Agenda item

This report summarises progress against the internal audit plan for 2015/16.

The Committee received a report summarising progress against the Internal Audit Plan for 2015/16.

The following matters were considered:

·         Management Actions for Reviews of Project Management and Contract Management. The Committee was informed that the Internal Audit Progress Report provided by the Auditor (and attached as Annexe 1 to the report) did not include detailed management actions for the reviews of Project Management or Procurement Management, but that they were summarised on page 11 of the agenda. It was noted that the Auditor would amend their report to include details of the management actions for these two advisory reviews, and that this would be circulated to the Committee via email. The Chairman requested Committee Members to inform both himself and the Corporate Risk & Governance Manager if they had any concerns regarding the actions for these two reviews upon receipt of the amended report.

·         Contract Management Advisory Review. The Auditor informed the Committee that there was no evidence that the Council had entered into any poor value contracts as a result of the issues identified by the Contract Management Advisory Review.

·         Project Management Advisory Review. The Committee was informed that officers had produced a project methodology toolkit to assist in ensuring that a consistent approach was taken to all projects, and that this had been rolled-out across the Council.

·         Income from Car Parks Review. The Committee noted that this draft review currently had an Amber/Red Opinion, but that it had not yet been finalised as the Council’s Parking Manager had raised queries over some of the draft actions recommended. The Committee noted that the finalised review would be reported to the next meeting.

·         Property Maintenance Review – corrections to Auditor’s Report. It was noted that the Auditor’s Opinion for this Review was Amber/Red, and not “Green” as incorrectly stated on page 24 of the Agenda. The Committee also noted that the Implementation Date for Action 2 (page 24 of the Agenda) should read as “31 March 2016” and not “31 March 2015”.

·         Property Maintenance Review – progress toward implementation of Action 3. The Director of Finance and Resources informed the Committee that the first step in producing a plan for reducing maintenance liabilities was to create a comprehensive list maintenance repairs outstanding. Work to produce this was currently underway.

·         Provision of plastic screen covers to prevent CCTV capture of credit card number entry (page 28). It was noted that the Corporate Risk & Governance Manager would follow this matter up with the Head of Financial Services.

Following this consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Noted the Internal Audit Progress Report, and that an amended copy providing details of Management Actions for the Contract Management Advisory Review and Project Management Advisory Review would be circulated to all Committee Members following the meeting. It was noted that the Management Actions from these reviews would also be included in the papers for the next meeting.

(2)          Agreed to authorise the Chairman to take actions necessary to address any concerns raised by Committee Members with regard to the amended Internal Audit Progress Report, following its receipt.