SUMMARY

1. This report updates the Committee on the progress being made to address the issues identified in the last (2005/6) Statement on Internal Control (SIC).

ACTION REQUIRED

(i) The Committee is requested to consider the actions needed to address issues raised in the Statement on Internal Control.

(ii) The Committee is invited to consider the progress against actions required and to make recommendations where they believe insufficient progress is being made.

CONFIDENTIAL ITEMS

2. There are no confidential items in this report.

BACKGROUND

3. Members will know that the Council is required by the Accounts and Audit Regulations to undertake an annual review of its system of internal control and to publish the results of that review in the form of a statement with its annual statement of accounts. The Committee plays an important part in the development of the Statement by providing the necessary challenge required to ensure that the statement is robust. The Committee reviewed the statement when it met on 25 May and 29 June 2006 and was able to recommend it to the Leader and the Chief Executive for approval.

4. In his Annual Governance Report (discussed at the last Audit and Performance Committee) the District Auditor acknowledged that ‘improvements have been made to controls self assessment demonstrating a stronger engagement by both members and management and fuller reporting of control issues and planned action to address identified weakness.’ The report also says in respect of the statement that it ‘complies with the requirements of proper practice’. We can conclude therefore that the statement on Internal Control meets with the approval of our external auditors, the Audit Commission.

5. The delivery of the Statement is, however, only part of what the Council needs to do. The Statement and the ‘assurance framework’ which delivers it must identify and highlight any weaknesses in the system of internal control which prevailed at any time during the financial year in question.

6. In the 2005/6 Statement there were 25 issues or weaknesses highlighted (and acknowledged by the Council’s Leader and Chief Executive). It is therefore vital that, in order to demonstrate that the Council is improving, robust action plans are developed and implemented.

7. Appendix A reiterates the 25 issues identified in the 2005/6 Statement and provides a progress update of actions being taken to address them. The Committee is invited to review the proposed actions and to seek assurance that sufficient progress is being made.

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

8. The action planning and achievements of corrective action demonstrate to stakeholders including external inspectors, that the Council’s ‘direction of travel’ is positive and at an appropriate pace. The Council’s success in improving the SIC issues will become apparent in next year’s Statement (when one would expect the issues to be significantly fewer), but the Council must address the issues as soon as possible so that their effect is felt before 31 March 2007 (latest).

CONSULTATION

9. All Heads of Service and Directors had been involved with the development of the SIC and with developing the action plans to address weakness, although not all Heads of Service will have a specific SIC issue to address. Those with specific responsibilities are identified in Appendix A. Directors Group considered the progress report when it met on 3 October, and feedback on the outcome can be provided at the meeting.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

10. There are no significant financial implications of the SIC itself although some of the actions needed to address weaknesses will have significant financial and other resource implications.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

11. There are no significant legal implications of the SIC itself, other than the fact that the statement is a requirement of the Accounts & Audit Regulations.

OPTIONS

12. Although this report does not require a decision to be made by the Committee, there are the following options available:

(i) To endorse the actions and progress as sufficient to address weaknesses.

(ii) To make recommendations to the Cabinet or Directors that further actions are required or that greater attention needs to be given to actions.

EVALUATION

13. It is apparent that, with one or two exceptions, there are some very robust action plans in place to address SIC issues. Many of the issues (if not all of them) are in any case a bi-product of other action planning that is taking place (CPA, JAR, Fire Service Improvement) and it is not surprising that there is a significant degree of commonality between the various plans. Indeed, it is imperative, because it not only provides efficiency but also demonstrates to stakeholders and inspectors alike that the Council is able to make the link between the considerable number of interdependencies.

14. Attention is drawn, however, to those issues in the Appendix where poor responses (or none at all) have been received indicating that insufficient priority is being given to them. They are, at least, only the minority of cases.

RISK

15. The most significant risk associated with the SIC is that by failing to address known weaknesses identified in the ‘assurance’ process, or by not having robust action plans in place, the Council will be unable to demonstrate to others that its ‘direction of travel’ is positive.

