Agenda item

Report of the Chamberlain

The Committee received a Report of the Chamberlain concerning budget monitoring for Q3.

The Chairman reported to Members that a great deal of work had taken place, and was ongoing, to ensure the Police’s adverse variance for 2018/19 was being mitigated, albeit “we were still not out of the woods”. It was also important to recognise that concerns had been raised about the 18/19 financial outlook for the Barbican and certain areas within the City Surveyor’s Department (CSD).

Both the Managing Director of the Barbican and the City Surveyor would present their updated efficiency plans to Members of the Efficiency and Performance Sub-Committee before the August recess; for the latter, the Chairman stressed that, although good financial management was vital, it was incumbent on Members to recognise the acute requirements CSD will have with regards strengthening project management, and the significant extra funding this will require in the 2020s. The Deputy Chairman added that CSD’s Project Management Academy would be launched on 1^st April; it was anticipated that this would produce a step change in both training and spreading good practice among Corporation staff (both within CSD and other departments), more widely, he emphasised his support for the City Surveyor, and stressed that some areas, including the Investment Property Group, had produced a stellar performance across Q1-Q3.

RESOLVED – that the Committee notes the Report