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Improving Our Decision-Making
A proposed new approach
A presentation given to the Luton Liberal Democrat Council Group in 2005
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The Current Situation
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Current Problems Lines of accountability and communication
are unclear
Poor coordination within Group and
Executive
Poor coordination with officers
Inability to effectively prioritise
Officer agenda not Group agenda
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New Proposal
To add in two new coordinating bodies
To remove wasteful meetings and duplication of
effort
To abolish NTEs & OTEs
To clarify the remit of meetings
To create opportunities for better communication To create a more logical decision making process
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Objectives To work better as a Lib Dem team
To work better with officers
To increase the accountability of officers
To better control the agenda
T
o ensure the Group is at the heart ofdecision making
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The
New Proposal
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Group Board Function:
Political direction & leadership
Monitor achievement of Group objectives
Help communication between executive
members
Coordinate group media activities Provide a campaigning input into decision
making
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Group Board Reports to:
Group
Membership: Leader
Deputy Leader
Portfolio holders
Group Chair
Group Coordinator
(Clerk: Group Assistant)
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Joint Board
The Councils Board of Directors
Function:
A meeting of the executive and the management team Provide political context for management decisions
Co-ordinate strategic decision making & policydevelopment
T
o monitor the achievement of council objectives Set-up, set the terms of reference & membership, and
receive reports from joint member/officer groups
Agenda planning for Executive and Full Council
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Joint Board
Reports to:
Group Board (Members)
CDMT (Officers) Membership:
Leader, Deputy Leader & Portfolio holders
Chief Executive & Corporate Directors
Key Heads of Service
(Clerk: Group Assistant & Executive Secretary*)
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Additional Issues Coordination ofJoint Working
Group Policy Development
Officer Support
Role of Portfolio Holders
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Coordination ofJoint Working
Joint Board will set-up, set the terms of reference& membership, and receive reports from jointmember/officer groups
This will help the Executive work with the officersin a more coordinated way and ensure that we setthe agenda for joint working
This will mean we can better cover:
Policy development Overseeing key projects
Monitoring of key themes
E.g. Finance Group & Performance Group or
Swimming Pool Group
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Group Policy Development There is a need to strengthen the way the Group
develops policy
Within this proposal there are two suggestions for
how we do this: Establish Theme Groups that meet regularly to
discuss issues
To make space for this (and full Policy Group
meetings) every other Group meeting would have apolicy focus
How do we fit this in with Scrutiny?
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Officer Support We should change the way Democratic Services
support the decision making process byrestructuring to create the post of Executive
Secretary This role would be:
To clerk Executive, Joint Board, and member/officermeetings
T
o follow up the decisions of Executive &Joint Board
To help portfolio holders with their role as Executivemembers
This would free up the Group Assistant toconcentrate on supporting the Group
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Role of Portfolio Holders The aim of this proposal is not to replace
the role of Portfolio Holders or restrict their
ability to act on their own initiative or shape
the agenda
It is to provide a much more coordinated
and structured framework within which theycan operate
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The Full Picture
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Scheduling This proposal should not create more meetings
It should replace the current confused system of
OTEs & NTEs, various ad hoc meetings, and latenight emails we currently use
The different bodies will meet on an alternate basisover a 4 week cycle
Meetings of one body will receive reports from andrefer issues to meetings of other bodies
Thus it will be easier to track and follow up issuesand reports as they move from meeting to meeting
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A Four Week Cycle
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Group Group (Policy)
Group Board Group Board
J
oint Board
Executive Executive
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The Decision Making Process
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Group Group(Policy)
Group Group(Policy)
Group
Board
Group
Board
Group
Board
Group
Board
Joint
Board
Joint
Board
Exec Exec Exec Exec
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Summary Introduction of Group Board and Joint
Board
Better communication and coordination More logical programme of meetings
Clearer political accountability
Greater emphasis on policy making by &within the Group
Better & more appropriate officer support
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Next Steps
Approval by Group?
Work up more detailed proposal with
officers
First Group Board & Joint Board meetings
begin with new Executive
Changes in staffing and officer procedures
phased in over summer