RECOMMENDATIONS

16. Given the nature of the Audit and Performance Committee’s remit, recommendations are inappropriate.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

The Council’s Statement on Internal Control 2005/06

Annual Governance Report – Audit Commission July 2006

Draft CPA Improvement Plan

APPENDICES

Statement on Internal Control – Action Plan for Improvement – Appendix A

Contact: Bob Streets, Programme Lead for Compliance

Paul Wilkinson

Director of Finance

Issue No	Issue	Action Planned	Responsible	Progress
1	Ensuring that the Council makes adequate arrangements to identify, assess, manage and review the risks it faces in a consistent, rigorous and comprehensive way	The Council will continuously review its risk management arrangements to ensure that they are fit for purpose. Such arrangements will include : · risk policy and strategy, · governance, · processes and systems, and · responsibilities	Risk & Insurance Manager	The Council’s risk management strategy, policy and process have recently been reviewed and revised. The new process which includes the performance management arrangements for risk was approved by Director’s Group on 12 September. An Action Plan for Improving Risk Management has been developed and is now being implemented. Progress has been slow but should now gain impetus from the re-launch of the strategy
2	The Council’s Constitution is regularly reviewed and is undergoing further refinement to accommodate the bedding in of new administration and governance structures	Awareness sessions for partners and other stakeholders; continued development of intranet/web based resource to ensure governance documents are accessible. Document Standards Group established to improve the documentation process Process commenced May 2006	Programme Lead for Internal Governance	The Constitution is under continuous review and refinement and amendments are now noted in The Vine. The Document Standards Group exists as part of the work programme of Internal Governance to ensure that the myriad policies and procedures used by the Council are standardised and fit for purpose. Currently the Group is considering and advising upon the draft Whistleblowing Policy and draft Managing Partnerships Guide.
3	Overview and scrutiny functions have been regularly reviewed to ensure they are sufficiently robust and that independence from Executive functions is maintained	Revised arrangements are now in place, including co-opted independent members and an opposition group member providing the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee. Arrangements are settling down and the Scrutiny Committee has devised a work plan, however it is still too early to judge on outcomes. By March 2007	Programme Lead for External Governance	Given that revised arrangements are now in place, no further action is required until further reviews show that the arrangements need further changes.
4	The Council’s reputation is potentially at risk if it does not manage issues which are a threat to proper standards of propriety, openness and accountability.	The Council will continue to further develop good practice and procedures that enable it to maintain effective control over its operations and to protect it from the potential threats to its reputation. This will include robust processes for dealing with · Fraud, · Corruption, · Complaints, · Conflicts of interest and · Allegations of misconduct amongst Council members and officers.	All Directors and Heads of Service	This originates from a perception that the Council’s rules on potential conflicts of interest are not being followed. The requirement to declare interests is a requirement of the personal development review process (DRP). All heads of Service apart from the following have provided an assurance that development reviews have been compliant in this respect: Head of Engineering Head of Communications Head of Tourism Subject to approval, the Director of Finance will shortly issue detailed financial procedures and a revised Counter Fraud Strategy. The Acting Head of HR will also be issuing a revised ‘whistleblowing ‘code. These rules will ensure that any lack of clarity will be removed.
5	Business continuity planning and disaster recovery plans need to be embedded throughout the organisation to ensure compliance with the Civil Contingencies Act	Awareness seminars for members and senior managers and implementation seminars for BCP across the Council By March 2006 Collate individual plans and produce corporate BCP Co-ordination and Crisis Management Procedure By June 2006 New arrangements to be tested regularly to ensure they continue to be robust enough for the purpose	Business Continuity Officer	Raising awareness – A Business Continuity Seminar for the Public and Private sectors is currently being organised Business Continuity Plans - Currently the requirement for 118 Business Continuity Plans has been identified and to date 104 plans have been received. Progress on producing corporate BC and Crisis Management procedures is progressing slowly due to other considerations. Realistically they are unlikely to be completed before the end of the year. Testing and reviewing – This will not progress until BC is part of the culture of this organisation and becomes embedded in our processes, procedures and projects. Exercising has got to be the responsibility of the individual services/departments.
