Clear governance and accountability to all six member countries is critical to maintaining the neutrality and parity of engagement and support across the Irish Sea Rim. The governance structures outlined below are informed by the OECD’s recommended Pillars of Regional Development Policy Recommendation[114] and Toolkit[115] (Figure 29.1).
IRISH SEA RIM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Figure 30.2 outlines the overall governance and management structure for the Irish Sea Rim. Oversight is provided Board of Governors, with members drawn from each of the countries that make up the Irish Sea Rim (Figure 30.3). In addition, Board members may be drawn from outside the UK and Ireland to provide a global perspective. Chairship of the Board rotates between each of the six member countries, with Board membership based on a two-year rolling basis. Replacement of members staggered to ensure continuity and stability. The draft Terms of Reference for the Irish Sea Rim Governance Board are given in Appendix X.
Day to day strategic planning and operations are managed through the Executive Board, comprising full and part-time Directors for the key functions of the Irish Sea Rim and reporting into the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Governors (Figure 30.2). The Executive Board also works with advisors from across the Irish Sea Rim and beyond. Directors have responsibility for their operational areas, working in partnership with stakeholders from across the quadruple helix of government, business, academia, and community, and working with Consultant Associates to deliver projects and outputs.
Each of the six countries comprising the Irish Sea Rim has a regional office, working closely with the Executive Boards, quadruple helix stakeholders and their country Board of Governance members. Representatives are local people with relevant professional and lived experience of the region.
As outlined in Section 28, the Irish Sea Rim works with Consultant Associates drawn in from relevant sectors and professions to support day to day delivery of projects and initiatives. This ensures that the Irish Sea Rim can adapt and flex to changing needs with maximum efficiency.
At the heart of the Irish Sea Rim operating framework sits the membership model and digital platform. Members are fully engaged in the strategic and operational running of the Irish Sea Rim with regular consultations, and an annual conference which will be launched in the Autumn of 2026.
IRISH SEA RIM REPORTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Given the cross-border and complex nature of the Irish Sea Rim, external oversight and reporting are key functions. To ensure gold-standard integrity and accountability, the Irish Sea Rim works with external partners for advice, and audit of its financial management, with regular reports provided to the Board of Governors.
M-SPARC, Anglesey, N Wales, Image credit@ M-SPARC/Debbie Jones