Article 6 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Policy Advisory Group, Task Groups and Participative Groups
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6.01 Terms Of
Reference
The Overview and Scrutiny
Committee
The Council will appoint an Overview and
Scrutiny Committee to discharge the functions conferred by Section
21 of the Local Government Act 2000 or Regulations under Section 32
of the Local Government Act 2000.
The functions reflect the individual Portfolio
Holders who comprise the Executive. (Page No 61
to 78 refers).
The Policy Advisory
Group.
This Group considers issues referred to
it by the Executive, Full Council, or the Leader or Deputy Leader
or Portfolio Holder or Chief Executive in consultation with the
Leader or Deputy Leader. The terms of reference of the
Group mirror those of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee detailed
above. They help inform the Executive and Full Council on
policy development. The Group is also used as the mechanism
to enable any Councillor who is not a Member of the Executive to
feed views into the development of any partnership
plan/strategy. The Group is broadly politically balanced, and
may include the Executive Member whose portfolio includes the
subject matter of the policy being developed. The operation
of the Group allows the Council’s tradition of working together at
Member level in the interests of the Borough's citizens to
continue. They enable all Members of the Council whether
Members of the Executive or not to have input into policy
development outside of the context and constraints of the Full
Council and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee process. The
Group can question and gather evidence from any person (with their
consent).
Task Groups
The Groups consider issues referred to them by the Council,
Executive, Overview and Scrutiny or Policy Advisory Group and when
they have dealt with the specific issues they are disbanded.
The recommendations of the Task Group are considered by the
Committee which established them.
Participative Groups
Participative Groups consider issues referred
to them by either the Leader or Deputy Leader, or Portfolio Holder
or Chief Executive and when they have dealt with the issue they
shall be disbanded. At least once every six months the
findings and conclusions of the Groups work shall be submitted to
the appropriate Portfolio Holder and the Leader and Deputy Leader
of the Council. The membership of the Groups shall be cross
party and will not be subject to political balance and can also
include Council Officers and representatives from outside the
Council. The composition of the Group will be determined by
its founders in consultation with the relevant Head of
Service. Special Responsibility Allowance will not be payable
to those Members participating but travel and mileage allowance for
attendance will be payable. Reasonable expenses may, at the
discretion of the respective Head of Service, be paid to those
participating in the Group. (Minute No 93/7/10).
6.02 General
Role
Within their terms of reference:
Overview and Scrutiny
Committee may:
(i) Review and/or scrutinise decisions
made or actions taken in connection with the discharge of any of
the Council’s functions;
(ii) Make reports
and/or recommendations to the Full Council and/or the Executive
and/or any Joint or Area Committee in connection with the discharge
of any functions (the decision making power remains with the
original decision taker);
(iii) Consider any
matter affecting the area or its inhabitants; and
(iv) Exercise the
right to call-in, for reconsideration, decisions made but not yet
implemented by the Executive and/or any Executive Committee,
Executive Member or Area Committees or Officer(s).
Policy Advisory Groups
may:
(i) Support the work
of the Executive and the Council as a whole by developing
policy;
(ii) Make reports
and recommendations to the Executive and/or the Council on its
policies and budgets etc.
Task Groups may:
(i) Support the work
of the Executive, the Council, Overview and Scrutiny and Policy
Advisory Group;
(ii) Make reports
and recommendations to the Council, Executive, Overview and
Scrutiny and Policy Advisory Group.
6.03 Specific
Functions
(a) Overview and Scrutiny Committee may:
(i) Review and
scrutinise the decisions made by and performance of the Executive,
Executive Committees, Executive Members and Council Officers both
in relation to individual decisions and over time;
(ii) Review and scrutinise the
performance of the Council in relation to its policy objectives,
performance targets and/or particular service areas;
(iii) Question
Members of the Executive, Members of other appropriate Committees
and Council Officers about their decisions and performance, whether
generally in comparison with service plans and targets over a
period of time, or in relation to particular decisions, initiatives
or projects;
(iv) Make
recommendations to the Executive, other appropriate Committees
and/or the Council arising from the outcome of the overview and
scrutiny process;
(v) Review and
scrutinise the performance of other public bodies in the area and
invite reports from them by requesting them to address the
appropriate Overview and Scrutiny Committee and local people about
their activities and performance;
(vi) Question and
gather evidence from any person (with their consent).
(vii)
Finance. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee
and Policy Advisory Group may exercise via the Senior Scrutiny
Support Officer overall responsibility for the finances made
available to them. This budget is to be used to support
scrutiny and policy review work;
(viii)
Annual Report. The Overview and Scrutiny
Committee must report annually to full Council on their work and
make recommendations for future work programmes and amended working
methods if appropriate;
(ix)
Officers. The Overview and Scrutiny
Committee may exercise overall responsibility for the work
programme of the Officers employed to support their
work.
(b) Policy Development and
Review
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
may:
(i) Assist the
Council and the Executive in the development of its budget and
policy framework by in-depth analysis of policy issues;
(ii) Conduct
research, community and other consultation in the analysis of
policy issues and possible options;
(iii) Consider and
implement mechanisms to encourage and enhance community
participation in the development of policy options;
(iv) Question
Members of the Executive and/or Committees and Chief Officers about
their views on issues and proposals affecting the area;
(v) Liaise with
other external organisations operating in the area, whether
national, regional or local, to ensure that the interests of local
people are enhanced by collaborative working.
The Policy Advisory Group may:
(i) support the work
of the Executive and the Council as a whole by considering issues
referred to them by the Executive, Full Council, or by the Leader
or Deputy Leader or by the Portfolio Holder or Chief Executive in
consultation with the Leader or Deputy Leader;
(ii) Make reports
and recommendations to the Executive and/or the Council on the
issues referred either by way of a 'Chairman's Report' or by the
inclusion of the Groups view within an Officer’s report to the
Executive or Full Council upon the issue concerned;
6.04 Proceedings of Overview
and Scrutiny Committee
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will conduct their
proceedings in accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure
Rules as set out in Part 4 of this Constitution.
Next - Article 7 - The Executive
This webpage was updated on
10/5/2010