6	Corporate ICT systems need to be regularly reviewed to ensure resilience, system security is safeguarded and that all systems are fit for purpose and updated to current technology standards	ICT criticality review was carried out to identify business critical systems, producing a business continuity plan for networks and business critical systems. Work identified in this review for the upgrading of the power, air conditioning and fire alarms in the server farm has now been completed. The implementation of the new internet filtering and security system has taken place, helping to overcome capacity issues. A new ICT Security Manager is currently being appointed and will head a team responsible for the new arrangements being tested regularly to ensure they continue to be robust enough to provide the required resilience, safeguard security and keep pace with technological innovations. By June 2006	ICT Manager	1. ICT Security Manager is in place. 2. ICT Strategy document is being prepared and due to be released in draft by the end of September. This will include a Roadmap showing what/when systems will be reviewed for fit-for-purpose. 3. The Business case for ICT Business Continuity is being reviewed and updated to account for technology changes. It is anticipated that approval will be given to implement these changes which will go towards meeting the organisations Business Continuity requirements. A Project Board will be called within the next month to approve this. 4. Capital Bids have been prepared to minimize the risks to key corporate systems and infrastructure. These are going to the Star Chamber on Friday 29^th September.
7	There is a need to identify sufficient resources for highway maintenance in order to ensure full compliance with Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 (duty to maintain the highway) (Immediate Priority)	The Council approved the use of £800,000 of capital slippage to fund urgent highway safety surfacing works December 2005 – Decision 19/05 Produce a Highway Asset Management Plan and Highway Asset Register to support submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) for a highways asset management PFI scheme EOI Required by September 2006 Utilise the LTP process to secure adequate resources to maintain the highway network through capital investment December 2006 Develop an alternative strategy for improving the quality of the highways network should progress with a highway asset management PFI be unsuccessful By Spring 2007 Planned implementation of a highway asset management PFI scheme to improve the quality of the highway network in the local area By Spring 2009	Head of Engineering Services	No response received for updates.
8	There is a need to plan for the potential impact of climate change on the Island’s infrastructure, in particular major landslides, coastal erosion and cliff falls.	Coastline Defence Strategies, Shoreline Management Plans and Undercliff Landslide Management Strategy are in place. Risk assessments undertaken and movement monitors installed. Potential bid for funding to develop a long term strategy secure all known areas of instability on the highways network being considered. By Spring 2007	Coastal Manager	The RESPONSE EU LIFE Environment project (Responding to the risks from climate change) will be completed on 30th September. The outputs include coastal risks maps for the IW covering coastal erosion, flooding and landslides looking ahead to the year 2100 taking account of the risks from climate change. We have produced a technical report and an 80 page guide for decision-makers which we can present to the Council and distribute widely. As part of the project we are arranging a four day international conference on 'Climate change and landslides' which is being held in Ventnor in late May 2007. The 'RESPONSE' project will help address one of the Council's Corporate Risks and will help protect the Council against possible future legal actions over erosion and instability issues.
	Specifically, during 2001/2 there was a major landslide in the Undercliff which caused the closure of Undercliff Drive for an extended period. Funding was secured from Government to allow a temporary solution to be delivered, and a further application was made to allow a permanent realignment to the highway. This second application was approved in principle in December 2003, however there have been delays in commencing the project. There is a need for progress to ensure available funding for the project is not lost.	Progress has been made with the design solution for the Undercliff Drive project which is now substantially complete, pending approval of other issues. Current delays are being caused by the need for Compulsory Purchase Orders for land required for the realigned highway, and there may be a requirement for further consultation and public enquiries with regard to revisions to the project, before further progress is made. There is a risk that money invested to date in the design of the project may have to be written off if the project does not proceed, and there is a further risk that money approved in principle by the Government may be withdrawn if other issues change the economic viability of the project. Full risk assessment of the project to be carried out identifying key issues which are having an impact on project delivery and how these risks are being managed. In addition, there is a need for a full project plan and timetable to be developed to show the critical path to be achieved towards securing the available funding and delivering the realigned highway. By September 2006	Head of Engineering Services	No response received for updates.
9	Ensuring that staff are (i) Treated lawfully and fairly, and (ii) Act lawfully and with high standards of probity, and (iii) Are deployed efficiently	· Ensure human resources policies and procedures are up to date and regularly reviewed · That HR policies and procedures are adhered · That the effectiveness of HR policies and procedures is monitored and remedial action taken when necessary	Programme Lead for Human Resources	Workforce Development Strategy is moving towards finalisation in anticipation of formal approval. However, implementation of its already agreed action plan is now underway. The workforce plan may require further refinement upon the arrival of the Head of HR.
