External Assurance Reviews of Local Authorities

To appoint an external Supplier that can quickly mobilise resources to coordinate and conduct external assurance reviews of local authorities where those local authorities are identified as carrying significant risk and / or exhibiting evidence of failure. The reviews may cover a range of subject areas that include but are not limited to: governance processes, financial management, financial sustainability, commercial and companies, and procurement and contract management. Reviews will include recommendations on appropriate steps local authorities could take to address the issues / risks identified.

It is expected that the areas of focus for each review will not be mutually exclusive, and the Supplier is expected to consider the interdependencies across the different areas as required. There may be additional focuses for specific local authorities that may be included in review scopes, for instance, specific demand pressures or investments / companies that are driving financial pressures.

External Assurance Reviews will be categorised as either (but not limited to)

"in depth assessment (finance and governance)" - will encompass a wide scope across a range of subject areas

"in depth assessment (finance)" - scopes which are principally focused on financial management & sustainability and/ or capital / debt & investments / assets, and improvement only

"in depth assessment (governance)" - reviews focused on the governance, culture and leadership of organisation or service delivery (and improvement) - with only limited focus on financial elements of the authority under view

"rapid review" (which could be financial or governance focused in nature)

Under this contract the Supplier will be expected to deliver against the following objectives:

Objective 1 - Delivering Reviews: To deliver to MHCLG completed external assurance reviews of local authorities to an agreed timeframe to enable timely actions to be taken in response to their findings;

Objective 2 - Consistency and Quality: To ensure consistency of quality, depth, and presentation of external assurance reviews, and that all reviews meet a good standard of written English;

Objective 3 - Constructive Working Relationships: To work constructively with local authorities subject to an external assurance review to ensure review analysis and findings are robust, and maintain as far as possible a collaborative working relationship between local authority, Supplier and MHCLG;

Objective 4 - Due Diligence to Reduce Legal Risk: To ensure that conflicts of interest are managed appropriately, and that the Supplier undertakes due diligence to reduce legal risk in all respects, this includes ensuring appropriate due diligence where a review implicates an identifiable individual.

Objective 5 - Resource Capacity: To ensure resource capacity and flexibility is provided so that reviews can continue to be delivered to the agreed timeframes, particularly where reviews are occurring concurrently.

Objective 6 - Expertise: To ensure Supplier reviewers / review teams have the necessary experience, expertise, qualifications and understanding of the local authority sector, reflecting the review scope may flex subject to the issues identified in individual local authorities.