Issue - meetings

To consider the two audit reports and to make any comments and to note progress against the audit plan.

The committee considered the report in the agenda (copy attached to the official minutes).

Mr James presented the report. Mrs Shipway attended to answer questions.

Mr James advised that the action marked ‘significant’ in the Key Financial Systems audit report for 2016-17, related to duplicate invoices being entered onto the creditors system and subsequently paid twice. Mrs Shipway advised that this had been an issue since the introduction of the Civica financial system and it was previously agreed that a report of potential duplicate invoices be run and reviewed monthly by the Exchequer Manager, thus mitigating the risk of duplicate payments. However, audit found that there were gaps in those reviews and they were not taking place on a regular basis. Mrs Belenger confirmed there was a known weakness in how duplicate purchase orders were dealt with which had led to duplicate payments. A Civica dashboard was being developed to assist financial staff and managers in order to stop the retrospective raising of purchase orders and that a new module for dealing with electronic invoices was being considered as the volume was increasing.

Mr James updated members on the progress of the audit plan for 2017-18 advising that a report on fraud would be brought to the next meeting of this committee.

As Mr James was not present at the new members’ induction session he gave an invitation to the two new members to contact him if they would like to visit the Internal Audit team and observe how the section operates. This invitation was then opened up to all members of the committee.

Mr James presented the report. Mrs Shipway attended to answer questions.

RESOLVED

1)          That the Contracts Management and Key Financial Systems audits be noted.

2)          That progress against the 2017-18 audit plan be noted.