About DfI - Permanent Secretary, Katrina Godfrey

Part of: DfI management and structure

Katrina Godfrey was appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Infrastructure with effect from 6 September 2018.

Role

DfI Permanent Secretary, Katrina Godfrey The Permanent Secretary of the Department for Infrastructure is the Minister's principal adviser across the full range of his Ministerial responsibilities.

In terms of the Department's corporate governance arrangements the Permanent Secretary acts as Head of Department and chair of the Departmental Board, as well as being the Accounting Officer.

Departmental Board

The Departmental Board exists to lead the Department's strategic planning and assist the Permanent Secretary in meeting corporate governance responsibilities for the Department.  

The Board provides corporate leadership to the organisation as a whole, takes ownership of the Department's performance, provides support for the Head of Department and provides advice to the Minister.

The key aspects of the Board's role include:

  • taking forward the Department's agreed strategic aims
  • advising on the allocation of its financial and human resources to achieve those aims
  • managing departmental resources and monitoring the achievement of performance objectives
  • setting the Department's standards and values
  • maintaining a transparent system of prudent and effective controls;
  • assessing and managing risk
  • leading and overseeing the process of change and encouraging innovation, to enhance the Department's capability to deliver

Accounting Officer

As Accounting Officer, the Permanent Secretary is responsible for ensuring that:

  • the Departmental accounts are properly presented
  • correct financial procedures are followed and accounting records maintained
  • public funds are managed with propriety and duly safeguarded
  • departmental assets are controlled and safeguarded
  • all relevant financial considerations are taken into account, and brought to the Minister's attention, when considering policy proposals
  • a sound system of internal control is maintained in the Department to support the achievement of its policies and objectives
  • the impact of the Department's activities on others is properly identified and, where appropriate, taken into account
  • the Statement of Internal Control is accurate and appropriate

Hospitality/Expenses

The Permanet Secretary's Registers for Gifts and Hospitality and Expenses claims are available at:

Career history

Katrina joined DfI as Permanent Secretary on 6 September 2018.  Prior to this appointment, she worked in The Executive Office as Director responsible for leading the development and delivery of a new outcomes-focused Programme for Government and its supporting capacity building agenda.

Before moving to TEO, Katrina spent 12 years in the Department of Education, most recently as Deputy Secretary, leading policy development and implementation in a range of areas including school improvement, curriculum, shared education, teacher education, early years education, youth services, home to school transport and special educational needs.

Katrina has developed and led policy development courses in the NI Civil Service and has also participated in a wide range of national and international policy groups, mostly in the field of education. She has worked with both the British Council and the OECD to develop the sharing of learning and best practice in an international context and recently was part of an OECD expert team carrying out a review of aspects of the education system in Lithuania. 

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