Topics in Port and Maritime Consultancy ~ Governance

Fisher Associates have been at the forefront of developing best practice for governance in the UK Municipal Ports industry. We have worked for several local authorities on such issues, starting in the Port of Whitstable in Kent, where the recommendations implemented became known as "the Whitstable Model".

topics 6 a businesslike approach

Download project information sheet on port governance

15 projects were relevant to this section. Listing 5 most recent projects:

Value for Money Audit, Jersey Coastguard

Jersey Coastguard is a branded service provided by Jersey Harbours. Its primary purposes are to:

Encourage safety at sea.
Monitor activities in Jersey's territorial waters.
Coordinate an emergency response when required.
Provide pollution response.

Jersey Harbours commissioned Fisher Associates to undertake a Value for Money (VFM) audit of Jersey Coastguard. VFM is high when costs are relatively low (good economy), productivity is high (good efficiency) and successful outcomes have been achieved (good effectiveness). Value for money audit centres around these "3Es".

Put another way, the questions posed were:

Can cost be reduced yet the same output provided?
Can greater output be achieved for the same cost?
Does the service provide what such a service should provide?

Our report provided a full set of recommendations, which we developed into an Action Plan. (2010)

Management Recruitment, Port of Sunderland
We prepared job and person descriptions for several key members of the management / governance team, and assisted with selection of the new Port Director. (2009/10)

Structural Review, Port of Shoreham

Shoreham Port commissioned Fisher Associates to undertake a Review of Structural Change in response to the requirements of "Modernising Trust Ports [second edition]". This required the Port of Shoreham to report to the UK Department for Transport on its analysis of structural change, and to explain and justify its intended course of action.

We assessed the opportunity for structural change at Shoreham Port, and the impact that this might have on enhancing efficiency and value from assets. We considered various options for the Port of Shoreham, for example remaining a Trust Port as is, or a variation of this, and other institutional / ownership models. The review included (2009/10):

The performance of the port.
Key proposals for structural change and the rationale for these.
Conclusions and recommendations.

Business Improvement Plan, Port of Sunderland, England

Following our previous commission, Sunderland City Council retained us to prepare scenarios for how the Port could be organised, managed, and traded into a position of financial self-sufficiency. This included a clear analysis of the cost structure of the activities of the port, and a thorough assessment of the markets and cargoes that the Port might win. The objective was to identify how it could transition to a fully sustainable port business. (2009)

The key aspects of the plan were:

Clear analysis of the cost / revenue / profitability structure of the port business to establish exactly where it is now.
Market review of the Port of Sunderland's competitive position, and identification of cargo in the regional market and key opportunities for growth.
Identifying any outstanding essential requirements for maintenance, and potential ideas for physical development.
Preparation of a new governance and organisation structure.
Identification of measures to achieve financial improvement and financial analysis to illustrate how the Port may achieve its goal of financial self-sustainability.

Strategic Plan, Shipping Division, Government of Mauritius

Fisher Associates was tasked with assisting in the development of a comprehensive strategy for the Shipping Division within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping. (2009)

The Shipping Division had grown by accretion over the years and undertook three main functions: