Report of our recent improvement programme

1. City and County of Swansea
Swansea’s Overview &
Scrutiny Improvement
Programme
March – July 2009
City and County of Swansea
Dinas a Sir Abertawe
1

2. Summary
The Overview & Scrutiny Improvement Programme was held between March
and July 2009. The aims of the programme were to:
• Review and evaluate the operation of overview and scrutiny
• Generate ideas for improving overview & scrutiny
• Provide improvement opportunities for overview & scrutiny councillors
Five sessions were held as part of the programme and these focused on:
• The roles of overview and scrutiny and the barriers faced
• Effectiveness of meetings
• External scrutiny
• Public engagement
• The critical friend role
The programme concluded with a self assessment exercise and was followed
up by a special meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Coordinating Group
which debated the key outcomes.
Over 50% of Councillors took part in the programme which was supported
and facilitated by the Overview and Scrutiny Unit and had additional input
from:
• Cardiff Business School
• City & County of Cardiff Council
• Organisational Development Team, City & County of Swansea
• University of the West of England
• Welsh Local Government Association
From the programme five improvement themes have been identified and
these form the basis of the detailed corporate action plan. The themes are:
• Develop New Methods of Public Engagement
• Improve Relationships with Partners
• Improve Communication
• Improve the Critical Friend Challenge
• Develop Cross-Border Scrutiny
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3. 1. The Aims & Format
1.1 The aims and format for the programme were developed in
consultation with the Overview & Scrutiny Coordinating Group. This
group includes the chairs and vice chairs on the Council’s 9 Overview
and Scrutiny Boards as well and the leaders and deputy leaders of the
different political parties represented on the Council.
1.2 The aims of the programme were to:
• Review and evaluate the operation of overview and scrutiny
• Generate ideas for improving overview & scrutiny
• Provide improvement opportunities for overview & scrutiny
councillors
1.3 In terms of format it was agreed that the programme would:
• Be open to all councillors
• Run through a series of half day or evening seminars
• Draw on internal support and backed up by external expertise
where necessary
• Use practical examples of things that had worked well both here
and in other local authorities
• Make maximum use of the experience and knowledge of councillors
• Generate actions that lead to improvements in the performance of
Overview and Scrutiny
1.4 Each seminar would:
• Be chaired by an Overview or Scrutiny Chair or Vice-Chair
• Have a member of Corporate Management team acting as
rapporteur
• Be as interactive as possible
• Be councillor led
3

4. 2. The Programme
2.1 The topics for the Improvement Programme were debated and
developed by the Overview & Scrutiny Coordinating Group. It was
agreed that a self assessment exercise should be conducted at the end
of the programme rather than the beginning in order to benefit new
members who would by this time have a year of overview & scrutiny
experience.
Topic Areas to be covered Output
Making a Difference Defining Overview & Definition
through Overview & Scrutiny Tools to enable
Scrutiny How to make a Overview & Scrutiny to
difference through make a difference
Chair: Cllr Nick Overview & Scrutiny Identify barriers and ways
Tregoning in Swansea to mitigate them
Overcoming barriers Analysis of the Overview
to effective Overview & Scrutiny process
& Scrutiny
“Bored” Meetings? Chairing for Overview Practical critique of a
& Scrutiny Board meeting
Chair: Cllr June Facilitation Understanding what
Burtonshaw Questioning makes a good meeting
techniques
Developing External External scrutiny, for Ideas for an external
Overview & Scrutiny example Health scrutiny
partners
Chair: Cllr John Scrutiny of the Local
Newbury Service Board – the
Cardiff experience
Public Engagement in Why is public Identify existing good
Overview & Scrutiny involvement practice for participation
important? methods
Chair: Cllr Darren Price Encouraging effective
public involvement
Critical Friend Role / What is the “Critical An understanding of the
Self Assessment Friend” role? role
Examining the critical Practical application of
Chair: Cllr Mark Child friend approach the critical friend role
Self assessment Evaluation of Overview &
framework Scrutiny in Swansea
Overview & Scrutiny Evaluate programme Overview & Scrutiny
Coordinating Group Identify key themes / improvement programme
Special Meeting actions action plan
Chair: Cllr Wendy
Fitzgerald
4

5. 3. Making a Difference through Overview &
Scrutiny
Seminar #1: 2nd March 2009
3.1 Aims
• To consider the different roles of overview and scrutiny
• To identify barriers to effective overview and scrutiny
• To look at ways to overcome the barriers
3.2 Support
• Overview & Scrutiny Unit
3.3 Activities
• Panel debate – panellists were asked to select one of six roles of
Overview & Scrutiny (as identified by Dr Rachel Ashworth in her
recent research) and put forward an argument in support of their
chosen role.
