Audit Commission: Corporate Governance Inspection Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council April 2010

Scary business for any Council?!?

http://www.auditcommission.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/InspectionOutput/InspectionReports/2010/201004doncastermetropolitanboroughcouncilcorporategovernanceinspectionREP.pdf

Appendix 4 – Corporate governance inspection key lines of enquiry

Key Lines of Enquiry

1 Purpose and outcome

1.1

Is the organisation clear about its purpose and intended outcomes for citizens and users?

1.2 Is the organisation achieving its desired outcomes?

1.3

Does the organisation’s leadership ensure that taxpayers receive value for money?

2 Functions and roles

2.1

2.2

Is the organisation clear about the responsibilities of governors, officers and of partnerships?

Is the organisation’s leadership working constructively together, and with partners, to achieve their common purpose?

3 Values and behaviour

3.1

3.2

Are governors and staff putting the organisation’s values into practice and working effectively within the ethical framework?

Are individual governors and staff behaving in ways that uphold and exemplify effective governance within the organisation?

Is the organisation managing its complaints, whistleblowing and ombudsman 3.3 arrangements effectively, and is the leadership and organisation learning from

individual cases?

4 Decision making and risk management

4.1

4.2

4.3

Is the organisation rigorous and transparent about how and what decisions are taken?

Do the organisation’s leadership and management use good-quality information, advice and support to help reach decisions?

Does the organisation ensure that there is an effective risk-management system which covers partnership working?

39 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough CouncilAppendix 4 – Corporate governance inspection key lines of enquiry

5

Capacity and capability

5.1

Does the organisation make sure that governors and staff have the skills and

knowledge they need to perform well?

5.2

Does the organisation develop the capability of people with governance

responsibilities and evaluate their performance, as individuals and as groups,

including when working in partnerships?

5.3

Is the organisation governed and managed by an appropriate body of people?

6

Engagement

6.1

Does the organisation’s leadership understand formal and informal

accountability relationships?

6.2

Does the organisation take an active, effective and planned approach to

consultation, engagement and dialogue with and accountability to external

stakeholders, the public and users?

6.3

Does the organisation take an active and planned approach to responsibility

to staff?