This report concludes that the statement of intent and reporting arrangements provide appropriate accountability. On the face of it, the new requirements around public meetings that will focus on these arrangements may serve to strengthen them even further.
Recommendation 1: that Auckland Council instigates quarterly reporting in addition to the six-monthly and annual reporting requirements. This will provide an early opportunity for the CCO to adjust its behaviour to meet the council’s expectations.
Public meetings represent a positive step that have the potential to result in improvement and learning within the CCO, and in genuine community engagement. The new requirement to hold two public meetings per year may be a real challenge to the CCOs, however, as they work to develop their statement of intent in the public eye and seek to explain why they have not met a particular performance target. This will require cultural change that may be at odds with their mandate to apply commercial disciplines to the delivery of services and to make expedient and timely decisions.
The new governance arrangements do not come into effect until 1 November 2010. 
Recommendation 2: that further analysis is undertaken over the next 12-24 months to consider the impact on a CCO’s accountability of the requirement to hold two public meetings per year.
Recommendation 3: that further analysis is undertaken to identify the impact on a CCO’s ability to meet its objectives if some or all of its meetings are open to the public.
Sanctions are a critical component of the democratic control criterion. The sanctions that Auckland Council can apply to a CCO if its performance is poor appear to be limited. Much will ride on successful relationship building and good, clear communication from Auckland Council to ensure CCOs are in no doubt as to what they are expected to deliver.