The agenda report for this item and its four appendices, the second part of the second appendix being confidential exempt Part II* material which was made available to members and relevant officers only (printed on salmon coloured paper), appear on pages 19 to 64 of the Cabinet agenda for its meeting on Tuesday 10 April 2018.
RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL
That the updated Risk Management Policy and Strategy including the amendments made by the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee be approved.
[Note The aforesaid amendments will be explained by Mr Wilding (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services) during his introduction to this recommendation but reference may also be made for the details to the minutes of the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee for its meeting on Thursday 29 March 2018]
*[Note The ground for excluding the public and press during this item if the appendix is to be discussed is that it is likely that there would be a disclosure to them of ‘exempt information’ of the description specified in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)) of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972]
Minutes:
The Council considered the recommendation made to it by the Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 10 April 2018. The recommendation was in section 2 of the Cabinet report (pages 19 to 22 of the agenda) and also set out on the face of the Council agenda. There were four appendices (pages 23 to 64), the second part of appendix 2 being confidential Part II exempt material and which had been circulated to members and relevant officers only.
Mrs Hamilton pointed out that pages 23 to 35 only of the Cabinet report and appendices were germane to the issue before the Council whilst the Corporate Risk Register – Strategic Risks Quarterly Update was a matter for the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee and the Cabinet. The recommendation was on the face of the agenda and at 1) in section 2 of the Cabinet report (page 19). With respect to the amendments mentioned in the Council agenda which had been made by the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee and accepted by the Cabinet, these would be summarised by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services in his introduction.
Mr Wilding (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services) formally moved the Cabinet’s recommendation and this was seconded by Mr Dignum (Leader of the Council).
In commending the Cabinet’s recommendation to the Council, Mr Wilding said the Cabinet report sought principally to document the changes being recommended to CDC’s Risk Management Policy and Strategy (RMPS) (last updated in 2004), the main ones being necessary to reflect the new CDC senior management structure. In addition to the RMPS, which was the issue for determination by the Council, the report gave details of the current Strategic Risk Register (approved by the Cabinet on 10 April 2018 and reviewed quarterly), any high scoring risks for the Programme Boards and the organisational risks including the mitigation actions to manage those risks. The Risk Management Framework (page 35) showed diagrammatically the roles, responsibilities, reporting lines, escalation routes and on-going monitoring procedures. Risk management was embedded throughout CDC to help ensure the delivery of the Corporate Plan objectives and individual services to the community. Members could therefore be satisfied that risks were identified, considered and managed appropriately in accordance with the approved strategy. As part of the scrutiny of the Risk Management Strategy, at its meeting on Thursday 29 March 2018 the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee (CGAC) recommended certain changes (approved by the Cabinet); the key ones related to (a) all CDC members had a responsibility for managing risk; (b) the definitions of impact in the Risk Scoring matrix; and (c) appendix 2 (a) to the Strategic Risk Register: (i) Southern Gateway Regeneration – add reputational damage to risk description and (ii) Local Plan, fourth bullet point - add ‘growth’ after OAN (Objectively Assessed Needs).
Notwithstanding the Chairman’s opening remark that the Corporate Risk Register was not before the Annual Council for determination, Mr Shaxson (Harting) wished to raise a short point with regard to CRR 147 Southern Gateway Regeneration in the Strategic Risk Register (SRR) (appendix 2 (a) on page 52 in the Cabinet agenda papers), namely an update on whether it was anticipated that the original score risk of 9 at 23 February 2018 falling to 3 by 28 September 2018 feasibly achievable.
Whilst acknowledging the validity of his question, which would be answered by Mr Over, Mrs Shepherd pointed out that the time to have asked such a question would have been when the SRR was being considered by the CGAC and the Cabinet and the decisions had already been taken on the SRR. The focus at the Annual Council should be on policy and the strategy.
Mr Over said that most of the outstanding issues related to site assembly matters, which the project team and the consultants were working hard to resolve and discussions with the relevant parties had been taking place for some time. Once concluded it was his judgment that the risk would reduce. He reminded members that they would receive a briefing in July 2018, when they would be updated on progress and would be able to ask questions on points of detail.
Decision
By a vote on a show of hands members were in favour of making the resolution set out below, with no votes against and one abstention by Mr Oakley (Tangmere).
RESOLVED
That the updated Risk Management Policy and Strategy including the amendments made by the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee be approved.