10	There is a need to manage the Council’s asset base effectively to clearly identify the scope of the portfolio required to support service delivery, to ensure that Asset Management Plans (condition, suitability and sufficiency assessments) are in place and up to date, and able to inform the decision making process with due regard to eliminating the backlog of repairs, non-compliance issues, prioritised and planned programmes, general building security issues and property disposals.	The formation of the Strategic Asset Management Plan Working Group comprising members, directors, senior officers and stakeholders to produce a new Corporate Asset Management Plan and Capital Strategy 2006/8, utilising property data and the MTFP is in place. Consultant appointed to assist with scoping and outline vision, including workshops with the group and service directorates in order to prepare and deliver a suite of options to co-ordinate asset investment and management plans, aimed at optimising the contribution of the Council’s property assets to the Aim High principal objectives. These will include a holistic view of building fabric improvements, building services upgrades, fire and security initiatives, DDA and compliance issues. By December 2006	Corporate Property Manager	The initial version of the Strategic Asset Management Plan is now completed and has been reviewed by Directors Group. It was due to be considered by the Aim High Strategy Group on Tuesday 26th September, but was postponed until the next one as Cllr Brown and the Chief Exec were not available. It will be presented at the next Informal Cabinet and this means that it will not make Cabinet on the 3rd October, but will be presented at the following Cabinet meeting. Following receipt of the initial version we have already begun to add accompanying documents including the Capital Receipts Programme for the next 3 years , and the draft SAMP Delivery and Investment Plan (essentially the start of the accommodation rationalisation programme). There is a bid in to the Star Chamber for funding to recruit professional staff to provide the required capacity to deliver the Asset Strategy along with the Capital Receipts Programme, Accommodation Rationalisation Programme and the Revenue Savings Plan.
11	Progress needs to be maintained in improving the Council’s overall approach to the management of Health and Safety, particularly with regard to the management of stress	Review and revise the impact of the existing training courses for managers, including the numbers still to attend. Review and assess the impact of the recently completed stress audits across all services.	Programme Lead for Human Resources	Sickness absence is a high priority area for examination at a senior level and work is underway to strengthen policy, reporting and monitoring arrangements. Re-drafting of policy is underway as well as sickness absence data being included in service board reporting. Work in this area will also incorporate concerns around stress and the current mechanisms for managing stress.
12	The potential for a fatality, non-accidental injury or abuse to a child known to the Council, on the child protection register or cared for by the Council needs to be kept under constant review	High standard of scrutiny and care within directorate and by LSCB. Regular audit of child protection and LAC cases. Local safeguarding procedures regularly updated on a regional basis. Regular and audited supervision of staff. Each of the above is delivered on an ongoing basis to ensure high standards of child care are in place at all times.	Head of Children & Family Services	The draft JAR Action Plan included the following actions: Build the capacity of the Children and Families Division to ensure that all child protection cases always have an allocated social worker and to: 1. review team remit and case load capacity 2. review team structure and thresholds 3. implement a recruitment and retention drive 4. improve timescales of core assessments /care plans & planning by weekly monitoring of data reports
13	Standards of achievement in the Isle of Wight’s schools are inadequate at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. Although efforts have been made to improve results, local performance still remains below local and DfES targets and in the lower quartile for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 when compared to other English authorities. By contrast, Key Stage 1 results are consistently in the upper quartile (Immediate Priority)	The action plan to improve educational attainment is included in the Local Area Agreement and the Children and Young People Plan. The Council has taken action to improve standards in the CSD by restructuring the management team and entering a partnership with external service providers to support delivery of the improvement agenda. The new school funding arrangements from April 2006 have introduced new funding targeted at Personalised Learning, which has been allocated on the basis of low prior attainment.	Head of Learning Effectiveness	Provisional results for 2006 show some significant improvement at Key Stage 2 where the 2007 LAA targets have been met in English, mathematics and science. The key 5*A-C indicator for GCSE has also moved forward 3% from 45% in 2005 to 48% in 2006. Gains have also been made in English at Key Stage 3 but mathematics and science have remained static. Whilst there has been improvement, there is still much to do. Indicators with the exception of Key Stage 2 science still remain below the national position at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. During the year the Council has provided focused school improvement support particularly in English, mathematics, science and assessment for learning. These initiatives have been effectively supported by DfES regional consultants. This work has impacted positively upon 2006 results and will be maintained in 2006-07. Officers are also in negotiation with the DfES to secure up to £750,000 of additional funding for a project ‘Through the Roof’ to further raise attainment and young people’s aspiration and to challenge school leadership to be aspirational for the Island’s young people. A substantive Director of Children’s Services has been appointed and will take up post from October 23 and a further new appointment of Head of School Improvement is in place for January 2007. The Council in partnership with the LLSC have also begun a debate about the form of post 16 provision, ‘The Island’s Future’, which once decided will impact upon all school organisation.
