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Dundee Elected Members on Scrutiny (2) What is Scrutiny?

Dundee Elected Members on Scrutiny (2) What is Scrutiny?. Colin Mair, Chief Executive Improvement Service. Scrutiny. To examine To question: Hold to account To Challenge To ensure decisions are implemented To seek an explanation To make clear….transparent. So…What Are We Looking At?.

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Dundee Elected Members on Scrutiny (2) What is Scrutiny?

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  1. Dundee Elected Members on Scrutiny (2)What is Scrutiny? Colin Mair, Chief Executive Improvement Service

  2. Scrutiny • To examine • To question: Hold to account • To Challenge • To ensure decisions are implemented • To seek an explanation • To make clear….transparent

  3. So…What Are We Looking At? • Proposals for policy & service development • Proposals for spending & investment • Implementation of decisions • Performance of services or functions • Performance of partnerships; ALMOS and joint ventures • Citizens experience/issues with services • Risk, liability & sustainability • Assessments from external scrutiny • Levels and points for scrutiny

  4. Points • No member could possibly scrutinise everything (committees, portfolios) • Members could not do it for themselves (support, trust of officers) • Members make decisions and scrutinise them (administrations, oppositions, cabinet assembly) • Public accountability (1) – explanation; evidence; responsiveness • Public accountability (2) – meeting statutory requirements including Best Value

  5. The D.M and Scrutiny Process • Post mortem model: After the fact; retrospective accountability; scrutiny follows decision making • Continuous improvement model: Dynamic scrutiny across the policy development, decision making and implementation cycle Scrutiny vs Audit

  6. Scrutiny in Practice Means… Policy Proposals Learning From External Scrutiny Spending Decisions Governance & Accountability Implementation/ Delivery Risk & Liability Performance In Practice Customer Experiences

  7. Who is Scrutinising Whom, For What Purpose • Administration scrutinised by opposition • Officers scrutinised by elected members • Council services scrutinised by service users • Council services scrutinised by auditors and inspectors • Elected members scrutinised by voters • Focus on people vs focus on quality of decision and delivery

  8. The Political Business: Process • Pre:pre-agenda: Context, issues and broad options • Pre-agenda: Developed proposals and options: All party briefing • Decision making: Committee and council • Scrutiny: Basis for decisions, implementation, impact, value and propriety (NB. Audit/Scrutiny split) ‘No surprises’ principle Support for members across process: Planned and resourced

  9. Improving Scrutiny & Decision Making – The Pre Pre Agenda • To agree context/ issues/ broad options that should be further developed • Avoid wasting members/ officers time • Give more in-depth understanding to members of the background to allow fuller scrutiny of developed proposals • Open & restricted seminars/ party group briefings/ briefing portfolio holders

  10. The Pre Agenda • Occurs once developed proposals exist • To work well needs a good pre pre agenda stage • Need to ensure members input is built in to proposals – legitimate democratic role • Should have challenge & testing of proposals built in before they go further

  11. Mechanisms • Inclusive or exclusive seminars • Party group briefings • M/O working groups, strategy or review groups • Scope for factual clarification: Pre-agenda Council • Demarcation of scrutiny roles: Committees; audit performance; MMW and improvement

  12. End Points • Scrutiny applies across the political process • Different mechanisms at different levels are appropriate • All members duty

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