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AUDIT & RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Meeting Date
16 March 2011
Title of Report
Update on Risk Management
Report Reference
REP 624
Portfolio
Finance and Performance
Portfolio Holder
Cllr Ryland Tel: 07833 791005
Report Author and Tel No
Lloyd Armes
(01502) 523275
Is the report Open or Exempt?
Open
Key Decision?
No.
DECISION TO BE MADE
The Audit & Risk Management Committee is requested to consider, note and accept the attached
progress report concerning the progress of joining the WDC and SCDC Risk Management processes
together into a single process with a single risk register.
THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS IN RESPECT OF THIS DECISION
All areas of the Council’s work is within the scope of the Joint Corporate Risk Management process at
Waveney District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council, when all members of the Joint
Corporate Risk Management Group meet to consider the corporate risks of both Councils.
HOW THIS DECISION FITS WITH THE COUNCIL’S LOCAL PRIORITIES AND THE
WAVENEY SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY
The Council’s Improvement Plan highlights the need to address weaknesses in the governance
framework of the Council and to identify, mitigate and manage corporate risk across the Council which
are addressed in this report.
There are direct links into the Strategic Direction by improving use of resources and performance and
in terms of regular risk assessment, management and mitigation of risks, in order to ensure that key
projects and outcomes of the Council can be delivered.
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STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
Sustainability - How this decision
builds a strong, healthy and just
society.
Regular risk assessment, management and mitigation of risks
ensures that key projects and outcomes of the Council can be
delivered.
Equality & Diversity – How this
decision tackles inequality,
disadvantage and discrimination, in
particular for people whose
circumstances make them
vulnerable.
All the Council’s service areas are covered by the scope of Risk
Management corporately, and are working to comply with the
quality standard.
Managing Finances - How this
decision delivers value for money.
This report directly addresses the manner in which both
Council’s approaches and seeks to control the Joint Risk
Management Framework. The aim is to implement and
effectively embed within the Culture at both Member and Officer
levels to impact positively upon the finances and service delivery
across both Council’s.
Governance – How this decision
ensures effective management of
all risks, including Data Quality.
This report brings up-to-date the ongoing progress of the Joint
Corporate Risk Assessment and general governance
arrangements which led to independent ‘health check’ reviews
by Zurich Municipal of both Councils in 2009 and 2010. This
informed the ‘Use of Resources’ judgements.
Legality - The legal powers and
implications of this decision.
All the Council’s service areas are covered by the scope of Risk
Management corporately.
Managing resources – How this
decision ensures effective
management of the Council’s
people, natural resources and
physical assets to meet current and
future needs and deliver value for
money.
The Joint Corporate Risk Register seeks to identify all the main
risks that both Council’s currently face that would stop them
achieving their main aims and objectives.
Partnership – How this decision
will be delivered in partnership to
further improve outcomes.
Some risks will be managed through the main Partnerships
developed with Waveney Norse (Operations) and Norfolk
Property Services (Asset Management).
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MANAGING PERFORMANCE - HOW WILL THIS DECISION DELIVER THE OUTCOMES
AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED?
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RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
1.1
The delivery of the Joint Risk Management Framework has at its core the means to identify
corporate risks across both Council’s, to assess the effectiveness of mitigation already in
place, and agree future management actions to bring the level of risk down to an acceptable
level. In doing this, key projects and outcomes of both Council’s can be delivered, which in
turn will improve performance.
1.2
As part of that process, both Councils commissioned independent health checks over the past
two years from its main insurers ZMI. All main recommendations have been addressed and
completed.
1.3
In assessing the overall Joint Risk Management process it has been appropriate to undertake
a full review of the status of both Council’s corporate risks.
1.4
As part of the ongoing shared services work and agenda to fully merge all existing Policies &
Processes, a more complete and detailed report can be found at Appendix A which will also
be presented to the Scrutiny Committee of Suffolk Coastal District Council in March.
OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED, REJECTED AND WHY
None
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION
To update Committee by highlighting Risk Management progress over the second half of 2010/11
within the corporate governance framework to address remaining weaknesses and to ensure systems
are in place to act in a timely manner when important issues are identified.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Committee:
1) Comments on the areas for consideration set out in Appendix A.
2) Responds to, when they are planning any future work programmes, they consider whether they
wish to review corporate risk management.
3) Determines whether an annual or bi-annual report to be presented.
4) Reviews the combined risk register at Appendix B for completeness.
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Corporate Risk Management Progress Report
Appendix B
Corporate Risk Register
Appendix C
Terms of Reference
BACKGROUND PAPERS: None
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