Meeting documents

            Meeting: Audit Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 1B - 06/06/2008 09:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A4 Issues for Inclusion with the 2007/08 Annual Governance Statement

         

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Report of the Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management

Purpose of the Report

1. The purpose of this report is to bring to Members attention the issues identified for inclusion within this year’s Annual Governance Statement (AGS), which is to be presented to the Council, as part of the Statement of Accounts, at its meeting on 26 June 2008.

Background

2. The AGS, which is produced, as its title suggests, on an annual basis provides an opinion on whether the Council’s internal control environment and corporate governance framework accord with proper practice and are working effectively.

Methodology

3. The issues identified as a result of the officer governance questionnaire and interviews (see Appendices 3 and 4) for potential inclusion within this year’s AGS are to be considered at a meeting of the Corporate Risk Management Group (CRMG) on 03 June 2008, together with a summary of progress made in relation to the 2006/07 Governance Action Plan (see Appendix 2 for a summary of the issues being considered). The issues which are, in part, historic in nature have emerged from an extensive review by Internal Audit whose work consisted of evaluating;

· progress made in addressing those issues contained within the 2006/07 governance action plan combined with evidence obtained from audit work carried out throughout the year (Appendix 2);
· results of a governance questionnaire issued by Internal Audit to Members and officers (Appendix 3, issues highlighted for information);
· evidence obtained from interviewing a selection of Service Management Team representatives (Appendix 4).

4. The AGS, which is in the process of being finalised will be circulated to Members for final consideration, at the Audit Committee’s subsequent meeting on 25 June 2008.

Recommendation

5. It is recommended that Members note the potential issues for inclusion within the 2007/08 AGS as set out within Appendices 2 - 4.

Background Papers - Audit Files & Working Papers

Contact: Keith Thompson, Head of Internal Audit and Risk Management Tel: 0191 3833537

Appendix 1: Implications

Local Government Reorganisation
(Does the decision impact upon a future Unitary Council?)

No

Finance

None

Staffing

None

Equality and Diversity

None

Accommodation

None

Crime and disorder

None

Sustainability

None

Human rights

None

Localities and Rurality

None

Young people

None

Consultation

None

Health

None
Appendix 2: Governance Action Plan Summary


Set out below is a summary of the issues contained within the 2006/07 Governance Action Plan.

1. Human Resource issues;

- Sickness absence
- Capacity and capability
- Recruitment and retention
- Single Status implementation

2. Partnership issues;

- Integrating strategic partnering/LAA governance framework
- Duplication/VFM

3. Business continuity and disaster contingency arrangements

4. Continuous improvement issues;

- CPA to CAA implications
- Developing the performance management framework
- Improved project management, e.g. use of a common methodology, Gateway process
- Quality assurance

5. Ethical Governance issues;

6. Impact of Political change

7. System change issues;
8. Embedding risk management

9. Pension Fund management changes


 AGS Report 06 June 2008_Final.pdf