PAPER C

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - 22 JUNE 2006

ENQUIRY INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERING SC07/06

REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

REASON FOR CONSIDERATION

To consider action to be taken with regard to the Committee’s enquiry into Strategic Partnering.

ACTION REQUIRED BY THE COMMITTEE

To terminate the proposed enquiry into Strategic Partnering and decide upon any future action.

BACKGROUND

The Committee, at its meeting on 20 April 2006, agreed to the scoping document for an enquiry into Strategic Partnering. A copy of this is attached as Appendix 1 to this report.

Members will recall that at the same meeting the Acting Chief Executive gave an update on progress with the report that was being produced by PA Consulting on the Council’s behalf. Subsequently the Leader of the Council gave a further update to the Committee at its meeting on 18 May 2006.

Given the actual conclusions of PA Consulting the Committee needs to consider the formal termination of its proposed enquiry, and what action it wishes to take if any on this issue.

FINANCIAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

It is not anticipated that there will be any financial or legal implications arising from an enquiry but this will be reviewed if the enquiry is re-scoped. Any enquiry will have manpower implications, particularly for the Overview and Scrutiny Team but this will be managed within the overall work priorities

OPTIONS

1) To terminate the enquiry into Strategic Partnering as set out in Appendix 1 and take no further action.

2) To terminate the enquiry into Strategic Partnering as set out in Appendix 1 and re-scope an enquiry into Strategic Partnering based on the outcomes of the report by PA Consulting. Delivering better service to service users/customers will be a key objective of any Strategic Transformational Partnership. Members of the Scrutiny Committee may wish to return to this issue in, say, 6 months time with a

view to scoping an enquiry into the extent to which the work of the Strategic Transformational Partnership has, and will improve the customer experience.

3) As 2 above but at a later date.

APPENDICES ATTACHED

Appendix 1- Scoping Document agreed at the 20 April 2006 meeting.

BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

Agenda and minutes of the Scrutiny Committee held on 20 April 2006 and 18 May 2006.

Executive Summary of Outline Business Case by PA Consulting dated 10 April 2006

Contact Point : Paul Thistlewood, Overview And Scrutiny Team, ' 823285, e-mail paul.thistlewood@iow.gov.uk.

JOHN LAWSON

Assistant Chief Executive