Agenda item

The Corporate Governance and Audit Committee is requested to consider the agenda report and its three appendices (the second appendix is in five sections), namely the annual report on the effectiveness of Chichester District Council’s strategic partnerships to satisfy themselves that these partnerships have appropriate governance measures and risk monitoring procedures in place.

The Committee considered this report circulated with the agenda.

Miss Loaring presented the report. She referred to the template that had been updated following the request of the Committee to consider governance arrangements and the exposure of the partnership to risks and their mitigation and also the updated guidance.  Not all risk assessments had been completed by the partnerships and some had not got an exit strategy. 

On page 233, Budget: reduction in future income, Miss Loaring undertook to find out if the result score should be amended from ‘6’ or to a ‘3’.

With regard to the number of different matrix used, it was suggested that all returns should use the Council’s 4x4 risk matrix as this was clearer.  Mrs Belenger undertook to liaise with Miss Loaring to require that all returns used this matrix in future.

With regard to the Safety Advisory Group, Mrs Belenger undertook to ask the Communications, Licensing and Events Divisional Manager about the representation on SAG.

The absence of the identification of partners for each of the partnerships was referred to.  Miss Loaring advised that this could be reinstated and undertook to change the guidance to add a request for each of the partnerships membership list and then add to the report a general summary for each.  Each of the partnerships targets were measured from their business plans and considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  With regard to the Solent Recreation Mitigation Partnership, Mrs Belenger advised that the Planning Policy Manager would need to set out how they address the gap.  Miss Loaring added that the Partnership may need to review it as no independent review had been done.

The Chairman commented on the improved layout.

RESOLVED

1)    That the Annual Partnerships report is noted;

2)    That it is recommended that the partnerships annual report is an appropriate mechanism for ensuring our strategic partnerships have appropriate governance measures in place and should continue reporting to Corporate Governance and Audit Committee on an annual basis and that the specific issues raised by the Committee are pursued by officers separately;

3)    That the updated Partnerships Guidance 2018 be approved by the Committee; and

4)    That officers involved with the partnerships complete/update risk assessments looking at financial/reputational and exit strategy risks.