Agenda item

Report of Bryan Parsons

 - An update on significant issues action plan

The Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance officer introduced the report.  He explained that the Audit Committee at their meeting in June 2013 had approved the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2012/13 and had recommended to Council that it be adopted as part of the statement of accounts.  The AGS contained a Significant Issues Action Plan and this report identified progress to improve upon these issues.

The Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance officer, explained that in terms of ICT business continuity testing there had been much progress over the last 12 months. Back up servers had been relocated to the Forest of Dean and testing of the elections business systems were planned for September 2014 with more planned tests involving revenues and benefits, council tax and cashier systems planned over the next 12 months. This testing would be fitted in alongside other work. Due to the progress which had been made this item would no longer feature on the Significant Issues Action plan.

Whilst recognising that progress on business continuity had been positive Members expressed their uneasiness about testing and therefore sought high assurance that if the systems went down major testing had been undertaken to ensure that they would be brought back online within an acceptable time period. It was recognised that testing brought its own risks but if this was not undertaken then this represented a larger risk. The issue with the overheating in the server room was also highlighted by Members.

In response the Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance officer said that the servers which had been affected by air conditioning problems had now been relocated to the Forest of Dean. ICT Business Continuity was still on the corporate risk register which was monitored by the Senior Leadership Team. He then gave the example of assurance work which had taken place relating to power outages whereby the batteries had been replaced to ensure that there would be 2-3 hours of power available before systems were powered down. In terms of generators CBC was jointly looking with Forest of Dean to share one.

Members regretted that they had not been kept informed of the testing that had taken place as it was this testing that would provide them with the assurance that they needed in the systems the council was running. The Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance officer was therefore requested to produce a report for the next meeting of the Audit Committee giving them the level of detail they required including the level of tiers and outcomes.

With regard to the issue of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults the Corporate Governance, Risk and Compliance officer reported that this would be completed by March 2014. The County Council was the lead authority in this respect.

In terms of Go Shared Services the Head of Audit Cotswolds was currently undertaking an audit and an opinion would be issued in March. With regard to ICT Services this would feature in next year’s audit plan after the conclusion of the ICT review work.

RESOLVED

To note the progress that has been made against the actions and the deadlines set

That a report be brought back to Audit Committee in March 2014 on ICT Business Continuity