14	Management of external communications needs to be improved to ensure the Council sends the right messages to partners and stakeholders	Action is currently being taken to improve the overall approach to external communications, led by the Chief Executive. A short term communications strategy has been prepared for the current year, pending the completion of the review by the Chief Executive.	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The draft CPA Improvement Plan includes the following actions in respect of communications: Develop and publish communications strategy. · Appoint Head of Communications. · Review Communications team structure with Directors Group. · Develop awareness of communications role and function across organisation. · Deliver a managed response to the media and other external communications. · Engage staff in cultural change through effective internal Communications Strategy. (By Nov 06)
15	The Council needs to ensure that it maximises the benefits and minimises the potentially adverse risks of partnership working. (Immediate Priority)	· Ensure that the Council, both corporately and in service departments has sufficient awareness of its partnerships involvement · Ensure that appropriate support is available to Council management, staff and partners so that the risks of partnership working are appropriately managed · Ensure that governance arrangements of those partnerships which the Council has are sufficiently robust	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The Partnership Governance Group has finalised a guide to governance issues for those involved in partnership working. A partnership register is also being compiled which provides the ability to identify those partnerships which are significant. Information from the developing register is being used to assess the risks associated with those partnerships classified as ‘significant’, including the use of facilitated workshops.
16	Performance management arrangements need to be applied consistently across all service areas to enhance service delivery and continuous service improvement	· Ensure that the performance management system is implemented and that further phases of the project’s implementation are successful. · Ensure that the Council develops its performance framework which will encompass the new system as well as other aspects of the improvement agenda, including: o Staff development and appraisal o Business planning o Prioritisation and resources allocation o Governance arrangements for performance management o Risk management	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The draft CPA Improvement Plan includes the following actions in respect of performance management: Deliver improved performance management structure and culture. · Sir Brian Briscoe has been engaged as corporate coach to improve senior individual and team performance through individual and group coaching of cabinet and directors. (Oct 06) · We will hold quarterly middle managers leadership conferences to manage the cultural change. (Now) · We will ensure the completion of system implementation (CorVu) to provide accurate and up to date performance information to support cultural change. (Now) · Service Boards meet monthly to manage in year capital and revenue budgets and service performance. Directors and cabinet members held accountable by the Leader and Chief Executive. (Now) Publish a Performance Management framework · Accurate, timely and fit for purpose performance reports produced. · Leadership in performance management is modelled from the top of the organisation. · Engage staff in the delivery of the strategy through workshops, incentives and feedback. (By 1 Dec 06)
17	Ensuring that the Council manages its projects in a manner which is proportionate to their scale and strategic significance	· Ensure that there is agreed project management methodology · Ensure that it is consistently applied according to the scale and significance of individual projects Ensure that the risk associated with individual projects features in their management arrangements.	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The draft CPA Improvement Plan includes the following in respect of Project Management: · Complete risk based approach to the identification of all corporate projects. (Oct 06) · Key corporate projects to be agreed. (Oct 06) · Identify anticipated outcomes of each corporate project. (Nov 06) · Agree initiation and commence delivery of key corporate projects. (Nov 06) · Commence monitoring of key corporate projects through Service Boards. (Dec 06)
18	Medium term financial strategy needs to be reviewed and updated to be consistent with the Council’s principal objectives, in particular the requirement to be a High Performing, Cost Effective Council (Immediate Priority)	MTFP to be rewritten in accordance with the Council’s changed corporate objectives to demonstrate how resources are directed towards priorities. Updated document to be considered by Directors Group and Aim High Strategy Group, prior to formal approval by the Cabinet. By May 2006	Director of Finance	Actions under this heading are complete.
19	There is a need to manage the Council’s financial resources effectively in order to ensure that we can deliver the efficiency savings targets set as part of the budget strategy	Efficiency savings identified as part of the budget strategy were in excess of the ODPM ‘Gershon’ target for the Council. Regular reports on progress with identifying and delivering the efficiency savings targets to the Aim High Strategy Group to ensure focus is maintained on achievement. Process commenced April 2006 The Scrutiny Committee have included in their work plan that they require regular reports on the delivery and impact of the efficiency savings identified Quarterly Reports from June 2006	Director of Finance	Actions to deliver this improvement are: In year monitoring of financial performance through the Service Board process Regular reports to Directors Group Regular reports to Aim High Strategy Group Regular reports to Directorate Management Teams Quarterly reports to Cabinet Regular reports to the Audit & Performance Committee Scrutiny Committee involvement with the process Management of key issues by Corporate Management Board
