Issue - meetings

Report of the Director for Finance and Corporate Services

The Service Manager – Corporate Services presented the Council’s Draft Management Strategy, informing the Group that the current strategy is due to expire in April 2023. The Group noted that a review had taken place and changes had been made to reflect best practice as a result of further risk management training for officers and the Group last Autumn.

The Group were reminded that the Council’s Risk Management Strategy forms the framework within which risks are identified, articulated, assessed and managed, and noted that risks are reviewed monthly by Lead Specialists, bi-monthly by Service Managers and twice yearly by the Risk Management Group and the Governance Scrutiny Group.

The Group were advised that the Council use Zurich Municipal to provide advice and deliver training to both officers and councillors and current best practice has been drawn from the training and implemented withing the draft strategy. The Group also noted the Council’s Internal Auditors (BDO) had also conducted and audit on the Council’s Risk Management process during 2022 and the following changes have been made to the strategy:

·       More comprehensive introduction and explanation of the RBC Risk Management process

·       Reference to the recent training from Zurich Insurance and BDO audit

·       Reference to Pentana, the Council’s performance monitoring system which includes a risk management module

·       Information about the monitoring and review process of both risks and the Risk Management Strategy

·       Alterations to the roles and responsibilities section to reflect the internal management restructure of 2021.

The Group commented on the frequency of when the Risk Management Group meet and questioned whether the meetings ought to be more frequent. The Service Manager – Corporate Services explained that anything significant would be picked up at the bi-monthly performance clinics and reported to the Risk Management Group, adding that the risk register is constantly changing and that the reports that come to Governance Scrutiny Group are just a snapshot.

The Group expressed that they were more than happy with the reviewed Risk Management Strategy and the process for identifying and reporting risks.

It was RESOLVED that the Governance Scrutiny Group:

a)    Considered and noted the Draft Risk Management Strategy 2023-2026

b)    Approved the ~Risk Management Strategy for 2023-2026