Agenda item

Consideration was given to a report which outlined the proposal for an audit of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership and the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS).  This was expected to assist in the assurance of the JMWMS being a fit for purpose and relevant document.  Additionally there would be assurance of the LWP being a well-managed, engaging group, with strong governance, as well as determining a future vision for a successful and sustainable waste management service provision for the benefit of all Lincolnshire residents.

The Partnership was provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report, and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was commented that one of the things that could come out of this audit was that there had been a struggle to find agenda items.  One of the outcomes could be a need for a more structured approach.

·         It was noted that this was currently a scoping exercise, and draft document for comment.

·         The final report would go through the County Council's Audit Committee, but it would also come back to this Partnership.  Districts were welcome to take the report to their own audit committees as well.

·         If people had comments on the terms of reference, they were encouraged to contact the Democratic Services Officer.

·         The aim of the Audit was to be forward looking, as there were a lot of challenges coming up.  It would also be looking at governance arrangements.  There would be a changing agenda going forward for waste and the Partnership would need to be prepared for that.

·         The price of recyclables had changed and so there was a need to make sure that the authority was getting the best value, and that methods were in place to make the best use of resources.

·         It was confirmed that the audit would be carried out by the County Council who would also meet the costs, as it was part of the County Council's Annual Audit Plan.

·         It was queried whether there was a need for an audit of whether the JMWMS was still fit for purpose, and whether the Partnership could just hold a workshop.

·         It was commented that it was positive that the issue of value for money would be included.

·         The Partnership was advised that the audit was not about coming up with answers, but it was about looking for assurance.

·         It was noted that the audit would not be looking into each organisation and how they operated, it would just look at the Partnership.  It was about the future direction, how the partnership operated and governed itself.

·         It was commented that one of the weaknesses of the Partnership was that it always met in public, and so could not always have honest conversations due to the sensitive nature of some of the issues.

·         It was queried whether LCC had asked for this audit, and it was acknowledged that the Partnership had not had one for many years, and the opportunity to scope something out came up, and it was suggested that it would be a good idea.

·         It was commented that this had to be a beneficial activity, as it would let the Partnership know how it was performing and whether it was working as it should do.

·         It was suggested that the vision for the Partnership should be determined by the Partnership.

·         The report would be the view of internal audit, and it was hoped that all information would be pulled together to provide something of value, and the Partnership would be able to decide what to do with the report.

RESOLVED

            That the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership support the undertaking of the    audit and provide the required staff resources, to produce a considered        audit report for submission to the Partnership at its next meeting on 15 September 2016.