Agenda item

To review this year’s work and to seek Members’ approval to a draft programme of work for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the coming municipal year for recommendation to the Annual Council meeting on 21 May 2019.

There was submitted a report by the Deputy Chief Executive (report A.2), which provided the Committee with a review of the work it had carried out in the current municipal year and which also sought Members’ approval to a draft Work Programme for the Committee for the coming 2019/2020 Municipal Year for recommendation to the Annual Meeting of the Council to be held on 21 May 2019.

The Council’s Head of People, Performance and Projects explained that Appendix A to the report was a summary of what had been discussed and agreed by the Committee in the municipal year thus far.

Members were informed that the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee would undertake discrete researched and evidenced reviews of the effectiveness of:

·           Financial Forecast

·           Budget setting and monitoring (including the General Fund and Housing Revenue account)

·           Service Delivery and Performance (where not delegated to the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

·           Procurement and Contract Management

·           Transformation and Digital Standards

·           Customer Service and Standards

Meetings of task and finish groups could be called as required following the terms of reference being agreed by the Committee.

The Committee was aware that, under the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, the Constitution stated, in relation to the Work Programme (Rule 7), that:

“Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will submit a work programme for the year ahead and a review of the previous year’s activities to the Annual Meeting of the Council for approval.  In addition, it will be responsible for coordinating and prioritising its work programme on an ongoing basis.

In preparing, coordinating and prioritising its programme, each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will take into account:-

·           the General Role and Principles of undertaking its functions, as set out in Part 2, Article 6 of the Constitution;

·           the planned work on the preparation of elements of the Budget and Policy Framework, as set out in the Council’s Business Plan;

·           the need for statutory timetables to be met;

·           the wishes of all members of the committee;

·           requests from the Cabinet to carry out reviews; and

·           Requests from Group Leaders in accordance with Rule 8.”

The Head of People, Performance and Projects stated that Appendix B was a suggested work programme for the new Committee and she invited the Committee to add any extra items it felt were required.

Following discussion by the Committee:-

It was moved by Councillor Stephenson, seconded by Councillor Scott and:-

RESOLVED that:

(a)       the report on the review of the municipal year 2018/19, as detailed in Appendix A to item A.2 of the report of the Deputy Chief Executive, be noted; and

(b)       the draft 2019/20 Work Programme for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out in Appendix B to the aforementioned report, be agreed and submitted to the Annual Meeting of the Council for approval, subject to the additional items being incorporated therein:-

29 July 2009 – add Review of the Council’s Public Convenience Strategy; NEGC Business Plan 2019 – 2022; and Review of the Business Class for the future of publicly owned Leisure Centres within the District.

17 February 2020 – add Scrutiny of the implementation of the new Waste and Recycling Collection Service.