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Main Purpose of Role

In addition to the duties and responsibilities expected to be undertaken by all members, to lead the management and co-ordination of the Council’s Scrutiny activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

   To chair the Scrutiny and Overview Committee and manage its business in an efficient manner, ensuring effective engagement by all members and participants.

   To provide leadership and direction for the committee.

   To promote the role of Scrutiny and Overview both within and outside the Council

   To ensure that adequate resources (financial and officer support) are identified and sought from the Council.

   To engender a culture for scrutiny in which party political considerations are put aside, focussing instead on achieving the best outcomes for the community.

   To lead the committee in conducting its business with respect, equality, fairness, dignity and with regard to the principles of natural justice.

   To lead the committee in conducting its business in a consensual open, responsible and transparent way.

   To lead and encourage members of the committee in the formulation of a scrutiny programme which is manageable, balanced and meets the criteria for chosen topics.

   To lead and encourage the committee in challenging the corporate performance of the Council and in using performance monitoring information to inform scrutiny priorities.

   To ensure that individual scrutiny exercises are conducted in an appropriate and timely manner.

   To take a lead role in evaluating the effectiveness of individual scrutiny panels.

   To participate actively, as appropriate, in scrutiny exercises being undertaken by the committee, and any task-and-finish panels established by it.

   To ensure the production of high quality reports which are well-drafted, focused, relevant and timely and are well presented to the Cabinet and Council, the public, other stakeholders and the media.

   To present any reports produced by the committee to the Cabinet and / or Council.

   To report annually to Council as part of the Scrutiny and Overview arrangements.

   To take an active role in monitoring the work of the Cabinet, and reviewing the Forward Plan.

   To develop and maintain a constructive and effective working relationship and links with the Cabinet and its members.

   To develop and maintain an effective working relationship and links with the Vice-Chairman and other members of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, non-councillors involved in the scrutiny arrangements, including external stakeholders and partners, scrutiny support and other relevant officers.

   To bring forward suggestions to ensure the future development of the Council’s scrutiny practices.

   To act as the public face / spokesperson for the committee.

   To exercise the powers of the Chairman of the committee set out in this Constitution, having particular regard to the following:

·                      giving consent to the taking of a Special Urgency decision (Access to Information Procedure Rule 16)

·                      giving consent to the taking urgent decisions outside the Budget or Policy Framework (Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 4)

·                      call-in of decision outside the budget or policy framework (Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 7)

·                      discretion to refuse a call-in request in certain circumstances (Scrutiny and Overview Committee Procedure Rule 12)

   To consider the training and development requirements of those members engaged in scrutiny and bring forward suggestions for meeting these needs.

Accountability

The tasks and duties outlined in this role description relate to the political or member level activities of the District Council.  Accountability for members’ performance is ultimately through the political and electoral process but will also be subject to any member personal development arrangements agreed by the Council.