PAPER D
Purpose
: For decision
Committee : STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Date : 11 FEBRUARY 2003
Title : COUNCILLORS
“JOB PROFILES”
REPORT
OF THE MONITORING OFFICER
1.
To consider the responses
received following the circulation of the draft of the Members Attendance
Record Procedure and Councillors “Job Profiles”.
BACKGROUND
2.
At its last meeting the
Committee considered the recommendations of the Standards Sub Committee on
Member Attendance and Job Profiles. These have now been circulated for
consultation to all Members and I attach at Appendix A a breakdown of the
responses received along with a comment from me.
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.
That the comments as set out in the attached be incorporated in the
final version and that Council be recommended to adopt the procedure for
recording members attendance and the Councillors Job Profiles. |
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Contact Point : Chris Mathews, F 823280
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JOHN LAWSON
Monitoring Officer |
Appendix A
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Officer Comment |
Member A
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Need to include in Standards Committee Job Profile that the Isle of Wight Council Members have to have served at least one full term. |
Recommended that this be included. |
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Member B
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Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council are non-voting members of all Select Committees and thus they are “invited” to all meetings. |
Agreed – reminder to all staff to ensure this is recorded. |
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Member C
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Suggest that the completion of the members “bit” on the “Members Attendance Record” be capable of doing on a regular basis and “on-line”. |
Agreed – system to be established to allow this to be done. |
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Member D |
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Absences Some Members attend meetings for either only part of the time or indeed for very little time. To avoid abuse of the attendance system I suggest that before a meeting starts – or upon a Member’s arrival they should inform the Chairman that they will be leaving early and the reason for this – this provision not to apply if the Agenda is meeting its end. |
This is something that Members could be asked to do with no impact on the publication of the records. |
Attendances Recorded The above only to apply to meetings of which the Member concerned is a member or is the relevant portfolio holder to the Select Committee. Other listed meetings where a Member attends to listen to debate or to speak at Chairman’s permission should also be recorded – this is particularly relevant for Executive Members attending Select Committees e.g. policy sessions but not as Portfolio Holders. This is important because Executive Members usually end up having to reach a voting conclusion on that Committees business. |
The Standards Sub Committee considered what meetings should be included and concluded that it should only be where Members have been invited to attend. “Non-invitee” attendance could be recorded but would this detract from the purpose of publishing attendance figures? |
Job Profiles – All Members Duties How about Members being expected to work diligently on areas of corporate responsibility and specific Committee responsibility together with their local community responsibilities. |
This seems a sensible point to be included. |
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Member E |
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Attendance Record I consider the Member attendance record to be vastly overcomplicated and unworkable. |
Comment noted. |
Job Profiles A number of suggestions (of either a “tidying up” nature or more substantive) have been made to the job profiles for the Leader and Portfolio Holders, Select Committee Members and a new one – Co-ordinating Committee members. These are attached at Appendix 1 with the suggested changes in italics. |
All the suggestions seems sensible and could be incorporated. |
Appendix 1
E. The Leader and Portfolio Holders
The Council shall annually appoint
a Leader and up to 9 Executive Members who together constitute the Executive.
Role
The Leader is the chairman of the
Executive.
The Executive have [collective
and individual responsibility to propose the Budget and Policy Framework to the
Council, and – NB a duty not a role] to discharge or arrange for
the discharge of those functions which are the responsibility of the Executive
under Article 7 of the Constitution.
Portfolio Holders have a personal responsibility for taking decisions in relation to, and discharging those executive functions delegated to them by the Council. The delegations to Executive Members are known as their portfolio and are detailed in “Delegation of Executive Functions” of the Constitution (page 38).
Duties
1.
Collectively
and individually to
propose collectively and individually the Budget and Policy
Framework, following consultation with Select Committees and others as appropriate.
2.
Personally to take decisions and discharge directly as
individuals, or arrange for the discharge, of those parts of the
Executive's functions which are delegated to the Executive Members by the
Council as part of their portfolio.
3.