20	The Adult Social Services/Housing budgets regularly show pressures in the areas of community care and homelessness. Future plans to form a Health and Social Care partnership on the Isle of Wight may increase the financial risk to service delivery	The Medium Term Financial Plan acknowledges pressures within Adult Services budgets and allocates a significant amount of resources over the next four years to deal with the demographic growth predicted in the older people client group, children with learning disabilities in transition to adult services, increased costs relating to other learning disability and elderly clients with mental health problems, and homelessness in particular. All known pressure areas have been included in the MTFP; however the risk remains that other items may come to the fore, particularly as health partners continue the review of their services and financial support. Close monitoring of the budget and identification of emerging issues will continue to be a priority until the Health and Social Care partnership issues are resolved.	Director of Adult and Community Services	The ‘Action Planned’ has effectively addressed this weakness. The budget bids from the last round have resolved the identified homelessness pressures. All other items are included in growth bids and included in the Medium Term Financial Plan. Budgets continue to be monitored closely for any other in-year pressures and included in the Service Board process.
21	Improve the efficiency of the management and organisational policies and practices of the Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire Service has recently gone through a significant period of change, in particular with regard to pay verification, peer review and the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. An Improvement Plan is now in place. (Immediate Priority)	The Fire Service Improvement Plan takes into account the need for the Service to deliver its own objectives in line with the corporate objectives of the Council, Local Area Agreement and Community Strategy. The service is building capacity to undertake the Modernisation Agenda, and is going through a major restructuring as a result, including the Rank to Role process. Risk management training is planned for managers, performance management processes have been improved, and improvements are under way in other areas including empowerment of staff through delegated authority, partnership arrangements and managing the cost of meeting objectives. Service improvement and change management is now being embedded throughout the service, however as it is a three year plan, full improvements will not be realised until the 2008/9 financial year.	Director of Safer Communities	Implementing the Fire Service Improvement & Change Management Plan
22	There is limited consistency and quality assurance for higher end delegated decisions by officers	Introduction of a corporate protocol for the more significant, higher risk, higher cost and potentially controversial officer delegated decisions to ensure: Ø Create consistency of approach Ø A more easily accessible series of decision records Ø Specialist advice is taken and received Consideration also to be given to creating a publicly accessible record	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The following initiatives have been developed and are being implemented to address this issue: A quality assurance process to ensure the quality of significant reports and ensure compliance with agreed standards for reports Report templates have been refreshed to ensure that they require report authors to comply with agreed standards (including the requirement to seek legal, financial and risk management advice) Records of Officer decisions are being developed, including the format of records and the protocol surrounding them The Learning Centre has been commissioned to arrange in-house courses on decision making in the context of a local authority
23	The Council needs to ensure that its Internal Audit function is fit for purpose.	The Council has, through the 2006-07 budget process, strengthened the Internal Audit function. Two posts have been created for trainee auditors.	Director of Finance	The Council’s Internal Audit Team has been strengthened by the recruitment of two trainee auditors and by allowing the recruitment of an ICT Auditor to a vacant position. This action is therefore complete.
24	To ensure that the Council has good project management in order to deliver capital programmes on time and in budget.	Improvements in project management standards across the Council will help ensure significant projects are delivered in accordance with an agreed timetable and within the approved budget.	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	See also Issue No 17 The Council is to commission some external developmental support to improve its management of significant projects, using a set of its major projects as a means of learning about the critical aspects of project management.
25	Ensuring that the delivery of Aim High (which necessitated changes in senior personnel) did not prejudice effective service delivery and administration.	The Council has reviewed the capacity of its senior management structure. The new structure was approved by the Cabinet at its meeting of 13 June 2006. Aim High, first as a change management plan and latterly as the Corporate Plan has provided consistency since May 2005.	Director of Policy, Partnerships & Performance	The CPA Improvement Plan includes the following actions and milestones: Complete the recruitment of Directors and Heads of Service. · Appointments to the Corporate Directors team will be completed in October 06. · The Heads of Service will be appointed to posts and be in place by January 07.

PAPER D