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Our governance

Decision-making, executive and managerial bodies in the Department for Transport (DfT).

Roles and structure of our boards and committees

Departmental Board

The Departmental Board is an advisory body that supports and challenges both the Department for Transport’s ministers and the Principal Accounting Officer. The DfT Board does not decide policy or exercise the powers of ministers. Policy matters are decided by ministers on advice from officials.

The Secretary of State for Transport chairs the DfT Board. The board meets at least quarterly and can meet up to 6 times a year with a minimum of 4 meetings.

The DfT Board delegates certain responsibilities to subcommittees. Subcommittees assume the characteristics of supervisory bodies. They provide collective oversight to support the Permanent Secretary as the Principal Accounting Officer.

Departmental Board members

Group Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (GARAC)

The Group Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (GARAC) supports the Principal Accounting Officer and the DfT Board in carrying out their oversight responsibilities for financial and internal control, risk and governance, financial reporting, internal and external audit and the assurance programme.

GARAC provides oversight of DfT’s programme of assurance activity and reviews the internal audit strategy and the performance of the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA).

GARAC members

Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee has an advisory role focusing primarily on ensuring DfT has the capability to deliver and plan for the current and future needs of talented people in both DfT and its public bodies.

It provides scrutiny of both DfT executive appointments as well as DfT public bodies’ non-executive appointments by ensuring appropriate succession planning is in place to meet the needs of DfT and ministers.

The committee is advisory and will make recommendations to ministers and to the Principal Accounting Officer. It does not have a role in deciding individual cases (for example, the level of reward for senior executives).

Nominations Committee members

Executive and Non-Executive Meeting (ENEM)

ENEM is an advisory committee whose central purpose is to support and advise the Executive Committee on the most important issues facing DfT.

ENEM members

Executive Committee (ExCo)

ExCo meets weekly to steer DfT’s strategic vision and maintain strategic oversight, provide scrutiny of DfT policies and delivery commitments and take significant management decisions across DfT.

Strategic Priority boards that report to ExCo oversee DfT’s priorities to grow and level up the economy, reduce environmental impacts, improve transport for the user and increase our global impact.

ExCo members

Shadow Executive Committee

The Shadow Executive Committee acts as a scrutiny forum for ExCo, offering challenge and advice to senior leaders in the decision-making process. Shadow ExCo reviews the same papers as ExCo and offers advice and feedback to presenters and the Chair.

Shadow ExCo is chaired by deputy directors and is comprised of members from each group within DfT. Members are below Senior Civil Service (SCS) grade. There are 2 cohorts of the committee who alternate attendance at the weekly meetings.

People Committee

The People Committee is a subcommittee of ExCo. The committee meets every 8 weeks and acts with delegated authority on behalf of ExCo to take people-related decisions for DfT central focusing on grades SCS1 (deputy director) and below.

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is a sub-committee of ExCo. The committee meets every 2 weeks and acts with delegated authority on behalf of ExCo to take decisions on whether DfT major investments are set up for success during their main development stages (business cases).

Delivery Committee

Delivery Committee is a sub-committee of ExCo. The committee meets every 4 weeks and acts with delegated authority on behalf of ExCo to provide:

  • oversight of and support the effective production of the entire DfT Delivery Portfolio
  • monitoring progress of the DfT’s Strategic Delivery Priorities (SDPs) to oversee whether DfT is delivering on its core commitments

Strategy and Policy Committee

Strategy and Policy Committee is a sub-committee of ExCo. The committee meets every 4 weeks and acts with delegated authority on behalf of ExCo to drive strategy in DfT to:

  • shape and provide departmental and ministerial priorities
  • improve the UK’s transport system

Security and Resilience Committee

Security and Resilience Committee is a sub-committee of ExCo. The committee meets every 4 weeks and acts with delegated authority on behalf of ExCo to advise on DfT’s security and resilience priorities by considering:

  • risks and threats to transport and our readiness to pre-empt and respond to them
  • the resilience of the national transport system

DfT annual report and accounts

DfT annual report and accounts describes DfT’s system of corporate governance, management and internal control.

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