Purpose

The Mayor and Executive
Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health submitted a report for
Executive’s consideration.

 

The intent of the report
was to provide assurance to the Executive that the existing Programme and
Project Management governance arrangements and those which were proposed
specifically for oversight of the Transformation Portfolio and delivery of
intended benefits were sufficient and robust.

 

The Council was currently
mid-way through a corporate governance improvement journey, following the
report and findings of the Council’s external auditor, Ernst and Young LLP in
July 2022 which reported significant areas of concerns in governance, including
relations between members and officers.

 

Following communication of
the findings of the external auditor, the Council brought in external support
(CIPFA and the LGA) to support with the development of the corporate governance
improvement plan, alongside undertaking a review of the organisation’s
financial resilience.

 

Despite progress made, in
January 2023, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC),
issued a Best Value Notice. To respond effectively to the wider governance
challenges facing the Council, the corporate governance improvement plan was
refreshed in September 2023 around two specific themes: cultural transformation
and financial resilience. Simultaneously, the external auditor escalated
concerns via statutory recommendations, under Section 24 of the Local Audit and
Accountability Act, which the Council responded to with an action plan of
improvements, aligning with the Corporate Governance Improvement Plan
intentions.

Decision

ORDERED that Executive

 

1.   
Endorses the proposed governance
arrangements for delivery and oversight of the Transformation Portfolio;

2.   
Notes that to ensure transparency of
project resourcing costs within the transformation portfolio and its agreed
project financial profiling, any decision to appoint project expense on an
interim basis to ensure specialist input with a focus on return on investment,
will be taken by the Chief Executive as Transformation Portfolio Senior
Responsible Officer, in consultation with the Mayor; and

3.   
Approves the delegated decision-making
powers relating to approval of proposed change controls to enable projects to
be brought back within tolerances relating to time, scope, cost and benefit and
as set out in the Programme and Project Management Framework (PPMF), except
where this would be a key decision and Executive approval would be sought
through the governance arrangements outlines in this report or via an
additional Executive report where a more urgent decision is required.