Case Study: Scottish Borders Council achieves integrated risk, audit and performance management with Ideagen's Covalent

Using Covalent to integrate Risks, Audits and Performance Management

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) needed a single, integrated platform to manage risks, audits and performance after initially using separate systems for performance reporting and risk management. Managers identify risks at three levels (Chief Executive, Directorates, Heads of Service), but the standalone risk system limited visibility, accountability and linkage to business plans and audit recommendations.

SBC moved all risk registers and mitigation actions into Covalent, mirroring its organisational hierarchy to produce Directorate heat maps, linking risks to business objectives and scheduling reviews by risk rating. Audit recommendations are now loaded and assigned in Covalent, enabling clearer ownership, streamlined tracking and fewer duplicate risks through a standardised categorisation model. The result: improved internal control and governance, time savings for auditors, risk rationalisation and stronger risk-based audit planning.

Scottish Borders Council