• Group debate - the different roles of overview and scrutiny
• Presentation – the barriers to effective Overview & Scrutiny
• Break out groups – to: Identify any barriers that exist to effective
overview and scrutiny in Swansea; consider the reasons that they
exist; suggest what could be done to overcome the barriers;
consider if overview & scrutiny is achieving its full potential
• Plenary – feedback from break out groups and identification of key
messages
3.4 Issues & Actions
3.4.1 From the panel and debate, it was apparent that the most important
roles for overview & scrutiny were public involvement, holding the
Executive to account and the development of external scrutiny.
3.4.2 There were a number of ideas to improve overview & scrutiny:
• Improved public debate within the overview & scrutiny process
• Celebrate the success of overview & scrutiny
• Greater involvement of other bodies in overview & scrutiny
• Greater use of innovative & technological methods to encourage
public involvement
• Ensuring the minority views are captured in overview & scrutiny
reports
3.4.3 There were a number of suggestions to tackle the barriers to effective
overview & scrutiny:
• Capacity – need to balance workload with resource
• Culture change – the critical friend role
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6. • Interest – align interests of councillors with boards
• Work Plans – focus on less things but do them better
• Meeting cycle – timing of meetings
• Balancing ward work with overview & scrutiny work
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7. 4. ‘Bored’ Meetings?
Seminar #2: 5th March 2009
4.1 Aims
• Identify behaviours and appropriate responses
• Consider the roles of the Board members
• Understand what makes a good overview & scrutiny meeting
4.2 Support
• Council’s Organisational Development team
• Overview & Scrutiny Unit
4.3 Activities
• Identification of different behaviours – facilitated groups were asked
to look at a series of posters of animals which represented different
behaviours. The groups were then asked to consider the best way
to deal with that type of personality at a board meeting
• Facilitated group discussion to obtain councillor views on what roles
and responsibilities of overview and scrutiny board members, the
aim of overview and scrutiny meetings and what different players
contribute to the process
4.4 Issues & Actions
4.4.1 Boards are made up of many different types of personalities and chairs
often have to flex their chairing style to accommodate the different
members. This helps to empower members to take part in board
discussions. Members acknowledged that occasionally they must take
a stronger approach with unruly or disruptive board members
4.4.2 Members identified all the key roles of overview & scrutiny as set out in
the Local Govt Act 2000 as well as a number of other deliverables: -
party engagement, recommendations, investigative reviews,
involvement of other agencies, challenge
4.4.3 The role and responsibilities of the chair were generally perceived to be
wide ranging: to maintain control of the meeting, ensure all members
have an opportunity to comment, to be unbiased, involve relevant
parties, to questions witnesses, facilitate debate, draw things to a
conclusions, not act as the lead, be assertive, flexible, keep work on
track, enthusiastic
4.4.4 Partnerships: a good mix of statutory and voluntary agencies were
highlighted including, community & BME, and youth groups, schools,
WAG, LHB, the media and the public. Some reasons for not working:
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8. bias, lack of structure, lack of awareness of the role of O & S, private
agendas
4.4.5 Councillors saw their contribution to board meetings as: providing
challenge, ensuring “voice” is heard, being prepared in order to ask
relevant questions, commission research. Members saw officer’s
contributions as: to provide information, advice & guidance and to
actively participate
4.4.6 It was suggested that Directors and Chairs/Vice Chairs work together
outside of Board meetings to improve work planning, meetings and
reports.
