Taskforces

What is a taskforce?

Taskforces, ‘task and finish groups’ or ‘working groups’, are temporary advisory groups established by government to address a particular challenge or goal. Membership of these groups generally consists of experts in the field drawn from the public, private and voluntary sectors. Most often, taskforces are set up by a government minister to work on a priority issue within their department.

Taskforces are influential groups and can help inform government’s approach to a wide array of policy topics, including those relevant to the materials, minerals and mining sectors. As recognised experts in the materials cycle, IOM3 has contributed to government taskforces on several occasions. This is an important avenue of IOM3 policy work, which raises the profile of the Institute and brings the expertise of our diverse membership into national decision-making processes.

Our work on taskforces

Critical Materials

IOM3 CEO Colin Church FIMMM served as Vice Chair of the Task & Finish Group on Industry Resilience for Critical Minerals. This taskforce was established by the Department of Business and Trade to advise the Government on the UK’s critical mineral dependencies and offer guidance on how to protect supply. The first meeting of the body was held in April 2023 and attended by then Minister for Business and Trade Nusrat Ghani. Church said at the time he was looking forward to “leveraging the expertise of our members to inform the discussions”.

The Critical Minerals Industry Taskforce published its report in September 2023, outlining the challenges facing six priority industries – aerospace and defence, automotive, chemicals, electronics, energy, and medical technologies. The group assessed the exposure of each of these sectors to supply risks and ESG risks.  The report made both overarching and sector-specific recommendations for government and industry, aimed at bolstering the UK’s critical minerals supply chain resilience.

In March 2024, Minister Ghani issued the government’s full response to the taskforce’s report. Ghani welcomed the findings of the taskforce, thanking Chair Katherine Bennet, Vice-Chair Colin Church and all members of the group for their knowledge and expertise. She also reiterated the point that government and industry need a joined-up approach to the challenges associated with critical minerals. The minister’s response highlighted the action government would take going forward in relation to the taskforce’s recommendations. These include commitments to build on the UK’s competitive advantage in the midstream supply chain, strengthen international trade and partnerships to support supply security and work with businesses to tackle ESG risks.

 

This was not the first time IOM3 sat on a government group on critical minerals. The Critical Minerals Expert Committee was first launched in 2021 to leverage the UK’s research expertise for the development of a Critical Minerals Strategy. Several IOM3 members have been on the committee, including then IOM3 President Neil Glover FIMMM, IOM3 CEO Colin Church FIMMM, IOM3 Strategic Advisor Dr James Goddin FIMMM, Ian Higgins MIMMM, Jeremy Wrathall FIMMM. The committee advises the government on ensuring a sustainable supply of critical minerals to maintain national security and meet net zero ambitions. With IOM3 well represented, the committee played a significant role in the development of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy first launched in July 2022. Reflecting on his experiences on the Committee Neil Glover had this to say:

“I am delighted to be a part of the UK Critical Minerals Expert Group. It is vitally important that IOM3 members share their knowledge and experience with policy makers in areas of national importance such as critical raw materials. Through active participation we can help to ensure that UK policy and interventions are robust and targeted to give maximum benefit and achieve effective outcomes. I have personally learnt a huge amount from my engagement with the committee and its members and am proud to have contributed to the definition and delivery of the UK CRM strategy. I certainly encourage all members to involve themselves in policy work”.

 

Circular Economy

More recently, in November 2024, the government launched a Circular Economy Taskforce, focused on the co-design of the first strategy on the transition to a circular economy in England. IOM3 CEO Colin Church sits on the taskforce alongside other experts in this area. The key objectives of the group are to identify and assess mechanisms for a circular economy strategy that can drive economic growth, bolster supply chain security, increase resource efficiency and accelerate the transition to net zero.

The work of the taskforce does not fall within the remit of a single department. Rather, it works across government, reporting to ministers in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Business and Trade, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Transport, His Majesty’s Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. To inform the government’s approach to this issue, the taskforce has been asked to identify a set of metrics the government can use to measure England’s progress towards a circular economy, to detail the policy pathway towards delivering these targets and to set out priority interventions through a series of sector-specific roadmaps.

 

Why engage with taskforces?

The inclusion of IOM3 on government taskforces presents an important avenue for our communities to inform the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and resilient economy. Speaking on his experiences, Colin Church CEO said, ‘In representing IOM3 on various taskforces I have had the opportunity to leverage our member’s expertise in national policy discussions and raise awareness of the importance of materials, minerals and mining to our society and economy. These groups can have a significant influence on government decision-making and so a seat at the table for our communities is a valuable asset.’

As noted above, many IOM3 members have also represented the Institute on taskforces, which can be an impactful and rewarding experience. As highlighted by Church, ‘engaging with Government taskforces is a great way to feed your technical expertise into policymaking. They are also good for developing your professional network outside your specific area and can be enjoyable experiences – if sometimes quite demanding’.

If you want to get involved in IOM3’s policy work, keep an eye on our Policy and Influence webpage, member newsletters and on our social media. You can also get in touch with the IOM3 Policy Team at [email protected]