Independent Member Job description
Job description of an Independent Member of the Audit and Governance Committee
Allowance
An annual allowance will be paid to each of the Independent Members of the Audit and Governance Committee.
The role
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking to appoint two independent members to their Audit and Governance Committee, in line with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Audit Committee Guidance.
What are the responsibilities of the Audit and Governance Committee?
The primary purpose of the Audit and Governance Committee is to provide independent assurance on the effectiveness of the control environment and corporate governance arrangements operating within the Council. This is achieved by:
- reviewing the annual statement of accounts and annual governance statement.
- considering reports received from the internal and external auditors on work completed.
- monitoring the independence, objectivity, and performance of the auditors
- monitoring counter fraud plans and activities
- reviewing the council’s treasury management strategy and activities
- promoting high standards of conduct by councillors and co-opted members
The committee reports annually regarding its work, to demonstrate how they have fulfilled their responsibilities.
What are Independent Members of the Audit and Governance Committee Members expected to do?
Independent Members will be formally appointed to serve on the Council’s Audit and Governance Committee for a fixed four-year term.
They are expected to read agenda papers sent prior to each meeting, attend meetings and participate in questioning officers about the contents of reports prepared for the committee’s consideration. There are six scheduled committee meetings per annum. Independent Members may also be requested to attend meetings of the Audit Working Group and training sessions.
Independent Members are an important part of the corporate governance assurance framework. They should bring knowledge and skills relating to financial accounting and auditing that are complementary to the elected members of the committee.