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Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09 Mark McAteer Director of Governance and Performance Management Improvement Service

Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

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Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09. Mark McAteer Director of Governance and Performance Management Improvement Service. Drivers. McIntosh & L.A.P.: Separating DM & scrutiny Executive/cabinet & scrutiny committee(s) & assembly - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Dundee City CouncilMember Workshop on Scrutiny:

Organising Scrutiny02/12/09

Mark McAteerDirector of Governance

and Performance ManagementImprovement Service

Page 2: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Drivers• McIntosh & L.A.P.: Separating DM & scrutiny

• Executive/cabinet & scrutiny committee(s) & assembly

• P.R, minority and coalition: Options for governance & scrutiny

Page 3: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

3 Broad Models

• The conventional model & adaptations

• Committees & separate scrutiny committee

• Executive & scrutiny models

Page 4: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

The Conventional Model• Administration & opposition

• Committee based: DM & scrutiny (balanced representation: chairs, convenors)

• Separate Audit Committee: BV as part of remit

• Periodic meetings for performance review

• Supported by: Efficiency scrutinies; BV reviews; M/O groups

Page 5: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Problems• Weak scrutiny of policy (but group, pre-agenda, etc)

• Limited scrutiny of performance: Why beat yourself up?

• Marginalisation of opposition: Balance

• Local ward end of scrutiny strongest but operational, not systematic

Page 6: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Committees & Separate Scrutiny Committee

• Often ‘audit & scrutiny’

• Led by opposition not administration but

• Workload, resourcing & support

• Party political advantage

Page 7: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Cabinet/Executive & Scrutiny Model

• Separation of DM & scrutiny: Executive & ‘assembly’

• Portfolio holders: Rapid decision making

• Scrutiny or select committees: Policy, implementation, performance

• All party ‘backbencher’ composition

Page 8: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Points• Empowerment of executive: Port-mortem

scrutiny

• Assumes frontbench/backbench split not parties

• Support & resourcing for scrutiny: Chief Officers, advisors, etc.

Page 9: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Post PR• Coalition & political management: Proportionality &

scrutiny

• MM wards: Implementation, performance, citizens issues

• Corporate & area level scrutiny

• Resourcing & support for elected members

Page 10: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Key Points• All models separate out decision making & scrutiny: political

business process & cycle

• Scrutiny needs to happen at the right level & time to be effective: to add value

• Scrutiny is of decision & delivery of outcomes: not people

• Scrutiny needs designed to reflect democratic balance

Page 11: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Potential Elements• Audit committee

• Central scrutiny committee: Major decisions & developments; pre decision making

• Committees sitting quarterly as performance & improvement sub: committees

• M.M.W. Performance meeting: Open to public

• Cross cutting M/O groups: Service review; efficiency & productivity; asset management etc

Page 12: Dundee City Council Member Workshop on Scrutiny: Organising Scrutiny 02/12/09

Precondition• Get the political business process right

• Responsibility not partisan advantage

• Good support for elected members