CEDA unveils integrated governance regulation for Vision 2030

The Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) has developed an integrated governance regulation to ensure establishment of a convention of work, raise efficiency, and facilitate coordination of efforts among the relevant authorities with regard to realizing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. This was on the basis of the Cabinet’s assignment to CEDA to develop mechanisms and arrangements to achieve the Vision.

The CEDA’s session, chaired by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, approved on Wednesday the governance framework for implementing the Vision 2030.

According to a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday, the governance regulation contains details of the mechanism and the agencies involved in effective implementation of the Vision. The details of are given below:

Roles and responsibilities:

First: At the level of drawing up approaches and approval:

The Council of Economic and Development Affairs: Based on the Cabinet’s authorization, CEDA would develop mechanisms and arrangements to achieve “the Kingdom’s Vision 2030”, including laying out visions, approaches and programs. CEDA shall discuss any modification or updates regarding the programs and initiatives besides addressing hurdles to the realization of executive programs.

Finance Committee: The committee shall make and update mechanisms of approving funding programs and initiatives, including development of framework of a medium-term expenditure. The committee shall prepare and update the detailed mechanisms for approving financial requirements of programs and initiatives.

Media Team at CEDA: The media team of CEDA aims to create a concrete idea about the Vision.

Second: At the level of developing strategies:

The Strategic Committee of CEDA: The committee shall be responsible to provide support to the strategic affairs of the Council, including providing a proposal of forming the strategies for the Vision and transforming them into executive programs through its supervision of the strategic administration office. The committee also has an important role in seeking solutions to obstacles and problems during implementation of the strategies, programs and projects for CEDA. The committee shall hold its meetings at the invitation of its chairman at least once in every three months, or whenever the need arises.

The Strategic Administration Office of CEDA: This office is affiliated to the Strategic Committee. The office seeks to study and discuss ways of transforming the Vision into executive programs and plans. The office will continuously follow the progress of the executive programs and plans. The office also plays an important role to overcome obstacles and problems in implementing the programs and plans as well as to study the causes of delay or stalled initiatives. The office seeks to prepare an integrated file in pursuit of clarification and convergence of views and discuss them or submit them to the Strategic Committee.

Project Management Office at CEDA: The office is tasked with following up of projects approved and decisions taken by CEDA, and how far the goals and commitments of the Vision have been realized. It would also follow up on CEDA’s priorities and qualitative initiatives under the executive programs, and the flow of procedures between CEDA and the subordinate bodies. The office will have contacts with the concerned agencies in collecting special reports with regard to execution of programs, deterring dangers,

identifying challenges and overcoming them, in addition to facilitating in implementation of programs and presenting reports to the Strategic Administration Office on a regular basis.

Ministry of Economy and Planning: It represents the agency supportive to all the concerned government agencies in the strategic and executive planning of the Vision in line with the directive of CEDA. The ministry has to provide necessary information, including statements, statistical figures, and studies to the concerned agencies, and work to synchronize sectoral and regional plans among the concerned agencies.

Center for Achievement and Quick Intervention: The center represents the supportive arm of CEDA in its work with the executive agencies in realizing the Vision, and this will be through extending support to design and execute initiatives. The center will also intervene, in line with the directives from CEDA, in the event of impediments in implementing any initiatives, and it will present periodic reports to CEDA about the programs, projects and missions entrusted to it.

At the level of achievement:

Executive agencies: The executive agencies for the Vision, including ministries, commissions, and government agencies, have to develop and implement programs, projects and initiatives, besides coordinating efforts and ensuring cooperation with other government agencies in achieving the desired outcome. The chairman of each agency shall be primarily responsible for the achievement, as well as to resolve hurdles and internal challenges that impede realization of goals and achievement of initiatives. These include submitting reports and making available of information to the concerned agencies.

National Center for Evaluating Performance of Public agencies: The center is entrusted to strengthen transparency of all the concerned parties through following up on how much progress has been achieved in implementing programs, initiatives and realizing targets, and evaluating the level of progress at regular intervals. These include ensuring the commitment of the concerned agencies in realizing the common national goals and highlighting any obstacles or delay in implementing the initiatives and reporting this to the concerned agencies continuously. The center is also entrusted in ensuring involvement of the society in following up the performance of the programs through electronic boards displaying key performance indicators and regular audited reports — in line with the internal system and in coordination with the media team — related to various executive programs of the Vision. The center will also work on activating the associated mechanism and evaluating the performance of public agencies.

Referral mechanism

In view of the significance of a clear mechanism to address the impediments that may stand in the way of implementation of the Vision and overcoming them so as to realize the set goals of Vision, a mechanism has been approved. Under the mechanism, the concerned executive agencies have to shoulder the responsibility of removing hurdles in the first place, and referring the causes of delay or impediments in realizing these initiatives to the concerned agencies, while emphasizing the role of accountability if needed. These hurdles shall be addressed within two weeks.

First level: Removal of the hurdles and handling the issues within the executive agency for the programs and initiatives shall be under the direct supervision of each agency’s head (the concerned minister, for example). The agency head is tasked with solving most of the executive problems at this level before referring this to a higher level in case its resolution does not come within the purview of his powers.

Second level: The Strategic Administration Office is required to take part in carrying out studies and prepare a comprehensive file outlining the realities after collecting the required information from all the concerned agencies in its bid to remove the hurdles.

Third level: The Strategic Committee shall try to resolve it if the office is unable to do so.

Fourth level: In case of the committee’s inability to address this, the file shall be referred to CEDA for resolution.