Vision 2030 operations framework set up

The Council of Ministers has entrusted the Council of Economic and Development Affairs with the task of establishing the mechanisms and measures necessary to achieve Saudi Vision 2030. The Council of Economic and Development Affairs has developed a comprehensive governance model aimed at institutionalizing, enhancing its work, facilitating the coordination of efforts among relevant stakeholders and effectively following-up progress.
Roles and Responsibilities
Level One. Defining directions and making decisions:
• Council of Economic and Development Affairs. The Council of Ministers has mandated the Council of Economic and Development Affairs to establish the mechanisms and measures necessary for achieving Saudi Vision 2030. This includes identifying and presenting visions, directions, and programs; as well as deciding on any amendments or updates to the programs and initiatives. The council shall also make decisions on any matter under its jurisdiction that could prevent programs from achieving their goals.
• Finance Committee: The committee shall establish and update the approval mechanisms for funding programs and initiatives, including medium-term expenditures. It shall also prepare and update the detailed mechanisms for examining the financial requirements of programs and initiatives, for planning of cash flows and for reporting on progress.
• Communication Team at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. The Communication Team shall work to instill a clear image of Saudi Vision 2030. It shall unify the publically communicated messages, correct any miscommunication, develop communication plans and implement the programs that will be publically launched and strengthen our transparency principle.
Level Two. Developing Strategies
• Strategy Committee at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. The Committee shall support the Council in strategic affairs. It shall propose strategies for achieving Vision 2030 and translate those strategies into implementation programs. The Committee shall also monitor the implementation process, by supervising the Strategic Management Office and examining all its reports. The committee shall also undertake the important role of resolving issues and problems that might impede the implementation of the strategies, programs, and initiatives: it shall resolve any issue escalated by the Strategic Management Office or shall present them to the Council.
The committee shall convene at least once every three months at the invitation of the chair or whenever deemed necessary.
• Strategic Management Office at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. This office shall operate under the Strategic Committee and act as its executive branch. It shall be entrusted with the study and analysis of methods for translating Vision 2030into action plans and implementation programs, and it will be responsible for continually supervising and monitoring the progress of those programs. It shall determine the progress of the objectives by reviewing reports, identifying gaps, and submitting its periodic reports with relevant recommendations to the Strategic Committee. Furthermore, the office shall assume an important role in overcoming the issues and problems brought to its attention and in examining any delayed or stalled initiatives. For the purpose of clarifying facts and converging views, it shall also prepare a complete dossier that will be used as a basis for reviewer will be forwarded to the Strategic Committee for resolution.
• Project Management Office at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. This office shall be responsible for monitoring the projects and decisions of the Council. It shall follow up on the progress toward achieving Vision 2030 goals and commitments; and on the Council’s priorities and most important initiatives. Accordingly, the office shall ensure adherence to project management methodologies and classify any goals, commitments, and initiatives into portfolios. Furthermore, the office shall analyze the relevant dependencies and risks that could interfere with the achievement of the desired results. The office shall also monitor the progress of exchanges to/from the Council. The office shall communicate with relevant stakeholders, collecting relevant reports, following up on implementation and managing risks. This process will involve identifying, escalating and regularly reporting challenges to the Strategic Management Office. It shall also monitor the level of commitment and collaboration of stakeholders.
• Ministry of Economy and Planning. The ministry shall provide support to relevant stakeholders and government agencies involved in strategic and executive planning, pursuant to the instructions of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs or upon the request of the aforementioned parties. It shall also provide any necessary information-including, data, statistics, and studies-to relevant stakeholders. Finally, it shall harmonize the sector and regional plans of relevant stakeholders.
• Delivery Unit. The Delivery Unit shall support the Council of Economic and Development Affairs in its work with executive bodies to achieve Vision 2030. It shall assist with designing, implementing and achieving initiatives. The Unit shall also intervene, upon the request of the Council, to resolve any issue that confront initiatives of the Vision 2030 implementation programs. It shall also submit periodic reports to the council on its assigned programs, projects and missions.
Level Three. Implementing:
• Execution Bodies. On the path toward achieving Vision 2030, the ministries and other execution bodies shall be primarily responsible for the development and implementation of programs, projects, and initiatives. They shall coordinate efforts and collaborate with each other to achieve desired results. The head of each agency shall resolve internal problems and challenges that could obstruct the achievement of objectives and initiatives. The head shall be responsible for providing reports and required information to the relevant parties.
• “Adaa” National Center for Performance Management. The center shall be entrusted with promoting transparency to all concerned parties by following up on the progress toward implementing programs and initiatives; and attaining objectives. It shall also measure progress regularly, validating the commitment of the parties to the achievement of the common national goals and detecting delays or issues that impede the progress of initiative implementation. The center shall actively engage the public in monitoring the performance of the various Vision2030 implementation programs and relevant bodies: it shall regularly publish performance dashboards and audited reports, as required by its bylaws in coordination with the Communication Team. It shall also establish and activate mechanisms for measuring and monitoring the performance of government agencies responsible for implementing programs and initiatives.
Escalation Mechanisms
Given the need for a clear escalation mechanism for addressing issues that may impede the achievement of Vision 2030’s desired objectives, a mechanism was adopted to reinforce the relevant stakeholders’ responsibilities, to increase their awareness of delayed or stalled initiatives, and, if necessary, to activate their accountability role. This shall be carried out on various levels according to the complexity of the problems and the time required to resolve them. Under the supervision of the Project Management Office of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, four different parties shall assume responsibility for escalation. This mechanism aims to bring about effective achievement and quick problem solving as follows:
• Level One. Issues shall be addressed within each executive body in charge of implementing the programs and initiatives, under the direct supervision of its head (for example, the relevant minister). If the issue does not fall under the jurisdiction of a specific body, the issue shall be referred to a higher level.
• Level Two. The Strategic Management Office, operating under the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, shall be asked to examine the matter and prepare a complete dossier for the clarification of facts, convergence of views, and acquisition of the necessary information from all relevant bodies. Should it be impossible for the Office to address the concern, the Office shall submit the dossier to the Strategic Committee for resolution.
• Level Three. The Strategic Committee shall, at its own discretion, decide on the matters referred to it by the Strategic Management Office that fall under its jurisdiction, or it shall refer them to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs for resolution.
• Level Four. The issue is referred to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs for a resolution.