Agenda item

To consider the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee’s Action List and Work Programme.

(Action List and Work Programme attached)

Action List

i)          Ref 1 – Development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Officers advised that they had attended a meeting of the County Client Officer Group the previous week and that they would we bringing forward revised KPIs to the next meeting of the Committee.  It was noted that KPIs were consistent across Worcestershire Internal Audit Shared Services.       

Action:  remove item from Action List. 

ii)         Ref 2 – Corporate Dashboard of Measures

Members were advised that management were currently working across the Dashboard of Measures (‘the Measures’), with new performance measures being introduced as part of this.  The Measures would be reported on first to the Executive Committee, which would likely be in August, and would hopefully be ready for Audit, Governance and Standards Committee consideration in September.  Portfolio Holders were able to look at the measures and any Members could talk to Heads of Service if they had any queries on these.     

Action: item to remain on Action List for September meeting.

iii)       Ref 3 – Meeting start times

Members noted the proposal detailed in the Action List that the meeting start times issue be removed and that this be raised again in future should this prove necessary. 

Officers stated that they would be looking to review, with the Committee Chair, the structure of what reports the Committee considered and when, with the aim of making for more meaningful meetings and consideration of the most relevant items.

Action: remove item from Action List. 

iv)       Ref 4 – Grant Thornton Audit Plan 2014/15 – minor IT control weaknesses

Officers stated that once the accounts had been finalised they would be speaking with the relevant Officers on the minor IT control weaknesses identified by the external auditors.

A Member stated that there were a number of items highlighted in Grant Thornton’s Audit Plan 2014/15 which required chasing up.  Officers stated that the external auditors would automatically follow-up on the issues raised.  On being asked by Members, the external auditor commented that she thought Officers should probably also update Members on any key issues which had been identified by external audit.

Action: item to remain on Action List for an update at the September meeting.

v)         Ref 5 – Finance/Debt related updates

Officers explained the various financial and debt-related updates provided in the Action List and advised that Finance were looking to have a monthly reconciliation of the suspense accounts.    

Officers responded to questions from the Independent Member regarding the aged debt listing, which it was confirmed was reviewed on an ongoing basis as part of the recovery process.  Officers explained that, as had previously been advised, there were some difficulties in producing meaningful debt data for Members at the present time owing to the recent change in the Council’s ledger/finance system. 

The Independent Member asked whether Officers were also looking towards debtor days rather than debtor figures.  Officers stated they would need to look to what the new system could produce, which it was hoped would include data on both the duration and amount of debts.  The external auditor commented that this was the type of information which the Council currently provided to Grant Thornton.  

Action: remove item from Action List. 

Work Programme

As referred to under the Action List, it was noted that Officers would be reviewing with the Chair of the Committee which reports went to Committee and when.  This would hopefully make for more meaningful meetings and consideration of the most relevant items.

RESOLVED that

subject to the comments detailed in the preamble above, the Committee’s Action List and Work Programme be noted and the amendments and updates highlighted agreed.