Issue - meetings

Resolved:

(1)  The contents of the latest Internal Audit Update report was noted.

(2)  A timescale for completion of the Internal Audits be included within the plan for 2019/20 for approval by committee.

(3)  The Chair’s approval to be sought on any slippage / delay on audit completion in a timely manner on behalf of committee.

(4)  An update regarding the amber recommendations made against the workforce planning internal audit to be brought to committee in June 2019.

Committee considered a report updating them on the work completed by the internal audit so far this financial year. Nine audits had been completed so far in the current year. The Head of Audit reported that to date that no limited reports had been issued and was currently on course to deliver a clean internal audit opinion at the end of the year. A number of audits remained to be completed and would be brought to the next committee along with the Internal Audit annual report.

The Internal Audit Business Partner provided committee with an overview of the audit undertaken on WMCA’s workforce planning arrangements in support of resource planning, capacity and capability strategy. The outcome of the audit was an overall opinion of satisfactory assurance. Councillor John O’Shea requested reassurance that employees were suitably equipped with right skills to deliver the strategic objectives as the Business Planning & Budget guidance for 2019/20. The Internal Audit Business Partner highlighted that the amber recommendations indicated that this needed to be more explicitly addressed.

Both Councillor John O’Shea and Sean Farnell raised concern over the back-loading of audit reporting work to be completed and the need for the planning of audit in a sensible manner. However the Head of Audit was confident that all remaining audits would be completed on schedule. It was agreed that approval would be required from the Chair if future completion dates were to slip beyond the agreed date of completion in the remainder of 2018/19 and for future years.

Resolved:

(1)  The contents of the latest Internal Audit Update report was noted.

(2)  A timescale for completion of the Internal Audits be included within the plan for 2019/20 for approval by committee.

(3)  The Chair’s approval to be sought on any slippage / delay on audit completion in a timely manner on behalf of committee.

(4)  An update regarding the amber recommendations made against the workforce planning internal audit to be brought to committee in June 2019.