Agenda item

-      To receive feedback and suggestions

-      To decide on next actions

5:40pm

Following the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum (OPSF) on 8 November, 2016, the slides from the Work Programming presentation delivered by the Chair and the Policy and Scrutiny Officer to the Corporate Cabinet/Corporate Management Team Away Day (CC/CMT) on 8 November, 2016 were circulated to all members for suggestions and feedback.

Members commented that some scrutiny project groups (SPGs) needed to be more specific as reviews into broader subjects had a tendency to run for a long time. It was felt that the issues chosen for SPGs needed to be more focussed and split into two or three separate groups if the issue was too large. The Chair asked the SPG on concessions on fees and charges to meet to evaluate the positives and negatives of how the project was run and bring a report back to a future meeting of the OPSF.

Members agreed with the three suggestions made by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Team to improve future work programming sessions:

·        Better alignment of work programme planning with corporate priorities and budget setting timetables;

·        Prioritise the long list – but be strict about the short list

·        Allow more time after work programme planning to formulate and consult before OPSF approval

Members added that, in relation to the second point, the second work planning day needed to be structured in a way that would support members in prioritising the long list.

The Policy and Scrutiny Officer commented that three of the new Corporate Management Team had not yet been appointed at the time of the work programming sessions in March and April which created some gaps in the information available. Feedback from cabinet members suggested that they needed more information from senior officers to support the work programming days adequately but were keen to help with the work programming process. The Policy and Scrutiny Officer added that there was now a complete Corporate Management Team which had improved communication between officers and cabinet members which should enable the work programming sessions to be more effective in creating the long list for the 2017/18 work programme.

Members declared the pilot work programming sessions as a success and agreed that a similar exercise would be carried out in order to set the 2017/18 work programme. It was suggested that the dates for the work programming sessions should be set sooner to improve the availability of officers and members. Additionally, Members agreed that research should be carried out to explore if other local authorities have undertaken budget setting scrutiny and how it had worked. The Policy and Scrutiny Officer agreed to contact other authorities and report back to the Forum.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the Members of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum agree with the suggestions of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Team to improve the work programming days:

·        Better alignment of work programme planning with corporate priorities and budget setting timetables.

·        Prioritise the long list – but be strict about the short list

·        Allow more time after work programme planning to formulate and consult before Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum approval

2.   That the Policy and Scrutiny Officer carries out research to establish if other local authorities undertake budget setting scrutiny and report back to the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum in July 2017.

3.   That the pilot work programming sessions undertaken in March and April 2016 be agreed as a success and that the process be repeated in 2017 to enable members and officers to plan the work programmes for 2017/18.