DOCSLIB.ORG

Ministry of Defence: Developments in Control and Use of Manpower

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ministry of Defence: Developments in Control and Use of Manpower NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE REPORTBY THE COMPTROLLERAND AUDITOR GENERAL Ministryof Defence:Developments in Controland Use of Manpower ORDERED BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TO BE PRINTED 4 DECEMBER 1992 LONDON: HMSO 319 f5.85 NET MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTROL AND USE OF MANPOWER This report has been prepared under Section 6 of the National Audit Act, 1983 for presentation to the House of Commons in accordance with Section 9 of the Act. John Bourn National Audit Office Comptroller and Auditor General 27 November 1992 The Comptroller and Auditor General is the head of the National Audit Office employing some 900 staff. He, and the NAO, are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTROL AND “SE OF MANPOWER Contents Page Introduction and background 1 Developments in Control and Use of Manpower 1 Conclusions 14 Appendices: 1. Main Conclusions and Recommendations of the PAC’s 41st Report 1988-89 - Control and Use of Manpower - and Departmental Response in Treasury Minute dated 31 January 1990 (Cm 964) 16 2. Recent, Current and Planned Special Reviews by the Department Affecting Manpower Requirements 20 MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTROL AND “SE OF MANPOWER Report Introduction and 1 At 1 April 1992 the Ministry of Defence (the Department) employed 302,400 background Service personnel and 166,400 civilians (see Table 1). They could also call on some 349,100 reservists. The total cost of pay and allowances for this manpower in 1991-92 was some z!Z8,300million, 34 per cent of the Defence budget, of which Service personnel, including the reservists, accounted for nearly g5,500 million. 2 In May 1989, following a report by the National Audit Office (HC 342 of 1988-89), the Committee of Public Accounts examined the Department on their arrangements for the planning, control, organisation and use of manpower. In their Forty-first Report, Session 1988-89 (HC 397) the Committee accepted that the Department had in many respects successfully controlled manpower but noted that the Department acknowledged there was scope for improvement. The Committee stressed the importance of the Department continuing to keep under review the possible need for change if they were to achieve value for money from the enormous resources invested in manpower. The Committee also expressed their wish to review the Department’s progress in due course. 3 The Treasury Minute of 31 January 1990 (Cm 964) included a constructive response to the Committee’s specific conclusions and recommendations and reported that action was underway, or promised, in a number of areas (see Appendix 1). The National Audit Office have examined the Department’s progress towards implementing the Committee’s recommendations. Developments in Departmental action Control and Use of Manpower 4 Following the publication of the report from the Committee of Public Accounts, the Department drew up an action plan showing the action required to achieve the Committee’s recommendations, those responsible for carrying it out and a time frame for completion. A Departmental senior level Steering Group and a supporting Executive Committee were responsible for oversight of the work and reported in April 1991 that good progress had been made on all the issues raised by the Public Accounts Committee. Table 1: Defence Manpower (excluding reservists) as at 1 April 1988 and 1 April 1992 1 April 1999 (a] 1 April 1992 (b) Service Civilians TOtal Service Civilians TOtal Central Stan5 1.300 17.300 16,600 17,000 23,700 40,700 RoyalNay 64,600 32,400 97,000 59,700 30,100 89,800 Army 157,000 40,900 197,900 135,500 36,200 173,700 Royal Air Farce 92,600 19,900 112,700 79,700 18,300 98,000 Procurement Executive 1,200 32,600 34,000 1,500 29,100 30,600 Sub Total 316,900 143,300 460,200 293,400 139,400 432.300 Locally Employed 9,400 31,800 41,200 9,000 27,000 36,000 TOtal 326,300 175,100 501.400 302,400 166,400 463,800 Note: (a) HC 342 C&AS’s Reporf paragraphs 1.3 and Table 1 (b) SDE 9< Tab 2.1. 1 MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTROL AND USE OF MANPOWER General developments 5 Since the Committee of Public Accounts reported, two key events have occurred tieding progress which are relevant to the control and use of manpower. (a) In April 1991 the Department introduced their New Management Strategy, which is based on a new system of budgetary control for expenditure other than major procurement expenditure. (b) The Options for Change review, and the related Departmental ‘Prospect’ report on ways of achieving a 20 per cent saving in the Department’s Headquarters staffing, are leading to substantial reductions in both Service and civilian manpower. In addition the conflict in the Gulf in 1990-91 and the aftermath imposed constraints and led to lessons being learnt, especially regarding the use of Reserves and civilians in front-line situations. 