Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
C.Co was commissioned by the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to undertake an independent assurance review related to the production of the Authority’s budget. The Authority was specifically seeking to ensure that:

  • The process for completing the budget met all statutory and, internal, constitutional requirements
  • The assumptions made within it were suitable and robust
  • Appropriate control and governance were in place to support its delivery

Specifically, the review was scoped to:

  • Review the process undertaken to complete the budget
  • Assess and/or test the assumptions that underpin it, including funding sources and the split of revenue and capital
  • Assess the governance in place to report, assess and, where appropriate, intervene in the delivery of the budget

The Authority required the review to be completed within January in order to inform the budget sign-off process and, specifically, the Combined Authority Board (the Board) meeting scheduled for 30 January.

Following an initial scoping meeting with the Chief Executive, C.Co met with the Interim Finance Director and Finance Manager immediately after the Christmas break to discuss the context and process to complete the budget and to table an initial document request. A detailed document review formed the principal basis of this review and enabled C.Co to determine its initial findings, to seek clarification where appropriate and to determine its emerging recommendations. An initial summary document was produced and shared with the Chief Executive on 18 January. This document enabled C.Co to present its approach, initial findings and emerging recommendations. It provided an opportunity for the Authority to challenge the findings, provide additional information to mitigate recommendations and request, within the scope of the review, any further meetings with Authority employees.

The final report, offering a satisfactory opinion on the process and content of the Budget was issued on 28 January, the Budget was formally signed off by the Combined Authority Board on 30 January.

At C.Co, we support organisations with solutions for all aspects of change management, enabling successful improvement and transformation across the public sector. If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch with us today.