Agenda item

The report was noted.

Members were informed that apologies had been received from Audit Wales officers. Jonathan Burnes gave members an overview of the process and the findings of the report.

Members were advised that the Audit Wales Assurance and risk assessment was conducted between October and March 23-24 and that the assessment was to look at the effectiveness of the City deal’s existing management arrangements and how it supports the effective & efficient delivery of the City deal portfolio.

Officers explained that Audit Wales undertook a review of documents, sampling joint committee and portfolio office documents.

Members were also informed that there was a series of interviews, with various key people including the chair of the programme board Wendy Walters, Chris Moore the Section 151 officer the chair of Economic Strategy Board and the deputy monitoring officer.

Officers also explained that there were a series of working groups where leaders from the four local authorities, chief executives, senior managers from the two health boards, universities and regeneration directors attended and this was designed to try to answer the question, ‘do programme management arrangements support the effective and efficient delivery of the city of portfolio?’

Members were advised that Audit Wales found that the arrangements are there to support. It also said that there is clear insight to the portfolio in terms of progress, but there is an opportunity to review the current existing arrangements to make sure that they're fit for purpose going forward.

Officers explained that Audit Wales don't formally make recommendations, but they do look at areas of focus.

Officers will create an action plan and assess those areas of focus against it to look at progress updates.

Members were advised that in the action plan there are 16 areas of focus; the time scales, who will be leading on them, the status, any dependencies, all of those will be reported now on a quarterly basis to of give a feel for where city deal is with those.

8 are currently in progress, 8 are yet to be actioned. Offices said that the headlines of where they are, are things around alignment to CJC, the corporate run committees, benefit realisation evaluation, the phase of the portfolio delivery, portfolio management arrangements, the purpose of economic Strategy Board, the role of regional scrutiny, lessons learnt and wider regional opportunities.

Members were concerned about point AW16 and clarified whether it is the duplication with the arrangements relating to the data being collected and reported locally was also being collected and reported at regional level, leading to potential inefficiencies.

Members noted that in point AW15 the report reflected on whether there is a greater opportunity to raise the profile of the city deal impact with the public. Members felt that it is very important considering the amounts of money involved and asked what sort of plans officers have got for doing that.

Officers stated that in relation to AW16 it depends on people's interpretation of it, but they could be seen as duplication because it's the same information being used for two different levels. Officers are going to review all the reporting requirements for every project and programme with the portfolio arrangements to make sure that that duplication or inefficiencies or potential inefficiencies are removed.

In relation to point AW15 officers agreed with the councillors that a lot of money was being spent and a lot of activity undertaken, but some of it may not be as visible to members of the public as others.

Officers explained that they are trying to attend as many events as possible because what the public perception in the wider public sense has been more business engagement related so far but officers have refreshed their marketing communications plan and are looking towards what events that we put forward for this financial year going forward.

Members were advised that the ‘meet the city deal events’ we're in the four areas of the region and there was an opportunity more for businesses to engage in public.

Officers also stated that they are trying to engage with the public through the forums, events and the PR and communications they are doing which also includes a lot with social media as well.

Officers suggested that they may be able to provide an update talking about what other opportunities are there for the public perspective on City Deal.

Members suggested to officers that a15 minute presentation on what is happening in City Deal to each of the councils could be done because the members are the ones that are going to have to sell this to the public.

The report was noted.