6 Subsequent paragraphs consider the Department’s progress on the Committee’s recommendations under three headings, although some recommendations are aPProPciale to uwt: Llrau ~111:heading: (a) recommendations relating to future methods for the tighter control and use of manpower stemming from the New Management Strategy; (b) recommendations affected by Options for Change: [cl recommendations relating to good practice and management in the use of manpower. Committee recommendations (i), (ii), (iv) and (xv) relating to future methods for the tighter control and use of manpower stemming from the Department’s New Management Strategy COmmittee 7 (i) The Committee recognised that the Department had in many respects recommendations successfully controlled manpower, but noted that the Department acknowledged the scope for further improvements. (ii) The Committee welcomed the Department’s New Management Strategy and supported the objective of freeing line managers horn unnecessary rigidities and constraints. (iv) The Committee noted the Department’s arguments for setting complements at levels lower than the assessedrequirements, but considered that tightly drawn assessments of requirements were more likely to lead to the most efficient manning levels. [xv) The Committee stressed the importance of the Department keeping under review the possible need for change if they were to achieve value for money from the enormous resources invested in manpower. Treasury Minute 8 The Department stated that they would pursue further improvements primarily through the objective and budget setting process of the Department’s New Management Strategy. They proposed to consider further the Committee’s views on tightly drawn assessments of requirements as they formulated new procedures for the New Management Strategy. Subsequent 9 To meet their defence objectives, the Department’s policy is to employ a mixture developments of Service personnel, civilians, contractors and reservists. The type of manpower employed in a particular post is determined as far as possible within financial 2 MINISTRY OF DEFENCE: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTROL AND USE OF MANPOWER constraints by the different operational requirements of peace, transition to war and war. Prior to the introduction of the New Management Strategy, control of numbers and gradings was exercised by the Services and other management areas within the manpower plans issued by the Department’s Office of Management and Budget. These plans took account of any manpower ceilings imposed by the Treasury or Defence Ministers. Each Service determined their operational requirements and the level of support required to maintain units at an acceptable state of readiness. The manpower implications of these decisions were determined mainly through the scrutiny of requirements in the budgetary process and the audit and complementing of individual units, ships or squadrons. 10 The Department told the Committee in 1989 that they had progressively moved away from the use of rigid numerical ceilings as a means of manpower control to the use of money as the main determinant, and under their New Management Strategy, the various activities within the Department would be controlled by money budgets. Line management would have as much freedom as could be devised to move things about to best effect without being constrained by rigid barriers. 11 The New Management Strategy is based on the principle of clear objectives set out in management plans emanating from a Departmental Plan, and the achievement of those objectives within budgets allocated by the Office of Management and Budget. The Department aim to delegate financial authority to match managerial responsibility. Previously the Department exercised central control over each area of Defence expenditure as shown in the published Vote structure. In 1991-92 overEl7 billion (net) was allocated to 22 Top Level Budget holders to cover the operating costs of their organisations and the services they give to the budget holders. Typically manpower costs comprise some 46 per cent of budgets under the New Management Strategy at the top level, rising to 70 per cent or more at lower levels because not all elements of the budgets are delegated to lower levels. 12 The Departmental Plan sets out the aims and objectives of the Ministry of Defence and the Services for the next four years against which the Department’s overall performance will be assessed. It focuses on the provision of Defence capability and other required outputs within available resources. It also identifies the Department’s current main management priorities, both to meet these requirements and to improve the Department’s efficiency. As yet there is no detailed correlation between the budgetary and management planning systems though the need for this has been recognised and action is in hand to bring it about.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Defence in a Competitive Age