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9. 5. Developing External Overview & Scrutiny
Seminar #3: 17th April 2009
5.1 Aims
• Understand Cardiff’s experience of external overview & scrutiny and
scrutiny of Cardiff’s LSB
• Consider the implications of external overview & scrutiny
• Identify general principles of external overview & scrutiny
• Consider the barriers to external overview & scrutiny
5.2 Support
• Councillor Bill Kelloway & Angela Holt from City & County of Cardiff
Council
• Overview & Scrutiny Unit
5.3 Activities
• Presentation from Councillor and officer from Cardiff and discussion
(below)
• Break out groups to consider principles of and barriers to external
overview & scrutiny
• Plenary feedback session
External Overview and Scrutiny – Cardiff’s Experiences
Councillor Bill Kelloway – Chair, Children & Young People Scrutiny
Committee, Angela Holt – Principal Scrutiny Officer
Cardiff Council – Scrutiny Committees
• 5 Committees –
o Children & Young People
o Community & Adult Services
o Economy & Culture
o Environmental
o Policy Review & Performance
• Nine members plus 4 parent & faith school co-optees on Children &
Young People Committee
• Cross Party Chairs
• Annual work programmes
• 4 weekly meetings plus Task & Finish groups & special meetings
Examples of External Scrutiny
• Statutory Partnership Plans
o Single Children’s Plan
o Health, Social Care & Well Being Strategy
o Community Safety Strategy
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10. • Key Strategies, Policies & Commissioning tools
o Youth Offending Service
o Joint Commissioning Strategies
o Older Persons Accommodation Strategy
o PACT process
o Neighbour Nuisance
o Looked After Children
o Missing Children
o Speech Therapy
• Key Issues
o Pitt Review of Flooding – Environment Agency
o Cardiff City Football Club – new stadium
o Major Projects – ISV, St David’s II, Cardiff Castle
• Joint Scrutiny
o Economy & Culture and Environmental Scrutiny Committees –
South East Wales Regional Transport Plan
• Cross boundary Scrutiny
o Environmental Committees of Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport
and Vale of Glamorgan – joint scrutiny of partnerships in Waste
Management
Lessons from this
• Only possible to have ‘light touch’ scrutiny of statutory partnerships
• Need to develop relationships with lead officers and key partners
• Raises awareness of partnership working
• Useful context setting for committees – informs more detailed
pieces of work
• Provides access to other sources to influence work programme –
advocates, service users
• Focus on areas where can make an impact
• Plan ahead
• Think creatively about use of resources
• Impact of scrutiny – vision, aims, objectives, implementation,
resourcing, monitoring & evaluation.
Local Service Board Scrutiny
• LSB needs strong governance
• Pledged to ‘develop & establish robust scrutiny & performance
management mechanism’
• Parameters were:
o Respect any existing statutory arrangements
o Recognise democratic mandate of elected members
o Seek high quality structure
Well linked to existing structures
Add Value
Avoid Duplication
Strengthen citizen engagement
10

11. LSB Scrutiny Panel Membership
Established multi-agency scrutiny arrangements for Local Service
Board
John Littlechild Police Authority
Dr Rita Austin Cardiff LHB
David Jones Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust
Robert Woodward CHC
Paul Warren Equalities
Bernie Bowen Thompson VAC
Councillor Ralph Cook, CCC Scrutiny
Councillor Bill Kelloway CCC Scrutiny
Councillor Gwenllian Lansdown CCC Scrutiny
Councillor Dianne Rees CCC Scrutiny
Councillor Simon Wakefield CCC Scrutiny
To be confirmed – Fire Authority rep
Non-Council Chair
LSB Lessons learnt
Preparation is key ….
• Understand & respect existing scrutiny map
• Invest time in relationships & building trust
• Identify key players in partner organisations
• Invest time in shaping values/approach
Additional Dimensions re LSB …
• Democratic Mandate – big issue
• Executive/Non Executive Split - Complex
• Work programme - Manage Expectations
o Of Scrutiny Panel members
o Of LSB partners/ project teams
• Engage & prepare those affected
o Panel Members
o LSB project teams
o Other Witnesses
• Don’t replicate council scrutiny approach
o Use learning & knowledge of panel members
o Pilot new approaches
• Ask for feedback
o Self-evaluation & formal evaluation
o Witness feedback
• Joining up” the scrutiny map – strengthens accountability
• Expert scrutineers
• Strengthens relationships for other, non- LSB, scrutiny
• Resourcing - LSB Scrutiny & regional bodies
• Scrutiny before relationships established
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12. 5.4 Issues & Actions
5.4.1 Resources – important to have the right budgetary and officer support
5.4.2 Cross boundary working – increase overview & scrutiny across
boundaries with the development of joint committees to consider
regional issues like waste management, tourism and transport
5.4.3 Building relationships
• importance of building relationships with external organisations and
how to do this
• Role of the Chair and Vice Chair to meet key partners throughout
the year and when developing work plans
• Questioning skills are very important, ensure style is not
confrontational
• Prepare external witnesses
5.4.4 Prioritising workloads
• Focus on areas of work that will have the most impact
• Work programmes should focus on key issues and be realistic and
reasonable
• Boards should be more selective with what items are in the work
plan
• Items for “note” or information should be circulated to members and
