Can your programme board prove the supplier position before it commits more public money or authorises go-live?
Local authorities often carry technology risk with small client teams, limited independent assurance capacity and heavy dependence on a principal supplier. Enigma provides proportionate client-side scrutiny for councils replacing or recovering critical systems and services.
Who the review supports
The review is designed for Directors of Resources, Section 151 Officers, CIOs and Heads of ICT, Transformation Directors, Programme SROs and boards that need an evidenced position before taking responsibility for a supplier-led recommendation.
Typical trigger points
- ERP, HR, payroll, finance or case-management replacement.
- System and integration testing is late, incomplete or poorly evidenced.
- UAT is being asked to compensate for defects that should have been found earlier.
- Data migration, reconciliation or cutover readiness cannot be demonstrated.
- Milestones move repeatedly while programme reporting remains positive.
- A supplier proposes recovery, further funding, scope reduction or contract extension.
- Internal audit, scrutiny or senior leadership requires a defensible evidence trail.
Fixed-scope Programme Evidence Review
A Programme Evidence Review is a bounded entry engagement focused on the decision the authority must make. It examines governance and accountability, the integrated plan, supplier obligations, test and defect evidence, data migration, cutover, service continuity and material unsupported claims.
The scope is proportionate to consequence. It does not require the council to build a permanent assurance function or commission a large consultancy team.
What the authority receives
- An executive opinion written for the accountable decision-maker.
- A clear distinction between verified evidence, assumption and missing information.
- Material risks to residents, staff, statutory processes and service continuity.
- A reasoned confidence position and specific conditions for proceeding.
- Named actions, owners, due dates and closure evidence.
- A record suitable for programme governance, audit and scrutiny.
Relevant assurance services
Depending on the trigger, the review may draw on Programme Health Checks and Recovery, Quality and Test Assurance, and Data Migration and Cutover Assurance. The disciplines are combined around one client decision rather than sold as disconnected contractor roles.
Proportionate does not mean permissive
Controls can be scaled to the authority and programme. Material exposure still requires explicit ownership, mitigation and approval. Supplier confidence is useful input, but it is not independent assurance.
Download the Public Sector Assurance Brief.
If a programme decision is approaching, start an assurance conversation with the decision, deadline and supplier evidence currently available.