    Defence in a competitive age CP 411 Defence in a competitive age Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Defence by Command of Her Majesty March 2021 CP 411 © Crown copyright 2021 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/official-documents. Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at: SPOStrategy- [email protected] ISBN 978-1-5286-2462-6 CCS0221109268. 03/21 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office DEFENCE IN A COMPETITIVE AGE Foreword from the Secretary of State for Defence 01 Changing strategic context 05 02 The future battlefield 09 03 Our strategic approach 11 04 Evolving for the future 15 05 Defence’s contribution to Global Britain 27 06 Our workforce: our finest asset 35 07 Modernised forces for a competitive age 39 08 A stronger relationship with industry 61 09 Transforming our ways of working 65 Defence in a competitive age Foreword from the Secretary of State for Defence As a young officer, thirty years ago almost to the day, I was summoned to the drill square to have read aloud key decisions from the government’s defence review, Options for Change.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Science and Policy 124 (2021) 163–174
    Environmental Science and Policy 124 (2021) 163–174 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Environmental Science and Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envsci Adapting transformation and transforming adaptation to climate change using a pathways approach Matthew J. Colloff a,*, Russell Gorddard b, Nick Abel a, Bruno Locatelli c,d, Carina Wyborn a, James R.A. Butler e, Sandra Lavorel f,g, Lorrae van Kerkhoff a, Seona Meharg b, Claudia Múnera-Roldan´ a, Enora Bruley f, Giacomo Fedele h, Russell M. Wise b, Michael Dunlop b a Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia b CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia c Forests and Societies, CIRAD – Universit´e Montpellier, 34398 Montpellier, France d CIFOR, Lima 15024, Peru e CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia f Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine, CNRS – Universit´e Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France g Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand h Conservation International, Chauss´ee de Charleroi 112, 1060 Brussels, Belgium ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Human actions have driven earth systems close to irreversible and profound change. The need to shift towards Decision context intentional transformative adaptation (ITA) is clear. Using case studies from the Transformative Adaptation Adaptation pathway Research Alliance (TARA), we explore ITA as a way of thinking and acting that is transformative in concept and Values, rules and knowledge (VRK) objectives, but achieved through a mix of incremental and transformative co-production processes that ulti­ Nature’s contribution to adaptation (NCA) mately lead to the social-ecological system being transformed.
    [Show full text]
  • TWICE a CITIZEN Celebrating a Century of Service by the Territorial Army in London
    TWICE A CITIZEN Celebrating a century of service by the Territorial Army in London www.TA100.co.uk The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Greater London Twice a Citizen “Every Territorial is twice a citizen, once when he does his ordinary job and the second time when he dons his uniform and plays his part in defence.” This booklet has been produced as a souvenir of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Territorial Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, Army in London. It should be remembered that at the time of the formation of the Rifle Volunteers 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC in 1859, there was no County of London, only the City. Surrey and Kent extended to the south bank of the Thames, Middlesex lay on the north bank and Essex bordered the City on the east. Consequently, units raised in what later became the County of London bore their old county names. Readers will learn that Londoners have much to be proud of in their long history of volunteer service to the nation in its hours of need. From the Boer War in South Africa and two World Wars to the various conflicts in more recent times in The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, London Volunteers and Territorials have stood together and fought alongside their Regular comrades. Some have won Britain’s highest award for valour - the Victoria Cross - and countless others have won gallantry awards and many have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country. This booklet may be recognised as a tribute to all London Territorials who have served in the past, to those who are currently serving and to those who will no doubt serve in the years to come.