not appear on board agendas
• Important to have focused summarised reports and not reams of
paper
5.4.5 Partnerships
• Consider how other local authorities are conducting external
scrutiny, as well as Cardiff
• Need to ensure that the mechanisms established for overview &
scrutiny of partnerships is right for Swansea
• Councillors want better information on the LSB and partnerships
• Councillors want a better understanding of external organisations
and bodies – map of partnerships/stakeholder mapping
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13. 6. Public Engagement in Overview & Scrutiny
Seminar #4: 21st April 2009
6.1 Aims
• Introduce issues and opportunities for engaging the public in
overview & scrutiny drawing on lessons and experience from
elsewhere
• Identify opportunities to develop greater public engagement in
overview & scrutiny in Swansea
6.2 Support
• Eileen Lepine and Jo Howard, University of the West of England
• Overview & Scrutiny Unit
6.2 Activities
• Presentation on public engagement, forms of engagement,
principles of good participation followed by a discussion
• Facilitated break out groups to identify:
o Main things to be achieved from involving the public
o Priority areas for public involvement
o Key groups and individuals
o Methods
o Barriers
o Key actions
SCRUTINY: BRINGING THE PUBLIC IN?
Eileen Lepine, Jo Howard, University of the West of England
Getting the Public Involved
• Better services and democratic renewal
• Active citizens, responsive councils
• Where does scrutiny fit in?
o acting on behalf of the public?
o working with the public in a new way?
Accountability
• taking public views into account
o Good scrutiny award – Southend-on-Sea Council’s in depth
scrutiny of the independence and wellbeing of older people
• giving an account
o Good scrutiny award – Lancashire police authority’s Investor
in Policing campaign
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14. • holding to account
o direct accountability to the public – the ballot box and more
o ‘internal’ scrutiny of the executive, by members
o scrutiny by local councils / and the public of other bodies
o Good scrutiny award – Leeds young peoples scrutiny forum
o Public engagement
• Democratic and practical functions
o Democracy and legitimacy beyond the ballot box
o Service improvement and efficiency
Which publics?
Practical service-oriented aims
o Experts, service users, third sector service providers
o Networks and associations that can represent specific
needs/interests
Democratic aims
o Residents, tenants’ associations, area-based organisations
Forms of engagement
• A long-term, two way conversation between council and public
• Ladder (or spectrum) of participation
o Providing information to the public at one end
o Citizens as co-scrutinisers working with councillors to
together hold the council to account, at the other
Principles for good participation
• Makes a difference
• Voluntary
• Transparency, honesty and clarity
• Adequate resources
• Appropriate participants
• Accessibility
• Accountability
• Power
• Learning and development
And in Swansea?
• Main things to be achieved by involving the public?
• Priority areas for public involvement?
• Key groups and individuals? to involve
• How best to do it?
• Barriers? Problems?
• 1 or 2 key things for the action plan
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15. 6.3 Feedback from Discussion Groups
• Make more use of Member’s knowledge of the community in O&S
• Too much time is dedicated to reports at overview and scrutiny
meetings
• Good practice in current overview and scrutiny Boards include co-
option but this is only done in the CYP Boards. Also reporting back.
• If all consultation was channelled through the overview and scrutiny
Boards then people would be more aware of them
• Cross Boundary scrutiny
• How to manage the balance between what your conscience tells you
and what your constituents tell you. It is about decision making
• Need to be using existing resources – possible links to budget and
planning engagement
• Engagement needs to be meaningful – So public will want to get
involved
• Modernisation – We currently use mainly traditional methods of
consultation
• Problems include:
o The press – negative stories influence the public
o How many views do you need for it to be representative
o Do you need expert consultation or just a broad spectrum of views
o Partnership working brings along its own problems
o Ensuring feedback
6.4 Issues & Actions
6.4.1 Use the resources that we have better
• Use knowledge of Councillors
• Co-option
• Swansea Voices
6.4.2 Broaden the Execution of Scrutiny
• Cross Border
• External Scrutiny
6.4.3. Make it Meaningful for the Public
• Pick the right topics that will engage them
6.4.4 Modernise
• Use more modern methods for engaging the public
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16. 7. Critical Friend Role / Self Evaluation
Seminar #5: 12th May 2009
7.1 Aims
This seminar was led by the WLGA and. The aims of this seminar
were to:
• Consider the role of Overview & Scrutiny as a “critical friend”
• Reflect on current practice in relation to this role
• Undertake a self evaluation of Overview & Scrutiny in Swansea
7.2 Input
• Dr Rachel Ashworth from Cardiff Business School
• Tim Buckle, Welsh Local Government Association
• Overview & Scrutiny Unit
7.3 Activities
• Presentation and group discussion led by Tim Buckle from the
WLGA. Tim had attended a number of Overview & Scrutiny Board
meetings to observe how the Boards performed the critical friend
role and the support arrangements for this.
