A report by the Chief Executive included a Matrix attached in Appendix A which demonstrated the links between the 5 ‘Work Streams’ identified within the AKA Supplemental Report entitled ‘Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council’s Corporate Governance Arrangements: Refresh and Renew’ and the Key Line of Enquiry (KLOE) 1 to 10 put forward to address the recommendations made.

Project Initiation Documents (PID’s) for ten of the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE’s) had been the subject of a report to the Committee at its meeting on the 16 November 2011 and set out the areas that each KLOE would address, summarised as:

KLOE 1 – Alignment of corporate planning and budget making process.

KLOE 2 – Review and refresh the ‘Code of Corporate Governance’.

KLOE 3 – Relationship between devolved and central functions.

KLOE 4 – Review of Internal Audit.

KLOE 5 – Review of Policy.

KLOE 6 – Review of Committee Services.

KLOE 7 – Review of Performance (Corporate).

KLOE 8 – Equalities.

KLOE 9 – Fees and Charges.

KLOE 10 – Member Capacity

Four additional areas detailed as follows had been identified in the Comprehensive Work Programme and these were to be the subject of further work from April 2012:

KLOE 11 – Review of committee reports over the last 3 months.  This was dependent upon work being undertaken around KLOE 6 (Review of Committee Services) and KLOE 2 (Review and refresh the ‘Code of Corporate Governance’) in order that the review may use the information and frameworks developed.

KLOE 12 – Review of Performance (Departmental).  This was dependant on the development of KLOE 7 (Review of Performance - Corporate) and agreement of the new Corporate Plan.

KLOE 13 – Change Team/Programme.  This was dependant upon work currently being undertaken in KLOE 1 (Alignment of corporate planning and budget making process), KLOE 7 (Review of Performance - Corporate) and the development of the Corporate Plan.

KLOE 14 – How does the Council learn from past experience?  This was dependent upon developing a better understanding of the new requirement for Self Regulation encompassed Self Assessment, Peer Challenge and Peer Review and linked with KLOE 7 (Review of Performance).

The Matrix produced, provided in Appendix A, sought to set out the relationship between the five ‘Work Streams’ identified in the AKA Supplemental Report and KLOE’s 1 to 10 created in order to address the weaknesses identified and indicated where the work of the CIGT and the cross cutting cultural change theme and dependent communications fitted within the overall programme of work.  The Matrix provided this by showing the five ‘Work Streams’ and their sub tasks as set out in the AKA Supplemental Report.  The CIGT work plan together with cultural change were identified at the top of the Matrix as cross cutting areas of work that would impact upon and support the KLOE’s that had started.  KLOE’s 1 to 10 were identified under their separate headings and were placed under the two cross cutting areas at the top of the Matrix, indicating that the KLOEs were influenced and informed by the two cross cutting themes or work plan.

The links between the ‘Work Streams’, cross cutting themes or work plan and the KLOE’s areas were identified by an ‘X’ were appropriate.  Members noted that while some KLOE’s may have relatively few links to the ‘Work Streams’ this does not indicate that they were of lesser importance than others, equally those with greater links should not be assumed to be of more importance than others.  The ‘X’ simply indicated the link between the two and not the significance of the task or tasks being undertaken.

In addition the Committee noted that as the work of the KLOEs was progressed other additional activities were being identified and addressed as may be seen from the report on the Review of Corporate Governance elsewhere on the Committee’s agenda.

The Matrix indicated that all areas identified within the AKA Supplemental Report were being addressed and indicated which tasks were being undertaken by the Corporate Governance KLOEs 1 to 10 and the two cross cutting themes or work plans.

RESOLVED:

That the links drawn between the AKA Supplemental Report and the 10 Key Lines of Enquiry as set out in the Matrix provided in Appendix A to the report be noted.