    [Show full text]
  • Pwc, Heart of Hampshire
    www.pwc.co.uk Final Heart of Hampshire Devolution and the future of local government Confidential November 2016 Future of local government in the Heart of Hampshire Final Contents Important notice .......................................................................................................................... 4 Executive summary...................................................................................................................... 5 Future of local government in the Heart of Hampshire ............................................................................................. 5 Key points from the analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Key conclusions and securing a devolution deal ....................................................................................................... 11 Overall conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 12 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 13 1.1. Purpose of this report ....................................................................................................................................... 13 1.2. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • CMP227 Document At? 01 Initial Written ‘Change the G:D Split of Assessment Workgroup 02 Consultation
    Stage 02: Workgroup Consultation Connection and Use of System Code (CUSC) What stage is this CMP227 document at? 01 Initial Written ‘Change the G:D split of Assessment Workgroup 02 Consultation TNUoS charges, for Workgroup 03 Report 04 Code Administrator example to 15:85’ Consultation Draft CUSC 05 Modification Report 06 Final CUSC This proposal seeks to change the current 27:73 G:D split, Modification Report reducing the proportion of TNUoS charges paid by generators to a suggested ratio of 15:85. This document contains the discussion of the Workgroup which formed in March 2014 to develop and assess the proposal. Any interested party is able to make a response in line with the guidance set out in Section 8 of this document. Published on: 27th August 2014 Length of Consultation: 20 Working days Responses by: 24th September 2014 The Workgroup concludes: To be completed following the Workgroup Consultation High Impact: All parties which are liable for TNUoS charges Medium Impact: Low Impact: Page 1 of 56 Contents Any Questions? 1 Summary .............................................................................................. 3 Contact: 2 Background ......................................................................................... 4 Jade Clarke 3 Modification Proposal ......................................................................... 6 Code Administrator 4 Summary of Workgroup Discussions ............................................... 7 5 Workgroup Alternatives ...................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Interim Case for Change
    Interim Case for Change 1 Your Care, Your Future: Working together for a healthier west Herts Contents Our approach Executive Summary Communications and engagement Where we want to be Where we are today Building on where we are today Appendices 2 Your Care, Your Future: Working together for a healthier west Herts About this document The NHS in England has recently published its Five Year Our programme is called Your Care, Your Future Forward View setting out the importance of transformation across the NHS and social care. Given the ongoing concerns Since November 2014, we have engaged with a wide range about our ageing and growing population, costs of drugs and of people to understand views of existing health and social new technologies, the increasing number of people living with care services in the local area. complex healthcare needs and funding, the NHS will need to More than 60 clinicians and other professionals from NHS do some things radically differently in the future. organisations and social services in west Hertfordshire have The situation in west Hertfordshire reflects the national worked together, with key partners and patient, service user concerns. Delivering high quality health and care services is and public representatives to develop this interim case for already challenging and will become more so in the coming change document. years. Our local population is changing and so are our health Now, as we start to explore priorities to improve local and care needs. We must find new ways to provide services, we would like to hear your views. sustainable high quality health and social care.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to the Regiment Journal 2015
    3 Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark THE COLONEL-IN-CHIEF Contents PART I A Brief History Page 2 PART II The Regiment Today Page 33 PART III Regimental Information Page 46 Our Regiment, ‘The Tigers’, has I hope that you enjoy reading the now ‘come of age’, passed its Third Edition of this unique history twenty-first birthday and forged and thank the author, Colonel For further information its own modern identity based on Patrick Crowley, for updating the on the PWRR go to: recent operational experiences in content. I commend this excellent www.army.mod. Iraq and Afghanistan and its well- guide to our fine Regiment. uk/infantry/ known professionalism. Our long regiments/23994 heritage, explained in this Guide, Signed makes us proud to be the most New Virtual Museum web site: senior English Regiment of the www.armytigers.com Line and the Regiment of choice in London and the South East. If you are connected with the counties of Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Middlesex and the Channel Islands, we are your regiment. We take a fierce pride Brigadier Richard Dennis OBE in our close connections with the The Colonel of The Regiment south of England where we recruit our soldiers and our PWRR Family consists of cadets, regular and reserve soldiers, veterans and their loved ones. In this Regiment, we celebrate the traditional virtues of courage, self-discipline and loyalty to our comrades and we take particular pride in the achievements of our junior ranks, like Sergeant Johnson Beharry, who won the Victoria Cross for his bravery under fire in Iraq.
