Friday 23 December 2022 - Report

C&AG publishes report into Grants to Arts, Heritage and Culture Organisations

Topics: Financial Management and Internal Control

Departments: Economic Development

Sector: Grants, Subsidies & Other Funding

Report - Grants to culture, arts and heritage organisations

Report: pdf (460.17 KB)

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Background

The funding of arts, heritage and culture organisations is used by the Government of Jersey to help deliver a range of strategic objectives which contribute to Island life.  The Government takes responsibility for protecting cultural assets and enabling access to the arts and to heritage and culture.  Fulfilling these responsibilities relies to a large extent on services being delivered through partner organisations which are supported by Government funding.

In 2018 the Government commissioned a strategic review of arts, heritage and culture.  The subsequent report included a range of recommendations focussed on addressing the challenges within the sector.  In response to this, the Council of Ministers agreed separate Arts and Heritage Strategies in December 2021.  These were launched in early 2022.

Funding for heritage, arts and culture was budgeted at £8.7 million for 2022.  This includes new investment as part of a commitment from 2019 (P.40/2019) to increase funding for arts, heritage and culture to a total of 1% of the Government’s net revenue budget.

My review has evaluated:

·         the effectiveness of the plans and processes in place to implement the new Arts and Heritage Strategies

·         the effectiveness of the plans and processes in place to monitor delivery of the new Arts and Heritage Strategies

·         the adequacy of Government arrangements for:

o   the award of the grants to arts, heritage and culture organisations

o   oversight of arts, heritage and culture organisations; and

o   oversight of capital grant funding of renovation projects at arts, heritage and culture sites.

Scope

The review has evaluated:

·         the effectiveness of the plans and processes in place to implement and monitor delivery of the new Arts and Heritage Strategies

·         the adequacy of Government arrangements for the award of grants to arts, heritage and culture organisations, including:

o   linkage to strategic objectives

o   justification for the level of grant; and

o   how awards to different arts, heritage and culture bodies complement one another

·         the adequacy of Government arrangements for oversight of arts, heritage and culture organisations, including:

o   internal control

o   value for money

o   corporate governance; and

o   measurement of performance against objectives of the grant; and

·         the adequacy of Government arrangements for the oversight of capital grant funding of renovation projects at arts, heritage and culture sites.

The scope of this review extended to arrangements in the Department for the Economy and its relationships with grant receiving organisations.  The review did not consider the decision to establish any of the grant receiving organisations.

Conclusions

The Arts and Heritage Strategies were prepared after the additional Government investment in the sectors was agreed and allocated for 2022.  Without detailed, costed and prioritised implementation plans, it is not possible to demonstrate that the ambitious strategies are deliverable.

The Government should agree stretched targets with Arm’s Length Bodies which are in receipt of additional grant funding that demonstrate delivery of key aspects of the Arts and Heritage Strategies.

A clear plan is required to deliver the identified refurbishment needs at the Opera House and Arts Centre.  Roles and responsibilities for future maintenance at the Opera House must be determined and agreed.



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