Webinar Details:
When:
Tuesday September 7, 1 PM AEST
Presenters:
Jo Simonelli, Government Lead, Folio
Michael Nelson, Product Specialist, LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance
Folio and LexisNexis would like to invite you to a webinar that addresses the question “How legislation defines the decision making powers of Councils“
The webinar features Jo Simonelli, Government Lead with Folio and Michael Nelson, Product Specialist for LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance.
Local governments are the first line of connection to communities; providing their municipalities with a wide range of services such as roads, water and waste, libraries, and parks. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for local governments to deliver these services while under immense pressure in a time of unpredictable change.
Each State has an independent ” Audit Office ” governed by the Auditor General in each state undertaking an annual program of financial and performance audits against the effectiveness of internal controls of state and local government public sector entities.
An effective internal control environment includes:
- a strong governance framework that promotes accountability and supports strategic and operational objectives
- secure information systems to maintain the integrity of data
- robust policies and procedures, including appropriate financial delegations
- regular monitoring by management and internal audit reviews.
A report was published by the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) under the Local Government 2020 Audit – the QAO summarised the audit results of Queensland’s 77 local government entities (councils) and the entities they control. Identifying weaknesses in a number of governance controls, categorising them as either ‘deficiencies’, which need to be addressed over time, or ‘significant deficiencies’, which are high risk and need to be addressed immediately. 4 ‘significant deficiencies’ areas of concern were identified in this period across councils’ internal controls and highlighted important challenges for the local government sector.
Internal controls are the people, systems, and processes that ensure an entity can achieve its objectives, prepare reliable financial reports, and comply with applicable laws and accountabilities.
Under the legislation :The chief executive officer must establish the framework for making, recording, and exercising delegations made by the local government, mayor and the chief executive officer under the Local Government Act 2009 (Qld) ss 4, 25A, 113, 116, 117, 118, 119, 121, 123, 255, 256, 257, 257A, 258, 259, 260; Sch 4 and the Local Government Regulation 2012 (Qld) s 305.
The delegations register must be available for inspection by the public and must contain the following information.
- the name or title of the person, or the name of the committee, to whom powers are delegated
- a description of the powers delegated, including the provisions under a local government related law permitting or requiring the exercise of the powers
- if the delegation is by the local government, a summary of the resolution by which the power was delegated including the date, any conditions and the reference numbers for the resolutions (if applicable).
In this Webinar, Jo and Michael will show you how “ How Legislation Defines Decision Making Process?“ and how both the lexisNexis Local Government Modules and the combination of Folio’s workflow capability and assist with the Identification, maintenance and measurement of accountability to support the strategic and operational internal control objectives.
About Folio
Folio is web-based GRC software from Kwela Solutions. The software system is quick to implement, affordable and easy to use, with the ability to be scalable to your organisation’s needs. Folio provides an integrated framework for risk, compliance, incidents, contracts and audits.
About LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance
LexisNexis Regulatory Compliance is a legal obligations register and alerting solution that combines regulatory content with technology to empower you to take control of your compliance obligations.