Meeting documents

Please see attached Report

RISK MANAGEMENT

1.  PROGRESS ON ROLL OUT OF RISGEN RISK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

The current project is to complete all operational risk registers by the end of the calendar year.  The roll out of software has been relatively slow to date, due to a combination of the work being accorded a low priority by some services, lack of strong corporate support and perceived ‘initiative overload’.

To date 7 registers have been issued as final.  This is out of a total of 60, ie 12%.  A further 12, ie 20%, are substantially complete and only need a small amount of work to finalise.  

The timetable has been reworked to accelerate the process.  We are meeting with Line International (RisGen software providers) at the end of August to ascertain whether they can provide further assistance.  Notwithstanding the problems encountered to date, we are committed to achieving the 31st December deadline.

2.  PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF RISK REGISTERS RELATIVE TO THIS COMMITTEE’S AREAS OF INTEREST

·     Community and Housing

Community and Housing are scheduled in for September/October.  A mixture of training sessions and workshops will be used to facilitate the identification and scoring of key risks.

·     Leisure

Sports halls, Tourism/Cultural Services, Tourist Information Centres – registers issued in final.

Museums – risks identified and scored, mitigation actions identified.  Nearing completion.  Target date for issue of register – 24 September 2004.

Parks and Open Spaces – risks identified and scored.  More work needed to finalise register.

    A Contact Name is shown above and Members are asked to contact that person

                           if they have any queries.

The Press is reminded that the Council’s procedure is for ALL Press enquiries to be routed via the External Relations Press Office on High Wycombe 421215 / 421207

INFORMATION REQUESTED BY THE SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE AT ITS MEETING OF 16 JUNE 2004

REPORTS FROM RISGEN -  WHAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AND HOW  DOES IT WORK?

The RisGen software is a dynamic database that will be used by all services within the Council to record existing and emerging risks at strategic, operational and project levels.  All risks once identified are scored across a number of criteria in terms of their likelihood and their impact.  Once scored a consideration is made of what needs to be put in place to reduce those risks to an acceptable level.  The necessary actions are highlighted, scheduled and assigned to the individual who needs to do the work.

The output for each service or project will be a ‘local’ register that uses ‘red /amber /green’ traffic light ratings to denote the severity of the risks identified.  It is then possible to run reports on all risks or selected risks – say high level ones or ones where actions are due.

Senior management clearly do not need to be aware of all operational risks within the Council.  There is therefore a reporting facility for them to view reports of rolled up risks only, ie risks of significant magnitude that need periodic high level review.

HOW DOES THE SCORING SYSTEM USED BY ROBSON RHODES WORK?

The Auditor Scored Judgements used in CPA rated the Council’s financial management across five dimensions:

Within each dimension there were 3 to 5 categories which were scored individually and then aggregated to give an overall assessment for the dimension.

The scoring rated from 1 to 4 where:

1 = inadequate

2 = adequate overall but with some weaknesses that need to be addressed

3 = adequate

4 = better than adequate

Wycombe scored an overall 4 for every dimension except for Internal Financial Control where it scored a 3.  This was arrived at as an average of:

Monitoring of financial systems – 3

Internal audit function – 4

Risk identification and management  - 2

With the exception of risk management every category within the 5 dimensions received an Auditor Scored Judgement of 3 or 4.

HOW OFTEN IS THE COUNCIL AUDITED?

The Council is audited annually by its external auditors, Robson Rhodes, and its risk management arrangements will be looked at as part of the process.  The Auditor Scored judgements referred to above formed part of the CPA inspection.  There is currently no date set for reinspection.

CAN THE REPORTING TO IMPROVEMENT AND SCRUTINY BE ON EXCEPTIONS?

Yes, already agreed.

    A Contact Name is shown above and Members are asked to contact that person

                           if they have any queries.

The Press is reminded that the Council’s procedure is for ALL Press enquiries to be routed via the External Relations Press Office on High Wycombe 421215 / 421207