Collectively to take collective decisions which due to their
strategic nature, sensitivity or complexity or under the constitution are
appropriately taken by the Executive as a whole.
4. To represent the Council locally, nationally and internationally.
5. To attend meetings of Select Committees when formally invited to do so by that Select Committee.
1. The Leader of the Council receives (in addition to the basic allowance) a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) of £16,587 pa. All other Members of the Executive receive (in addition to the basic allowance) an SRA of £8,294 pa.
2. The Leader of the Council receives dedicated support from the Leader’s Support Officer. Other Executive Members receive secretarial and administrative support from the Members Support Officer. Support is also provided by Strategic Directors and Heads of Service as appropriate.
F. Select Committee Members
Select Committee Members are the
Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Members of Select Committees. Select
Committee Chairmen are elected annually by Full Council.
Members of the Executive cannot be Select Committee Members.
There will be
co-opted Select Committee Members, including church and parent governor
representatives where education functions are concerned, as determined by the
relevant Select Committee. This Job Profile applies to them whilst they are
serving on the Committee.
Role
To select those areas of Council
activity/service to which they consider a Select Committee will apply itself.
To scrutinize, by being a critical
friend, the services of the Council and to make recommendations to improve
service delivery.
To initiate, develop and make recommendations to
either the Executive and/or Council concerning relevant policy matters/issues.
Duties
1. To play a leading role in developing the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework.
2.
To drive and
participate in programmes of policy review and development, both as
decided by at the initiative of Select Committees and at the
request of the Full Council and of the Executive. The programme of
review may include consideration of anything which is of interest to the area
or its inhabitants, even where the issue is not the responsibility of the Council.
3.
To scrutinize both
decisions of the Executive (including the individual Executive Members and
Officers taking key decisions) and existing policies, procedures and
processes of the Council, in accordance with the Committees’ work programme.
4. To participate, when appropriate, in the Call In procedure where, in exceptional circumstances, four Members of the relevant Select Committee consider it is required.
5. To ensure that the work of Select Committees is properly recorded and that such public documents are openly available to the public, Executive and the Full Council, where appropriate, through the submission of reports and clear, concise recommendations.
6. To apply, when undertaking these duties, the Constitution of the Council, and particularly the Select Committee Procedure Rules, the Access to Information Rules and the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules.
7.
To commission and receive expert witness.
8. To undertake additional functions as required by the Council or by statute
9. To undertake Overview and Scrutiny functions in a constructive, positive and non-partisan way.
10. To oversee, and direct the work programme of the Council’s Best Value Officers.
1. The Chairmen of Select Committees receive (in addition to the basic allowance) a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) of £5,528 pa.
2. Select Committee Members have additional rights to access information of relevance to their areas of responsibility. These rights are set out in the Select Committee Procedure Rules.
3.
Select
Committees receive dedicated support on the work of the Select Committees from
the Select Committee Support Unit. Select Committee Members receive secretarial
and administrative support from the Members Support Officer.
4. Mandatory and further specialised training in overview and scrutiny is provided for Members who are encouraged to ensure that they are well informed and able to develop the skills to undertake these responsibilities.
Co-ordinating
Committee Members
The Co-ordinating Committee is made-up
of the Chairmen of Select Committees plus such other Select Committee Members
as are required to ensure political proportionality. The Chairman of the
Committee is elected by the Committee.
The Co-ordinating Committee has a responsibility for
co-ordinating the work programmes of the Select Committees, managing the
application of Select Committee processes including the activity of the Select
Committee Support Unit.
1.
To ensure consistency of
approach and avoid duplication of effort within Select Committee work
programmes.
2.
To decide how
cross-cutting and similar issues will be managed through the Select Committees.
3.
To develop and make
recommendations concerning developments to the Select Committee system and
approach.
4.
To agree and monitor the
service plans of the Select Committee Support Unit and the PDP of the Head of
Select Committee Support Unit (delegated to the Chairman of Co-ordinating
Committee).
Members and Chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee
receive no additional allowance for services to this Committee.