• Councillors were divided into a number of breakout groups to
undertake a self evaluation exercise based on the CfPS self
evaluation framework
• A facilitated group discussion based on the findings of the self
evaluation exercise
Reflections on Scrutiny as the Critical Friend: Processes and
Practices
Tim Buckle, Welsh Local Government Association
Purpose of the Presentation
• To consider the role of scrutiny as a critical friend
• To reflect on current practices
The Principles of Good Scrutiny (*www.cfps.org.uk)
• Centre for Public Scrutiny – four principles of good scrutiny:
o “Provides ‘critical friend’ challenge to executive policy-
makers and decision-makers”
o “Enables the voice and concerns of the public and its
communities”
o “Is carried out by ‘independent minded governors’ who lead
and own the scrutiny process”
16

17. o “Drives improvement in public services”
Centre for Public Scrutiny Self-Evaluation Framework – Critical Friend
Challenge
• 5 main questions for Authorities to ask themselves:
o Does scrutiny provide an effective challenge to the
executive?
o How does scrutiny have an impact on the work of the
executive?
o How does scrutiny routinely challenge the authority’s
corporate strategy and budget?
o Are external partners involved in o & s and how are they
included?
o Does scrutiny work effectively with the executive and senior
management?
WLGA Diagnostic Work
• Considered:
o The structure of scrutiny arrangements
o Arrangements for Scrutiny Support
o Options for generating enhanced challenge capacity through
scrutiny to support service delivery improvements
o Processes, procedures and the effectiveness of scrutiny
board meetings
o The process for developing scrutiny forward work
programmes
Work Programming – Issues to Consider
o The purpose of individual items / the role of the Scrutiny
Board – would more clarification be helpful for some items?
o The number of agenda items for each Board meeting and
how this is determined
o The process for determining which witnesses will be invited
to attend Board meetings and the specific information the
Boards require from witnesses/other sources
Processes, Procedures and the Effectiveness of Scrutiny Board
Meetings
• Issues to Consider
o A more structured approach to considering items at Scrutiny
Board Meetings?
o A more planned approach to developing questioning
strategies?
o Development sessions for Scrutiny Chairs / Scrutiny Board
Members?
17

18. A Possible Structure for Scrutiny Items
• Introduction to the item from the Chair / Scrutiny Officer
• Discussion on the purpose of the item, the key issues the Board will
focus on and the key questions the Board would like answered to
fulfil its role
• Presentation of report/introduction from the ‘witness’ (e.g. Officer,
Executive Member or External witness)
• Question and answer session
• ‘Witness’ retires from the meeting table whilst Board discusses the
evidence they have heard and agrees a way forward
Developing Questioning Strategies
• What is the role of the Board?
• What information does the Board need to fulfil this role?
• Who would the Board like to hear from in order to gather the
information?
• Which questions do you need to ask to get this information?
• How will the Board approach the ‘interview’?
Options for generating enhanced challenge capacity
• Would the following strengthen challenge capacity:
o Greater involvement of external witnesses in the scrutiny
process (improve evidence base and range of perspective
upon which to base conclusions / recommendations)?
o Sharing resources, knowledge and expertise with
neighbouring authorities to work on joint scrutiny exercises?
o Greater involvement of co-opted members?
o Undertaking regular reviews of the operation of the scrutiny
process?
A Closing Thought….
