Aberdeen City Council has received further recognition for its excellent governance arrangements, it was announced today (Wednesday, April 13).
The Council, the only local authority in Scotland to achieve Mark of Excellence accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), not only retained its accreditation awarded two years ago but has been recognised for building on its achievements in governance in the intervening period despite the challenge of the CV19 pandemic.
The standard-setting body adjudged the Council to have improved further in four of the seven assessment categories, stating: “This review has found that the systems, processes and procedures that were previously put in place considerably enhanced the Council’s ability to deliver in an accountable way despite the very significant challenges that the CV19 pandemic has caused.”
In particular, Aberdeen City Council, was found to have overcome the challenge of delivering better social, economic and environmental outcomes, in the face of the CV19 with a clear sense of purpose, imagination and innovation while also being able to deliver cost reductions.
The CIPFA report acknowledged that the Council responded positively to the challenges of the pandemic, taking steps to keep staff and customers safe, to inform and support staff, while meeting the most urgent needs of all citizens in unprecedented circumstances.
This included a process which allowed staff to volunteer to transfer temporarily from less critical roles to other roles such as critical and emergency assignments, supporting education and childcare hubs.
Councillor Ryan Houghton, Aberdeen City Council’s City Growth and Resources Committee Convener said: “'We are delighted with the findings in the assessment report and the hard work that it represents.'
“Our governance arrangements enabled us to overcome the challenges presented by the worldwide pandemic and give us the platform we need on which to build the city’s recovery.
“We will continue to develop our governance arrangements against the CIPFA principles of Good Governance as we look to improve our position even further.”
Rob Whiteman, CIPFA CEO said: “After a thorough assessment, we’re pleased to nominate Aberdeen City Council for CIPFA’s Governance Mark of Excellence for their commitment to good governance and transparency.
“CIPFA has supported Aberdeen City Council since 2016, and the latest report serves as an illustration of the evidence, consistency, structure and progress the council has continued to make on its governance journey.”