Given the controversy caused by the Wales Audit Office and its critical findings on the lack of adherence by the States of Guernsey to the basic principles of good governance, round two was likely to be lively, to say the least.

Public Accounts was under severe pressure from its Assembly colleagues and faced a vote of no confidence over its actions – and received an instruction not to tamper with the consensus system of government in making proposals to rectify the governance gaps identified by the WAO.

But if anyone was anticipating fireworks in the PAC’s report for the March States meeting, they will have been disappointed.

While deputies might have been expecting a report telling them what to do to plug the gaps, the Billet item is far more diplomatic. Let government formally adopt the six core principles of good governance and then monitor progress, it says, before adding that quite a lot of progress has already been made.

Even for PAC’s more devoted critics there is little to object to. Yes, the committee might have been somewhat generous in its assessment of the progress that has been made on delivering sustainable, value for money, quality services in a transparent manner, but things have improved.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the WAO’s involvement is its having put governance on the political agenda in the first place. One of the most noticeable changes has been the way in which policy is formulated.

Out is the ‘propose and reject’ model in which departments would propose a course of action and then wait for any opposition to it. Instead – and the population management debate is a good example – the move is towards a consultation process informing what the community might need and accept.

Just getting the concept on the agenda has generated change for the better and the latest proposals, of adopting the principles, will be a further improvement.

And for those who worry about such things, the existing progress can be built on without any change to the machinery of government.

So no fireworks, but PAC’s report is far from a damp squib.