Issue - meetings

To update the Committee on the work being undertaken to produce the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) and to outline the audit planning process for 2010/11. 

The Committee considered a progress report on the work being undertaken to produce the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) and to outline the audit planning process for 2010/11. 

The process and analysis required to produce the statement could be summarised as follows:

?       Assessment against the Code of Corporate Governance

?       Assessment of governance arrangements for significant partnerships

?       Assessment of the effectiveness of mitigating actions for approved strategic risks

?       Assessment of the effectiveness of the “Audit” Committee (in Cheshire East this is the Governance and Constitution Committee)

?       Head of Internal Audit opinion report (due in June 2010)

?       Disclosure statement by each Head of Service (due in May 2010)

?       Other judgements concluded by the Corporate Governance group based on in-year work and review

These processes were all on target for completion by the due date as approved at the last meeting.

The Corporate Governance Officers Group would meet to review the submissions at each stage and recommend the Annual Governance statement wording to the Governance and Constitution Committee at its June meeting (in conjunction with the approval of the draft statutory accounts). Any significant issues arising would be highlighted at the May 2010 meeting.

Based on the findings arising and the content of the Annual Governance Statement, an action plan would be drawn up to make improvements during 2010/11 and the emerging findings will also be used to influence the audit planning process and specific assignments undertaken. It was clear that an area for improvement would be the formalising of governance arrangements with some key partners.

A further update report would be submitted to the Committee’s meeting in May.

In considering the matter, Members expressed the view that the Committee, in its governance/audit role, would wish to review key aspects of the Council’s systems and processes, such as procurement and contract management, and in doing so would envisage inviting relevant Officers to attend future meetings. Officers advised that whilst it was important not to duplicate the role of scrutiny committees, which were conducting similar investigations, the Council’s key ‘controls’ were a legitimate area of concern for the Governance and Constitution Committee and this would be included in the Audit Plan.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   the progress towards completion of the Annual Governance Statement be noted; and

(2)   the approach with regard to the Internal Audit plan be noted and endorsed.