Issue - meetings

(i)       to agree the contents of the Report including the Major risk rating;

(ii)      to note that Delivery partners have not shared all data required to allow Internal Audit to evidence progress with the Aberdeen City Region Deal;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Executive to write to all parties to ensure our Internal Auditor receives the information requested, reminding partners that the signed legal agreement ensured that all governance arrangements were to be the sole responsibility of the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee which allowed the Partners to commit to the Aberdeen City Region Deal;

(iv)     to instruct the Chief Internal Auditor to provide a verbal update at the next committee as to the progress or otherwise of Internal Audit obtaining the requested information; and

(v)      to note of the seven recommendations, two were complete, three were ongoing and required sign-off from Internal Audit, and two required input from external partners.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Internal Auditor which presented an audit on the City Region Deal which was undertaken to provide assurance over the governance and financial spend of the City Region Deal.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee review, discuss and comment on the issues raised within the report and the attached appendix.

In response to questions relating to why management did not agree with the major risk rating, the Interim Chief Officer – City Development and Regeneration advised that for Benefits realisation, the Council were working with Government to ensure that the correct processes were in place for collecting data and that this would not be completed within three months.  The Chief Internal Auditor advised that the internal audit methodology states that major risks should be addressed within three months and that extensions can be granted where necessary for works to be completed.

In response to questions relating to the legal agreement in place for the City Region Deal and whether there was the ability to request documents for assurance purposes, the Interim Chief Officer – City Development and Regeneration advised that this was included in the legal agreement and that financial information was sent to Aberdeenshire Council as they governed the finance.  It was further noted that a  monthly progress report on each of the projects was submitted that contained actual spend and forecasted spend.

In response to questions relating to why Internal Audit did not receive the governance documentation they requested from external partners, the Interim Chief Officer – City Development and Regeneration advised that the audit was undertaken on the region deal processes therefore some of the requested information may be out of scope for the audit.  She further advised that she would work with Internal Audit to identify what information was not provided. 

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to agree the contents of the report including the Major risk rating;

(ii)      to note that Delivery partners had not shared all data required to allow Internal Audit to evidence progress with the Aberdeen City Region Deal;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Executive to write to all parties to ensure our Internal Auditor received the information requested, reminding partners that the signed legal agreement ensured that all governance arrangements were to be the sole responsibility of the Aberdeen City Region Deal Joint Committee which allowed the Partners to commit to the Aberdeen City Region Deal;

(iv)     to instruct the Chief Internal Auditor to provide a verbal update at the next committee as to the progress or otherwise of Internal Audit obtaining the requested information; and

(v)      to note of the seven recommendations, two were complete, three were ongoing and required sign-off from Internal Audit, and two required input from external partners.