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THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SCOTLAND ACT 2003
COMMUNITY PLANNING: ADVICE NOTE 7
The role of elected and board members
MARCH 2004
Introduction
The commitment and support of partners to the Community Planning process will greatly depend on generating a sense of ownership among councillors and board members 6 on partner bodies, who are responsible for reaching strategic decisions about Community Planning. There is a need to ensure that all councillors and board members are engaged in the Community Planning process at the earliest possible stage, are kept well informed of developments and outcomes, and have continuing opportunities to contribute to the further development of Community Planning.
Levels of engagement
Councillors and board members can be engaged in the Community Planning process at a number of levels:
- As members of the Community Planning partnership itself, including associated thematic groups, where they will be expected to play strategic leadership roles.
- As members of partner bodies, where they will play key roles in determining the contribution of the partner body to community planning.
- As representatives or the "voice" of communities of place or interest.
- As members of sub-groups or working groups associated with the Community Planning partnership, to which they can contribute their own specialist interests, experience or expertise.
- As members of scrutiny or overview committees responsible for monitoring or reviewing performance under Community Planning.
- As representatives on various other bodies with a stake in Community Planning, such as area or joint committees and community or voluntary bodies.
- Through regular liaison with relevant partner bodies on initiatives which can make a positive contribution to Community Planning (e.g. cultural and sporting projects).
Councillors have a particularly important role to play in reflecting the democratic mandate of their council at each of the above levels. They also have a responsibility to play community leadership roles in engaging with their communities in Community Planning processes. Many councillors already have a wide network of contacts, both formal and informal, within the communities they represent, and they can build upon these to inform and support their contribution to Community Planning processes.
Issues
Development of the roles of councillors and board members in Community Planning processes will require the following key questions to be addressed:
Role of councillors
- What balance should be struck between councillors representing the council and councillors representing their communities/constituencies in Community Planning processes?
- What are the most appropriate and effective mechanisms for councillors to feed community views and aspirations into the Community Planning process?
- How should councillors be involved in Community Planning processes at localised or neighbourhood levels?
- What is the inter-relationship between the roles of councillors in representative compared with participatory forms of democracy, such as community forums?
- Should the scrutiny role of councillors within the council extend to the Community Planning partnership as a whole?
In 2001 East Renfrewshire Council established 4 policy groups for each of the four themes of the Community Plan. The policy groups, which are led by elected members and chaired by members of the Council's Executive, provide a clear focus for ensuring delivery of the actions contained within the Community Plan. The inclusion of elected members in policy groups ensures that Community Planning issues are effectively integrated with other decisions made by the Council. The policy groups include direct representation from Community Planning partners, so for the first time there are formal arrangements in place to enable the views of all relevant organisations to be taken into account when developing policy. This is helping real integration of plans for delivering and improving services as part of the partners' everyday business. For more information see: www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk |
Role of board members
- Should board members who sit on Community Planning partnerships be expected to see their role as representing the wider interests of the community rather than simply the interests of the organisation they belong to?
- What should board members be doing, in Community Planning processes, to engage and secure the commitment of the partner organisation they belong to?
- What checks and mechanisms should be put in place to secure accountability and transparency in the decision-making roles of board members in Community Planning processes?
There are no clear-cut answers to the above questions - different approaches and solutions will be required in different councils and localities, and time should be set aside to consider these issues. Critical factors include the level and nature of officer support and the potential of partnership rationalisation to help councillors and board members perform their roles.
Support for councillors and board members
Councillors and board members have found themselves coming under increasing pressures and workloads in recent years, and so if they are to be fully engaged in Community Planning processes, they will require support. This support will be particularly important for councillors and board members who have been newly elected or appointed or have been involved only at the margins in Community Planning processes. Possible approaches could include:
- Regular briefings (written/oral; national/local) on key Community Planning issues and developments.
- Capacity building and skill sharing workshops.
- Mentoring/shadowing via senior/experienced councillors or board members.
- Development of electronic networks, discussion forums, etc. for sharing experiences and good practices.
Community Planning presents some real challenges to councils in leading the Community Planning process, so it will need to be underpinned by development and support work for councillors in their strategic leadership, representative and scrutiny roles. Support and development work in this area should be integrated with work among councillors in other contexts, such as best value.
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