Issue - meetings

The Director of Finance and Support Services submitted a report that reviewed the current partnership protocol for East Herts Council and provided an update to the Committee.

The Head of Business Development advised that in 2010, following the work of a Scrutiny Task and Finish group, this Committee had approved a “Partnership Protocol”, which set out expectations and requirements for managing risks associated with partnership working.

Members were advised that the Protocol had been produced when the Authority was engaged in multiple arrangements with different levels of associated risk and had been designed to act as a guide to help Officers understand and manage risk.

The Head of Business Development stated that there was now less informal partnership activity and more formal collaborative working arrangements in place.  He concluded that the Protocol had to be updated to clear up a number of grey areas regarding informal partnership working and he was seeking authority to review the protocol and bring a further report to the next meeting of the Committee.

The Head of Business Development responded to a number of minor queries from the Committee.  Members received the report and supported the recommendations now detailed.

RESOLVED – that (A) the Partnership Protocol be reviewed to focus on only those partnerships where formal assurance processes were not in place; and

(B)   the register of partnerships be replaced by the “map” of shared services.