View from our Chair
On behalf of the MOSL Board, it is my great pleasure to present MOSL’s first three-year business plan for 2021-24.
Having joined MOSL in January this year, and having been appointed as Chair in September, I have witnessed firsthand not only the complexities of the non-household water market, but the challenges we face in building resilience as that market matures while operating in a global pandemic.
Whilst none of us could have predicted COVID-19 or the impact it would have, it has shown us the fragility of the market and proved how valuable collaboration is when working towards a shared goal – in this case supporting liquidity for all parties and protecting customers. It has also perhaps shone a light on some of the areas we didn’t know needed greater investment and shown us pockets of unnecessary complexity and bureaucracy which are draining value and leading to inefficiencies in the way we all operate.
“We have challenged ourselves and MOSL’s senior leadership team on how we can be more efficient in delivering our services and the necessary improvement programmes outlined in this plan, balancing their urgency with their cost and affordability.”
Our first three-year plan has undergone extensive Board scrutiny. We have challenged ourselves and MOSL’s senior leadership team on how we can be more efficient in delivering our services and the necessary improvement programmes outlined in this plan, balancing their urgency with their cost and affordability. We have contrasted the speed at which we are looking to deliver improvements with the affordability of the plan, but we are keen to learn from our members where, and indeed whether, they would choose to accelerate activities in certain areas. In doing so, we have leveraged the expertise of Board members – both our Independent Non-Executive Directors and our elected Directors, who can give the perspective of trading parties. This has resulted in a comprehensive and considered plan which provides a clear line of sight as to how, and when, we will deliver improvements over the next three years. We have implemented robust internal processes to ensure the proposed improvement programmes are achievable and will deliver the value for money for members.
This year we have also sought to engage with our members earlier on in the business planning process and provide greater transparency on our proposed plans. We have used the newly split Board and Panel Chair positions to consult the Panel constructively and proactively. This has led to an earlier consultation, the conclusions of which you can read in the Panel Chair introduction, and to an open dialogue with Panel members who have also challenged us on our costs and the phasing of improvement programmes.
Whilst this plan covers a three-year period, it is important to note that we are only seeking approval of the one-year budget. It is my hope that MOSL’s delivery across 2020/21, and our thorough three-year plan, will promote confidence in our ability as market operator, to listen to our members and then to deliver the improvements we all agree are needed in the coming years.
