Clackmannanshire Council Online

Improved Scrutiny Arrangements Agreed

People will now have better information on how the Council delivers on its promises thanks to today's decisions to improve Council accountability.

A report explaining the new corporate scrutiny arrangements came before today's meeting of the Council. The report follows the decisions taken in June to establish new political decision making and scrutiny arrangements.

One of the changes to the decision making framework agreed in June was the establishment of a Resources and Audit Committee. The role of this new committee is to ensure that Council objectives and targets are delivered by:

• scrutiny of financial performance through ongoing review and challenge of service financial information
• scrutiny of service performance through ongoing review of service performance against the targets set by the council
• up front consultative scrutiny of new policies and strategies or significant changes to existing policies to test them before they go live

The newly established Resources and Audit Committee will be chaired by Councillor Archie Drummond and will have the authority to request service committee convenors to attend the committee to answer questions about services performance, new strategy and plans.

Councillor Drummond said: "Effective scrutiny is the way in which elected members ensure that the people of Clackmannanshire are receiving the best possible services as well as best value from the Council. It will result in better information for local taxpayers and an assurance that the Council is keeping its promises. This committee will not be used as a party political weapon to bash anyone however it will provide an opportunity to constructively challenge elected members and officers, avoiding conflict for the sake of it. Our role is that of a critical friend and is at the heart of sound governance arrangements. It also requires openness and transparency to deliver real improvements in the way that the Council does its business."

The new committee will also have the authority to call-in and review any Council decisions - this authority is intended to be used in exceptional circumstances for decisions believed to be contrary to the Council's proper decision making process.

Councillor Drummond added: "These new arrangements will significantly strengthen the Council's ability to demonstrate that it is doing what it said it was going to do. I'm keen to develop a strong focus on continuous improvement which will include ongoing review of the Resources and Audit Committee's effectiveness. The new committee will also engage and consult with external partners when appropriate."