Process for delivering grants

​Request 746263173

The questions I would ask is what is the process applied by your department in making grants, which are effectively gifts with no strings attached?

1. Do you review the accounts of the entity of the previous year?

2. Do you consider the budget of the body to assess the needs of the body receiving grants?

3. Do you exercise any oversight over the way the grant is spent on an ongoing basis?

4. Do you review the financial position of the organisation on an ongoing basis?

5. Do you assess the management capability of the individuals running the organisation receiving the grant?

6. Do you interview the management of the organisation before making a grant?

7. Do you consult with the organisation management on an ongoing basis?

Response

​1. The Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances Manual​ section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants. The principles include the requirement to ensure that the Annual Accounts of those bodies which receive grant funding in excess of £75,000 from the States of Jersey are published as a report to the States Assembly. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will publish all Accounts received by 30th September each year, noting which ones have yet to be received. Accounts of entities who received over £75,000 are reviewed annually. See Principal 2. 

2. Yes, the Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances Manual section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants. See Principle 5. 

3. Yes, the Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances Manual section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants. See Principle 6. 

4. Yes, the Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances Manual section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants. See Principal 2.

5. Whilst the Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances Manual section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants, information is not specifically held with regard to ‘management capability’ and therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

6. The Department for the Economy adheres to the Public Finances manual section on ‘Grants’ when awarding grants and this includes establishing effective and efficient administrative controls and ensuring due diligence is undertaken regarding grant recipients proportionate to value of grant and risk. ‘Interviews’ are not a term used in the grant appraisal and therefore Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

7. Officers within the Department meet regularly with grant recipients.   

It should be noted that letters of instruction are a procedure under the Public Finance Manual where an Accountable Officer considers that a course of action requested by the Minister responsible for their department's activity may have implications, specifically for these statutory responsibilities of propriety or regularity; economy, efficiency and effectiveness. All letters of instruction that have been issued since the implementation of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 are available here Letters of instruction for public finances​

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority” 

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if – 

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or 

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.