Agenda item

To consider and accept the update on report(s) recently published by Audit Wales

 

·         Digital Strategy Review – Cyngor Gwynedd 

·         Work Programme Update for Quarter 2  

DECISION:

 

To accept the reports and note the information

 

• Digital Strategy Review - to approve Cyngor Gwynedd's response to the recommendations of Audit Wales

 

DECISION:

 

Alan Hughes, Yvonne Thomas and Lora Williams (Audit Wales), Geraint Owen (Corporate Director) and Dewi Jones (the Council's Business Support Service Manager) were welcomed to the meeting.

 

           Digital Strategy Review – Cyngor Gwynedd

 

The Finance Cabinet Member noted that that the audit was held at an unfortunate time (May 2023) which conflicted with the work of the Council's Digital Transformation Board as they led on drawing up a new strategy. The new Digital Strategy had been presented to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee in September 2023 where useful observations were received on the plan before presenting it to the Cabinet. In the meantime, the findings of Audit Wales's audit of the Council’s digital use had been published in October 2023, and as a result of the conflict, the report did not highlight the good work that the Digital Transformation Board had undertaken to develop the Digital Strategy. The new Strategy was approved by the Cabinet in November 2023. He added that evidence justified that this was a standard strategy, and that the residents of Gwynedd had had an opportunity to submit observations during the consultation period.

 

The Audit Wales Officer reported on the context of the audit, noting the reasons why the audit was held, the focus of the audit and the findings. Reference was made to the findings, the three recommendations proposed by Audit Wales and the Council's response to those recommendations. It was recognised that the time window of the audit had been tight and that the report had concentrated on evidence revealed at the time. The Council did not have a formal current plan for developing its digital services at the time the audit was held, as the period of the previous 'Digital Strategy' had come to an end in 2018.

 

The Council's response to the audit was presented by the Corporate Director. As Chair of the Council’s Digital Transformation Board, he thanked the Board for their commendable work and highlighted that the written response shows that all the recommendations had already been implemented or were an ongoing task. However, he expressed his disappointment with the general content of the audit. He noted that in March 2023 the creation of a new Digital Strategy had been included as one of the Council’s 2023-2028 Corporate Plan priorities and the situation had been explained to Audit Wales in the hope that the audit would add value to the final Strategy. He highlighted that he rejected Audit Wales's observation on the Council’s decision to not consult with the public to develop a Digital Strategy – he noted that there had been a consultation period on the Council Plan and that establishing a Strategy was part of that Plan. He also highlighted his opinion that the report created a misunderstanding of the developments in the field and that they need to avoid this in the future.

 

An opportunity was provided for Audit Wales to respond to the Corporate Director’s observations. It was noted;

·         Despite the consultation on the Council Plan, the plan consulted on was extensive and therefore there wasn't sufficient focus on the digital field.

·         Lack of evidence of data analysis, creating opportunities with partners and monitoring value for money – no judgement here but opportunities to improve for the future. Need to ensure that the new Strategy adopts these elements.

 

During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by members:

·         That a specific focus was needed on digital work to ensure value for money

·         A suggestion of misinterpretation between the Council and Audit Wales

·         Accept that there was a tight window for the audit – an opportunity now to move forward with the excellent work made drawing up the new Digital Strategy

·         The Council Plan was a detailed and comprehensive plan with various priorities. Maybe the Digital Strategy might not have received sufficient attention here.

·         That there was a need to ensure that sufficient, permanent resources were available to support the Strategy – It was proposed that the committee should support any bid for money to support this

·         As a result of a difference of opinion and ensuring that the recommendations were achieved – encourage holding a further audit to give further assurance that the Digital Strategy was achieving

·         Although they were supportive of bids to realise the strategy, the reality was frustration side by side with aspirations – resources were not available to realise aspirations ad therefore, in future it should be considered not to express aspirations in the first instance.

 

In response to an observation regarding how consulting on the Digital Strategy on its own would have been beneficial, it was noted that it would have provided stakeholders and members of the public with an opportunity to respond specifically e.g. to software packages. It was added that the old digital strategy had ended in 2018 and that consultation would have placed a focus on shaping the services for the future. He  reiterated that the 2018 Strategy was not current and therefore there was no evidence of reporting on progress / value for money since then – it was important to have monitoring arrangements in place.

 

The Corporate Director noted that he did not agree with the observations and highlighted that the Digital Strategy was an enabler, designed to realise the Council's Plan and support the work of the Council rather than be a stand-alone document. In terms of the observation to ensure value for money, it was recognised that the Strategy had not been refreshed since 2018, so in that respect it was difficult to understand how it would have been possible to monitor the achievement of a document that did not exist.

 

In response to a question regarding ensuring feedback was gathered from the systems in place and whether the services themselves would receive feedback from the arrangements, the Corporate Director noted that this would be a key part of the work. It was highlighted that performance challenge and support arrangements were already in place for every improvement priority within the Council Plan as well as for day-to-day service delivery. He reiterated that monitoring and evaluation arrangements based on customer satisfaction was a measurer used by a number of services in order to receive feedback on the provision. He reported that receiving feedback, learning lessons and ensuring continuous improvement was at the centre of the Ffordd Gwynedd way of working.

 

In response to an observation on financial bids to support the Strategy, the Finance Cabinet Member highlighted that the Council’s financial situation was quite serious. He added that the Services would be required to undertake the monitoring work, and although it was agreed there was a need for additional resources, it would be hard to realise this. The Head of Finance added that a one-off fund had been established for supporting task and finish work relating to the Strategy and that bids for permanent revenue had already been submitted to realise other elements of the Digital Plan, but he emphasized, although the bidding arrangements had been considered, the priority would be to consider what was affordable. If the Committee was considering supporting financial bids for realising the Digital Plan, there would be a need to look at the whole picture and not at one specific matter. He also noted that a further discussion was needed on the definition of 'value for money', that is, discuss how value for money and productivity can be measured within the Local Authority.

 

The proposal for the Committee to support permanent revenue bids for realising the Digital Strategy fell.

 

Work Programme Update and Q2 Timetable

 

Submitted – a quarterly update (up to 30 September 2023) on the work programme and timetable of Audit Wales. A discussion was held on the financial audit and local performance audit work, highlighting the thematic Review – Unscheduled Care and Thematic Review – Digital, noting that the work of gathering evidence was ongoing. It was added that the Annual Report would be submitted in the new year and that the audit of Cyngor Gwynedd’s Final Accounts was nearly completed – a final report would be submitted to the January 2024 meeting.

 

Thanks were expressed for the report.

 

The Chair noted her disappointment that the timetable of Cyngor Gwynedd's Final Accounts audit had slipped although the information had been submitted timely

 

RESOLVED

 

To accept the report and note the information.

 

Note:

Digital Strategy Review – to approve Cyngor Gwynedd's response to the recommendations of Audit Wales