As would be expected of a Programme of its size, scope and ambition, the Glasgow City Region City Deal is underpinned by formal governance arrangements and ongoing scrutiny.
Governance arrangements for the City Deal were agreed by government and are set out in the Assurance Framework. This formal document was approved by the Cabinet in March 2015 and revised in 2019 and then in 2025. It sets out governance structures and arrangements for the City Deal Programme; how Business Cases will be progressed, evaluated and agreed and how the funding mechanisms will work.
The Glasgow City Region Cabinet – a Joint Committee made up of Leaders of the participating member authorities, established under Section 57 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 – is the ultimate decision-making body responsible for decision-making in relation to the City Deal. You can read more about the Cabinet, how we make decisions and our structures, on the Who We Are page. Information on Cabinet meetings and links to Cabinet papers can be found on the Cabinet Meetings and Papers page.
The Programme Management Office (PMO) acts as secretariat to the Cabinet and is the central point for appraisal and monitoring of all aspects of the City Deal.
Scrutiny and Audit
The Programme Liaison Group (PLG), made up of representatives from the UK and Scottish Governments, meet regularly throughout the year to review and monitor the City Deal Programme’s progress and the delivery of the PMO’s work programme as set out within the Annual Implementation Plan.
The Programme is subject to a series of monitoring reports, provided to CEG, Cabinet and the Programme Liaison Group (PLG). You can find out more about these on the Monitoring and Reporting page.
The Programme is also subject to a series of planned audits, externally by Audit Scotland and internally by Glasgow City Council Internal Audit, appointed by the Cabinet.
An annual plan for audit activity for the year ahead is agreed by Cabinet, with findings, recommendations and progress on follow up actions reported to Cabinet throughout the year.