13 July 2006

Report released on Council's review of its funding of Converge 05

Christchurch City Council has released its report on an internal review of its funding of Converge 05, a three-day conference and workshop held in Christchurch in October 2005.

Council provided $500,000 in grants and underwriting to the Creative Industries Trust, an independent body which proposed, organised and produced the event. New Zealand Trade and Industries was the other major funder.

The Office of the Auditor General requested a review into the Council's implementation of its funding decision.

Council General Manager Public Affairs Stephen Hill says the review found that the Council now operates totally different processes for assessing funding requests and for managing funding relations from those in place when funding was approved for Converge 05 in 2003.

"Under current processes any such application would be subject to significantly more robust assessment of risk, financial viability and contribution to outcomes than was the case in 2003," Mr Hill says.

The Annual Plan process, through which the funding application was received in 2003, no longer exists in the same form.

The review also found that funding agreements and monitoring and reporting requirements, which were not put in place in 2003 for Converge, would today ensure much closer scrutiny of the progress and viability of such events.

"Under current processes clear management responsibility within Council would be assigned to the implementation of the funding decision and management of the ongoing relationship," Mr Hill says.

ENDS

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