“In my view, it is inconceivable that anyone who really understands what
scrutiny is would ever ‘note’ a paper. That is strong evidence, where it occurs,
that they have not got it quite right and they have not understood it.”*
Jeremy Colman, Auditor General for Wales
* The Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee, National Assembly for
Wales, Transcript of Meeting, Wednesday, 19 November, 2008
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19. 7.4 Issues & Actions
Critical Friend Role
7.4.1 Work planning is an important aspect of overview & scrutiny and more
effective work planning will improve the critical friend challenge and
capacity that overview & scrutiny provides to the Executive
• A more structured approach to items considered at board meetings
• Planned approach to questioning strategies
• Determining appropriate witnesses to attend meetings
• Identification of specific information that the Board requires
Self Evaluation exercise
7.4.2 The self evaluation was based on the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s Self
Evaluation Framework. Councillors were asked, in small work groups,
to assess a series of statements against a scale with “tend to agree
strongly” and “tend to disagree strongly” at the extremes of the scale.
Councillors were also asked to feedback which statements they would
prioritise to improve overview & scrutiny.
7.4.3 The statements that councillors identified as priorities in the feedback
session were:
• Overview & Scrutiny councillors have the appropriate skills &
competencies to carry out their role effectively - – there is variability
between boards and reviews. It was asked what mechanisms are
available to share good practice between Boards. It was suggested
that the SCG could be used for this purpose
• Overview & Scrutiny communicates its message effectively
internally & externally – what is the role of scrutiny, raising the
profile and the importance of post review follow-up, more targeted
communication with specific stakeholder groups
• The work of Overview & Scrutiny is regularly informed by the public
• Overview & Scrutiny has a high level of engagement from external
partners – the importance of understanding who are the partners
and stakeholders
• Overview & Scrutiny is accessible to the public through a range of
mechanisms
• Overview & Scrutiny is integrated into corporate processes,
priorities & strategy development
• Overview & Scrutiny routinely challenges the authority’s corporate
strategy & budget – it was suggested that: there was little input from
overview & scrutiny on the development of the budget; a look at
practice in other authorities may be useful; overview & scrutiny
undertake budget monitoring throughout the year to ensure the
budget remains aligned with corporate strategy
• Members of Overview & Scrutiny have ownership of their own work
programme
• Overview & Scrutiny operates with political impartiality
19

20. • Overview & Scrutiny councillors have a worthwhile role which
contributes to good management & performance of the authority
Self Evaluation Exercise
Tend to Tend to
strongly strongly
agree disagree
Group 1
Overview & The work of Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny works Overview & Scrutiny Scrutiny
effectively with Scrutiny is receives operates with
the Executive & regularly accurate, timely political
senior informed by the & appropriate impartiality
management public information
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny is Scrutiny has a Scrutiny has Scrutiny is well Scrutiny Scrutiny
relevant to the high level of good support co-ordinated communicates councillors have
public and other engagement arrangements its message a worthwhile role
organisations from external effectively which
outside local partners internally & contributes to
government externally good
management &
performance of
the authority
Members of Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Overview & Scrutiny can Scrutiny is Scrutiny can Scrutiny
Scrutiny have provide accessible to the provide routinely
ownership of evidence that public through a examples of challenges the
their own work demonstrates its range of where it has had authority’s
programme work has mechanisms an impact on the corporate
contributed to work of the strategy &
improvement Executive budget
Overview &
Scrutiny has
constructive
working
relationships
with officers
across the
authority
Overview &
Scrutiny
councillors have
the appropriate
skills &
competencies to
carry out their
role effectively
Overview &
Scrutiny is
integrated into
corporate
processes,
priorities &
strategy
development
20

21. Group 2
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny has Scrutiny is well Scrutiny can Scrutiny has a Scrutiny Scrutiny Scrutiny is
constructive co-ordinated provide high level of councillors have operates with integrated into
working evidence that engagement the appropriate political corporate
relationships demonstrates its from external skills & impartiality processes,
with officers work has partners competencies to priorities &
across the contributed to carry out their strategy
authority improvement role effectively development
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Overview & Scrutiny works Scrutiny Scrutiny is Scrutiny is Scrutiny Scrutiny
Scrutiny has effectively with councillors have relevant to the accessible to the provides routinely
good support the Executive & a worthwhile public and other public through a constructive & challenges the
arrangements senior role which organisations range of robust challenge authority’s
management contributes to outside local mechanisms to the Executive corporate
good government strategy &
management & budget
performance of
the authority
Overview & Overview & Members of Overview & The work of
Scrutiny can Scrutiny Overview & Scrutiny Overview &
