Shock report: The States are making improvements

Friday 28 August 2015

The States’ independent spending watchdog has welcomed improvements to procurement, audit and health management in the public sector after three critical reports were published last year.

Follow-up reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Karen McConnell, have found that departments have made improvements in internal audit processes, the procurement of goods and services, and in the use of management information at the Health department.

All three areas were the subject of critical reports last year.
Mrs McConnell – who has the power to demand documents and records from departments when conducting her reviews into whether departments offer value for money – said that following-up reports to ensure changes were being made was an essential part of her role.
She said: “Public reports are valuable not only for the external scrutiny they provide but also for the change they should lead to.
“My follow-up of the implementation of recommendations allows the States Assembly to establish whether recommendations are being implemented in a timely manner, so securing necessary improvements in governance, internal control and value for money.”
The findings of the follow-up reports were:
- The States is “on the way” to securing the Internal Audit it needs and that there has been an “honest acceptance” of the need for change with most of last year's recommendations been implemented in full.
- Although recommended changes on procurement had been made with some positive outcome, the absence of up-to-date and clear procurement strategy within the States means that the developments have been delayed and not totally implemented.
- The follow-up report on the use of management information at the Health department concluded that although progress had been made, it has been limited by the department’s failure to adopt a long-term business plan. The review also concluded that more work is needed to make better use of management information in its decision-making.