Public Service Boards (PSBs) are not being used to their full potential or scrutinised properly, a new report has found today.
The Auditor General for Wales has warned PSBs - set up to improve the well-being of communities - need the freedom to work more flexibly and must act differently if they are to realise their full potential.
The report has highlighted a number of issues in the way they currently operate including a lack of dedicated funding and the fact they are not consistently being held to account. It also found that there is no agreement on how their role should evolve.
Auditor general, Adrian Crompton said: ‘Public Service Boards have the potential to enable the effective collaboration that is absolutely crucial if Wales is to flourish in difficult times. But the way they’re currently operating is hampering their ability to improve the well-being of their communities.
‘My report highlights some tangible actions that should be taken, by the Welsh Government and the Boards themselves, to help PSBs realise their full potential.’
The report said the Welsh Government should enable PSBs to develop flexible models of working, improve their transparency and accountability, and strengthen oversight arrangements and activity.
