PAPER E

 

 

RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE- 23 OCTOBER 2003

 

OUTSIDE BODIES

 

HEAD OF LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC SERVICES

 

REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

 

The Standards Committee had identified the appointment of Members to “Outside Bodies” as an area of activity by the Council, which creates potentially difficult and risky issues of ethics and probity.  Independently, the Resources Select Committee at its meeting on 22 May 2003 identified the appointment of Members to such bodies as both an important contributor to achieving corporate objectives and a substantial demand on the scarce resource of Members’ time. 

 

ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE

 

I.                     To debate and adopt terms of reference for this exercise in policy development

II.                   To agree a project plan to deliver the terms of reference

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Council currently appoints to over 180 outside bodies.  The pattern of appointments has never been rationally appraised and has grown, over time, without systematic review.  There is no definition of what an outside body is and appointments cover a wide range of voluntary and statutory bodies with the same wide range of objectives and levels of activity.

 

At its meeting on 22 May 2003, without receiving any detailed information, the Select Committee noted:

 

“As part of its 2003/04 work plan the Select Committee had decided to review the Council’s involvement in outside bodies.  The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised Members that he was concerned about the current process of appointing Councillors to outside bodies.  He believes that criteria were needed against which an assessment could be made before appointing any Members.

 

Members were made aware that the LGA had recently undertaken a similar exercise and it was suggested that the same template could be adapted for use by the Council. 

 

RESOLVED

 

I.                     That the LGA template be customised for use by the Council.

 

II.                   That each Select Committee be issued with the current list of Outside Bodies and ask for their comments and these to be reported back to this Committee.

 

III.                  That the Select Committee recommend their list of outside bodies, to the Executive, to which they believe the Council should appointment Members”. 

 

In order to take forward these recommendations a working party comprising Councillor Margaret Lloyd, Councillor Andy Sutton, The Head of Select Committee and Best Value Support, The Head of Legal and Democratic Services, Chris Mathews, Julie Martin and Debbie Faulkner was established.

 

The initial meeting of the working party, on 22 July 2003, concluded that the exercise would benefit from detailed terms of reference and a project plan.  It also appeared to the group that the size and significance of the issue would, if the Resources Select Committee agreed, mean the process would benefit from consideration by the Committee.

 

The Working Group, therefore, determined to bring back this scoping report.

 

SUGGESTED TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

The following is suggested as draft terms reference, for debate by the Resources Select Committee;

 

I.                     Within a four month period to receive evidence and information;

 

·         About the current processes and practice on appointment to outside bodies, including analysis by political group, geographical distribution, commitment by Members, functional area and/or strategic objective, (where these elements will assist understanding of current practice).

·         About the financial cost to the Authority of support to Outside Bodies.

·         About the aggregate time commitment by elected Members in supporting Outside Bodies.

·         About the aggregate time commitment by Officers in supporting Member involvement in outside bodies.

·         From one or more outside body on the synergy/benefit of appointment.

·         From one or more Member appointee about the experience/benefits/problems of taking up an outside appointment.

·         About the insurance position and costs.

·         About work being undertaken by the Standards Committee parallel to this investigation (particularly but not limited to current consultation on Members indemnity).

 

II.                   Consider whether to receive evidence from other similar exercises undertaken elsewhere by other appointing Authorities.

 

III.                  To agree criteria for the working group to test existing and proposed appointments against.

 

IV.                To make an interim recommendation to the Standards Committee, Full Council or the Executive.

 

V.                  To agree a timetable for the receipt and production of further work by the working group and for the making of recommendations to the Executive and Full Council.

 

PROJECT PLAN

 

Date

Action

Responsible

Status

June 03

Project Planning/Initial Work

John Lawson

Achieved

October 03

Resources Select Committee scoping paper

John Lawson

Alistair Drain

Achieved

October 03/

January 04

Identification evidence for presentation to January Select Committee/collation of information

Julie Martin

Debbie Faulkner

 

January 03/

January 04

Resources Select Committee substantive paper

Alistair Drain/

Chris Mathews

 

February/

March 04

Offer issue to all Select Committees

Alistair Drain

 

May 04

Adopt criteria

Working Group

 

June/

October 04

Test existing/proposal appointments against criteria

Working Group

 

June/

July 04

Write to Outside Bodies

Working Group

 

September/

October 04

Chase Outside Bodies

Debbie Faulkner

 

November 04

Agree evaluation report

Working Group

 

November/

December 04

Resources Select Committee consider evaluation report and recommendations

Alistair Drain/

John Lawson

 

May 05

New appointments made at Full Council/

Executive in light of recommendations

John Lawson/

Chris Mathews

 

September 05

Revisit/sweeping up exercise

Working Group

 

May 06

Evaluation/validation at Resources Select/

Working Group

John Lawson/

Alistair Drain

 

 

 

RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

 

Appointments to outside bodies knit together the various statutory and voluntary agencies which together comprise the Local Strategic Partnership and, individually and collectively, can deliver the aspirations and targets set out in the community strategy and the annual action statement.  There are currently no performance indicators other than a monitoring of the number of bodies appointed to.  This information does not, of itself, give significant insight into the effectiveness of the current appointments process from the perspective of either the Council or the Outside Bodies concerned.

 

CONSULTATION PROCESS

 

The project plan and terms of reference provide for the gathering of information from relevant stake holders and for consultation on the outcome of that initial evidence gathering process. 

 

FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS

 

The proposed terms of reference and project plan aim to improve, and evidence the improvement, in the Council’s ability to pursue efficient, lawful and safe appointments to Outside Bodies which, among other things, will enhance the ability of the organisation to mainstream crime and disorders issues in partnership working. 

 

APPENDICES ATTACHED

 

None.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

 

LGA methodology.

 

 

Contact Point :Chris Mathews  F 823280, e-mail chris.mathews@iow.gov.uk.

                        Alistair Drain       F 823281, e-mail  [email protected]

                        John Lawson     F 823207, e-mail  [email protected]

 

 

 

 

JOHN LAWSON

Head of Legal and Democratic Services