capability.

Crowleys DFK have recently been awarded a Platinum Partner status by Xero, a leading cloud accounting software. This recognition confirms that our cloud accounting offerings to our clients is accredited to the highest level.  We are best placed to offer public and private sector clients of all sizes in implementing cloud accounting solutions for their business.

Our team of cloud accounting experts provide the following services:

  • Identify the most appropriate accounting system for your business.
  • Implement the chosen solution for you, tailoring it to your unique requirements.
  • Provide ongoing training and support to you and your staff.

For assistance or advice on cloud accounting, please contact David Coombes, Partner, Public Sector & Government Services.

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