provide receives Scrutiny have communicates Scrutiny is
examples of accurate, timely ownership of its message regularly
where it has had & appropriate their own work effectively informed by the
an impact on the information programme internally & public
work of the externally
Executive
Group 3
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny Scrutiny is Scrutiny Scrutiny is Scrutiny has Scrutiny is Scrutiny
receives relevant to the operates with integrated into constructive accessible to the communicates
accurate, timely public and other political corporate working public through a its message
& appropriate organisations impartiality processes, relationships range of effectively
information outside local priorities & with officers mechanisms internally &
government strategy across the externally
development authority
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny is well Scrutiny can Scrutiny has Scrutiny Scrutiny Scrutiny has a Scrutiny
co-ordinated provide good support routinely provides high level of councillors have
examples of arrangements challenges the constructive & engagement the appropriate
where it has had authority’s robust challenge from external skills &
an impact on the corporate to the Executive partners competencies to
work of the strategy & carry out their
Executive budget role effectively
Overview & Overview & Overview & Members of The work of
Scrutiny Scrutiny can Scrutiny works Overview & Overview &
councillors have provide effectively with Scrutiny have Scrutiny is
a worthwhile evidence that the Executive & ownership of regularly
role which demonstrates its senior their own work informed by the
contributes to work has management programme public
good contributed to
management & improvement
performance of
the authority
21

22. Group 4
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & The work of Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny has a Scrutiny has Scrutiny can Scrutiny is Overview & Scrutiny Scrutiny
high level of good support provide integrated into Scrutiny is receives communicates
engagement arrangements evidence that corporate regularly accurate, timely its message
from external demonstrates its processes, informed by the & appropriate effectively
partners work has priorities & public information internally &
contributed to strategy externally
improvement development
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview & Members of
Scrutiny is Scrutiny can Scrutiny Scrutiny Scrutiny is Overview &
accessible to the provide councillors have operates with relevant to the Scrutiny have
public through a examples of the appropriate political public and other ownership of
range of where it has had skills & impartiality organisations their own work
mechanisms an impact on the competencies to outside local programme
work of the carry out their government
Executive role effectively
Overview & Overview & Overview & Overview &
Scrutiny works Scrutiny Scrutiny has Scrutiny
effectively with provides constructive routinely
the Executive & constructive & working challenges the
senior robust challenge relationships authority’s
management to the Executive with officers corporate
across the strategy &
authority budget
Overview &
Scrutiny is well
co-ordinated
6.4.3 The councillors however, felt there was a disparity between what they
viewed as a priority and what they had been asked to prioritise in the
grid during the exercise. As a result, each councillor was asked to
identify one priority which they felt would improve overview & scrutiny
in Swansea:
• More public consultation
• Raising the profile – communication
• Follow up is important – post review process
• More control over the work plan
• More time to consider things in-depth
• Clarity of purpose
• Tidy up constitutional anomalies – ie, the difference between
overview & scrutiny
• Greater use of task and finish groups
• Greater ownership of the review by all members of the board
• Improvements to the work planning process
• Reduce the amount of work
• Involvement of the whole board
• Councillors who want to be members of a particular board
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23. • Greater involvement of the whole board in deciding work plans
• Pre-meeting preparation and better planning
• A “can-do” approach
• Better technical training, eg finance
• Greater public expectation, selling the key messages
• Questioning skills, role of the Chair
• Clarity around the purpose of reports to note
• Knowing who are the key stakeholders
• Full board involvement
• Ownership of reviews
• Smaller number of topics will enable great in-depth probing
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24. 8. The Improvement Themes
8.1 Following the five sessions a special meeting of the Overview &
Scrutiny Coordinating Group identified the following five themes as
priority areas for improvement:
Develop New Methods of Public Engagement
• Innovative use of engagement and participatory methods, review
topics that are relevant to the public
Improve Relationships with Partners
• Understanding overview & scrutiny partners, who they are, mapping
the key partners and building relationships
Improve Communication
• Better communication about overview & scrutiny – internal and
external, celebrating success, importance of feedback, greater use
of communication resources available, targeted communications
Improve the Critical Friend Challenge
• Better work planning and meeting preparation, greater use of
expert/external witnesses, Chair’s letters, focus on less topics,
alignment of councillor’s interests with the subject matter of the
boards, greater control over work plans, less items to note
Develop Cross-Border Scrutiny
• Better understanding of regional issues and joint working methods
8.2 These themes will be implemented through a corporate action plan.
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