Report of the Strategic Director of Finance

Richard Beckett, Head of Major Programmes, introduced the report highlighting the control and processes around the Recovery and Improvement Plan. He highlighted the following points:

(a)  Following the non statutory review in November 2020 one of the recommendations made was the creation of a 3 year recovery and improvement plan to be overseen by an independent  Improvement and Assurance board. The plan covers areas across finance, the Council plan, amendments to the constitution and cultural change;

(b)  A programme management process has been put into place to ensure delivery of the plan and incorporate change management and risk management. The plan is split into 8 themes, each allocated to an officer at Director level or above and a responsible portfolio holder. These officers are accountable to the Chief Executive for delivery and the Chief Executive is accountable to the Leader of the Council;

(c)  The Improvement and Assurance Board is required to provide quarterly reports to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government detailing the progress against the Plan. It can meet more frequently if the members feel it is necessary;

(d)  An internal governance route has been established to ensure that information provided to the Board is robust and accurate, it includes an Officer Board chaired by the Chief Executive and a Member Board chaired by the Leader, both of which meet monthly. Each individual theme has a separate structure tailored to the requirements of the work;

(e)  Progress is monitored through monthly reports to the Programme Management Office, who provide a check and challenge function to the themes. This process allows for escalation of issues where necessary, highlights interdependencies and identifies risks and mitigations following the corporate standard method. These are include within departmental and corporate risk registers as appropriate. There will be coordination with Risk Management to ensure consistency and link with corporate reporting. Interdepencies have been plotted to enable effective management and risk and interdependencies are standing items at the officer board meetings;

(f)  The plan is a 3 year plan and it is likely that changes will be needed throughout the life of the plan. Change management arrangements will ensure the changes are justified, and well-understood including their implications. They will be recorded and considered using a standard template. any changes to be made will need to be approved by the Officer and Member Board.

Following detailed comments and questions from Committee members the following points were made:

(g)  Audit committee need to be satisfied that the processes put in place are effective at making change, and that the changes are the correct focus;

(h)  Given the complexity of the programme management a flowchart detailing the themes and how Audit connects into the reporting mechanisms would be beneficial for subsequent reports. Audit Committee need to be able to feed into the process and raise issues if necessary;

(i)  The key issue is ensuring that these transformations occur in the correct culture  and Audit Committee needs to ensure that the culture facilitates and works with processes put in place. The Plan does include a number of milestones where new documents have been approved, however culture is key to enacting the changes. Audit Committee need to be assured around cultural change as well as process change;

(j)  Members would like to see a focus on outcomes, to then address the process where the outcomes are not being achieved. The Risk working group will continue to consider the Corporate Risk Register and will review the risks that are identified by the Programme Management Office that do not then appear on the risk register;

Councillor Michael Edwards moved that the recommendations be amended as follows, this was seconded by Councillor Graham Chapman:

1) To agree that arrangements are in place for the management of the Recovery and Improvement Plan;

2) To receive additional risk information identified by the Programme Management Office to the Risk Working Group, this information will be fed into the corporate risk register and outcome orientated and further reported back to the Audit Committee;

 3) to establish a way to feedback, critique, observations and recommendations on recommendations made by the Improvement Board to the Council, to the Improvement Board; 

After discussion and revision the amendment was put to the vote and was carried

Resolved to

(1)  Agree that arrangements are in place for the management of the Recovery and Improvement Plan;

(2)  Receive additional risk information identified by the Programme Management Office to the Risk Working Group, this information will be fed into the corporate risk register and outcome orientated and further reported back to the Audit Committee; and

(3)  Establish a way to feedback, critique, observations and recommendations on recommendations made by the Improvement Board to the Council, to the Improvement Board;