Issue - meetings

A report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services was presented, the purpose of which was to outline the Council’s approach to Programme and Project Management (PPM) and summarise activity in the past two years and planned developments for 2024 and beyond, to provide the Committee with assurance that the Council had robust arrangements in place to support the delivery of its strategic aims and priorities.

The Portfolio Management Office (PMO) had responsibility for the strategic oversight of the Council’s portfolio of programmes and projects that were managed within the corporate Programme and Project Management Framework (PPMF), which was in place to provide a consistent approach to PPM governance and documentation.

Currently, the PMO had oversight of the corporate portfolio comprising 21 projects, all of which support the achievement of strategic priorities and which continued to further embed the PPM framework across the Council, ensuring compliance through monthly project health checks.

Projects managed within the portfolio were categorised as either Level 1 (the most complex projects) or Level 2, and their performance was assessed and reported using Red, Amber, and Green (RAG) indicators that measured how well the project was delivering against expectations.

The table at paragraph 7 of the submitted report showed a positive increase in the overall performance status of projects to date (end February 2024) in the last 12 months. 

An internal audit of project management arrangements in 2023, determined that a sound system of governance, risk management and control existed, with internal controls operating effectively and being consistently applied to support the achievement of objectives in the area audited.  The overall opinion of the controls within the system was ‘Substantial Assurance’ in relation to project governance arrangements in place to support the Council’s strategic objectives, with a strong commitment to the PPM framework within the Council.

The PPM Framework and documentation had recently been reviewed and refined with the following minor amendments made to ensure the framework remains fit for purpose:

•           Lowering the financial benefits thresholds in the Benefit Complexity Matrix tool, to ensure any projects delivering savings were prioritised and were given the highest level of governance and scrutiny.

•           A revised and simplified Programme Definition document to ensure a more appropriate and proportionate level of detail was captured.

•           A revised and simplified Level One Business Case to ensure a more appropriate and proportionate level of detail was captured.

•           The development and implementation of ‘An introduction to the Council’s PPM Methodology’ online training module.

•           The introduction of monthly project health checks.

A copy of the updated Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Framework: 2024-27 was attached at Appendix 1 to the submitted report.

The Council was currently mid-way through a corporate governance improvement journey and was subject to a Best Value notice issued in January 2023, from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

To respond effectively to the wider governance challenges facing the Council, the Corporate Governance Improvement Plan was refreshed in September 2023 around two specific themes:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32