A Quality Partner's Role in a Senior Management Review

Yesterday, my boss and I had another difference of opinion. He had attended one of the delivery reviews (that's what sr. mgmt reviews are called where I currently work) and was shocked by the quality of the review. He was disappointed at the fact the senior manager did not ask questions pertaining to metrics, did not ask questions on how the plans were created, how effective was the tracking ,etc. He was even more so disappointed at me for not asking the questions myself.
Later after the review he called for a meeting to tell us what our role in the delivery review is supposed to be. He spoke about how the consultants (here we are called Quality Partners) should take charge of the review if the sr. management is not effectively conducting it and gave some wild anologies as usual.
I defended myself by saying that a delivery review is to be conducted by the delivery head and I ask questions that spin off from his where his questions are not rightly answered, or if he does not go deep into the topic. Most of the times, I list out the questions or concerns that I'd like him to look into and hand it over to him before the review to kind of point him in the right direction; and moreover, some senior guys don't like it if you butt into his review, no matter how good a job you do!
Also went on to tell him that all the questions that I have to ask of the project manager, I ask during "my" process reviews. He was not convinced. He said we had to be proactive and bring them on line.
If we are to do the delivery head's job today because he is incompetant, next we'd have to take on the engagement managers' work and then the project managers'. I asked him where do we stop. Instead of eradicting the root problem, we are just fueling it to get worse, because now we are slowly relying lesser and lesser on those seniors' ability to review the health of the project.
Since, he didn't have much to say on that (at least I think so), he said that I am still at fault here because I don't assist the delivery heads by sending them the fortnightly report which is a part of my job. I agreed that I don't send the report, but I do give them a heads up by listing out my concerns for them to address. But that, as per my boss, is not official and formal. So I had to agree again.
Now let's see, my boss, not only wants me to "proactively" do someone else's job, but continue doing what I do at my level. I think to myself, fine let's give this idea a try.
The boss has a talk with the delivery head in the morning today as he was going to conduct a review for another project. He tells the guy that it is my job to ask questions and that at times I will ask questions on his behalf and that he should not take if personally or offensively if I ever supersede him in directing the show.
What the delivery head hears is that it is my responsibility to ask questions in the review and that he can jump in whenever he wants to. He said to me that this is what my boss told him. I know!
Readers, the quality partner, process consultant, quality analyst, whatever he may be called is supposed to be the trusted advisor to the delivery. He is not the person you see standing in front in the meetings. He is the person standing behind the chair and giving information and advice to the person who is actually conducting the meeting. One thing my boss said is right - you must provide the delivery head with data. I completely agree. I also agree, if you live in the world of fear and need to cover your backs, then the communique between the two of you, needs to be official and formal; but nevertheless, whether formal or not, this information needs to reach him before he reviews.
To summarize, the role of the consultant in the senior management review is:

• Give information/status of the project before hand. You may supplement this with risks/issues that you foresee.
• Ask questions if the questions are not deep enough or if the answers are not satisfactory, basically assist in asking questions
  
• Correct him or the audience if their perception on some things is incorrect
• Make notes

But to take over the meeting is a no no! You are setting the wrong precedence and example. You are creating wrong perceptions as to who is in charge and who is affected by the problems of the project. Moreover, don't we always talk of management commitment; well if you are the one talking and questioning, how does one know that the senior management wants to get things done!
Think about it!