Agenda item

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The Corporate Performance Manager explained that the Council’s risk management policy and strategy were due to be refreshed in March 2022. 

Members were informed that the report set out proposals to enhance the Council’s approach and in response to various comments made by the Committee over the last few months around discussions regarding risk management, the risk register and whilst considering the Annual Governance Statements.

The key issues and options were outlined as set out in the report.

The report introduced a draft framework and sought members’ comments. 

The Committee’s attention was drawn to several major proposals within the policy and strategy review as set out below:

·         Proposal to increase the number of times in which a formal review was carried out of the Corporate Risk Register.  Currently, two formal reviews per year were undertaken and by moving to three reviews will begin to reinforce points made by the Committee regarding the risk register being a management tool to drive change and by undertaking three reviews rather than two would set up the Council up to drive that change

·         Rationalisation of the Risk Register – the Corporate Risk Register contained 40 risks.  Many Councils had reviewed their strategic risk registers to rationalise the number of risks and to put in place a framework to measure and monitor more risks at an operational level what was being proposed within the review of the Council’s policy and strategy framework.  Therefore, it was being suggested that a rationalisation exercise was carried out to condense the number of risks down to a smaller number of related risks and as forward through Directorate Plan processes each year, those risk would be captured within the Directorate Plans and a monitoring process in place to check progress on those plans.  The proposal was set out in Appendix C of the report.

A final version would be presented to the Committee to take forward to Cabinet for approval.

The Corporate Performance Manager/Assistant Director, Resources responded to comments and questions in relation to:

·         Increase in number of reviews proposed to be undertaken of the Risk Register per annum.

·         Individual Risk Registers available for each project.

·         Mechanism of reporting progress with Corporate Business Plans/Directorate Plans.

·         Capital Project Risks managed by Property Services/Major Housing Projects.  The Corporate Performance Manager explained that details would be clarified in the final version of the policy and strategy review.

·         Corporate Risk Register recording high level risks which posed a thread or opportunity to the Council’s objectives – a tool used by the Management Team to help manage risk within the Authority and a key document within the governance controls applied within the council.

·         Internal Drainage Boards(IDB’s)/financial sustainability, a risk not being able to be mitigated. The Assistant Director, Resources referred to the Financial Plan and reference made to uncertainty of IDB’s and that there was no cap on the levies imposed.  It was noted that Government lobbying was being undertaken to try and mitigate this risk.

·         Rationalisation of the Corporate Risk Register.

·         Ensuring statutory responsibilities were met not being recorded in the Corporate Risk Register.

·         Audit Committee being made aware of the list of the council’s statutory responsibilities/ legal requirements.

·         Loss of ICT/backup plans.

·         Cyber security attack.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Performance Manager for presenting the report.

RESOLVED:  The Committee considered the draft and the Corporate Performance Manager noted the comments made requiring clarification in the final version of the Risk Management Policy and Strategy.