This guidance sets out the purpose of a Crown entity statement of intent (SOI), and the content and process requirements for a SOI. It provides information that will help Crown entities understand the requirements under the Crown Entities Act 2004 (CEA).
The guidance covers these questions:
- Why is a Crown entity required to publish a SOI?
- When does the SOI need to be developed?
- What content needs to be in the SOI?
- How should departments keep users in mind when selecting, developing, structuring, and presenting information for intentions?
- How and when do Crown entities publish their SOI and have them presented to the House?
This guidance also has a companion document, Companion document to Strategic Intentions and Statement of Intent guidance, with
- suggestions on good practice processes which are associated with developing a SOI - such as strategic thinking, planning, and joined-up performance reporting within the Crown entity.
- prompts that can help people new to developing a SOI lead a process that draws together the content for discussion with the relevant people inside the Crown entity.
Formats and related files
Table of contents
Purpose of this guidance
- Companion document of prompts and process suggestions
- Entities subject to this Guidance
- Statement of intent coverage
- Audience for this Guidance
- Questions and Feedback
Why is a Crown entity required to publish a statement of intent?
- Crown entity performance reporting is vital for public accountability to Parliament
- The SOI provides the medium-term framework for understanding Crown entity performance and organisational health
When does a Crown entity develop and then provide their statement of intent?
- What time period does a SOI cover?
- When does the SOI come into force?
- When is a new or amended SOI required?
- Time extension due to a significant change in nature or scope or functions
- Waiver where disestablishment or removal from the Companies Register is likely
- Timetables for providing a new or amended SOI
What content needs to be in a statement of intent?
- Requirements for information in the statement of intent
- Objectives, functions and intended operations
- How the Crown entity intends to manage its functions and operations, and its organisational health and capability
- Assessing performance
- Any other matters
- Signature on behalf of the Board
Keeping users in mind when selecting, developing, structuring and presenting information for intentions
- PBE FRS 48’s principles are relevant to the SOI
- Who are the likely users of the SOI?
- Crown entities should use their own judgement on how to structure their intentions
- Clarity of presentation is essential to help users understand the SOI
How and when is a statement of intent presented to the House and published?
- When does the responsible Minister present the statement of intent to the House?
- Should the statement of intent be a standalone document or can it be presented to the House with other documents?
- When and where do we publish the SOI?
Minimum content requirements and expectations