    [Show full text]
  • Balancing the Budget Consultation
    Serving Hampshire Information Pack Balancing the Budget Consultation Hampshire County Council’s options for balancing its budget, from 2022-2024 hants.gov.uk Contents Balancing the Budget Consultation Information Pack 3 Introduction 3 Consultation scope 4 Hampshire County Council’s consultation policy 4 How to have your say 5 Section One: About Hampshire County Council 6 The County Council’s strategic aims 7 Section Two: About the County Council’s revenue budget 8 How the County Council is funded 8 How the budget is spent 9 How savings have been managed to-date 10 Section Three: Options for balancing the budget 13 Introducing and increasing charges for some services 13 Lobbying central Government for legislative change 13 Generating additional income 14 Using the County Council’s reserves 14 Reducing and changing services 15 Increasing Council Tax 37 Changing local government arrangements in Hampshire 41 Conclusion 42 2 Balancing the Budget Consultation Information Pack Hampshire County Council is asking for residents’ and stakeholders’ views on ways it could balance its budget in response to continuing pressures on local government funding and increasing demand for core public services. Consultation period: from midday on 7 June to 11:59pm on 18 July 2021. Introduction Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the County Council has continued to provide a wide range of services to the people of Hampshire. However, these unprecedented times have also placed an additional burden on the financial resilience and stability of the County Council, which was already under huge pressure from over a decade of national funding reductions. Although a strong track record of careful financial planning, and a prudent level of reserves has placed the County Council in a better position than some, the absence of a multi-year funding settlement from the Government means that we continue to face a budget shortfall of at least £80million over the next two years (2022/23 and 2023/24).
    [Show full text]
  • THE 24Th REGIMENTS LINKS with the COUNTY of WARWICKSHIRE
    THE 24th REGIMENT’S LINKS WITH THE COUNTY OF WARWICKSHIRE. A revision of the article of the same name from the Journal of the Anglo Zulu War Historical Society, June 1997. (Inaugural Edition). By Derrick Smart __________________________________________________________________________________ ‘Regiments are raised in troubled times’. The birth of the 24th Regiment was in accordance with this dictum. In the early months of 1689 William and Mary newly arrived from Holland, reigned uneasily over a country still recovering from James II’s determined bid to regain the throne of England in the revolution of 1688. That revolution led to war with Louis X1V’s France (Louis had championed the ill-fated James); and to fight the war it was necessary to provide troops. King William as was the custom of the times, sent off Commissions to the noblemen and landowners who supported his cause. One such Commission went to Sir Edward Dering, 3rd Baronet, of Surrenden in Kent. The Commission was acted upon at once. It was dated 8th March 1689 and by 28th March, the first muster was held and Dering’s Regiment became part of the Standing Army and thereafter named after the Colonel (1). The Royal Warrant of 1st July 1751 listing precedence gave the Regiment seniority as the 24th Regiment of Foot. The 24th formed a 2nd Battalion in Lincolnshire in 1756, which was used in 1758 to form the 69th Regiment of Foot. In 1782 they were re-titled as the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot. The 24th Regiment’s 2nd Battalion was re-formed in Warwick in 1804 being disbanded in 1814.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William Of
    THE WEDDING OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES, K.G. WITH MISS CATHERINE MIDDLETON 29th APRIL 2011 A SUMMARY OF INFORMATION AS OF 28th APRIL 2011 1 Contents as of 28/04/11 Page ​ ● The Service 3 ● Costs 3 ● Timings 4 ● Members of the Wedding Party 6 ● Invitations 7 ● Selected Guest List for the Wedding Service at Westminster Abbey 8 ● Westminster Abbey Seating Plan 16 ● The Route 19 ● Cars and Carriages 19 ● Music for the Wedding Service 22 ● Wedding Musicians 24 ● Floral Displays 26 ● Wedding Ring 28 ● Receptions 29 ● Wedding Cake 30 ● Official Photographer 31 ● Westminster Abbey 32 ● Ceremonial Bodies 39 ● Official Souvenir Wedding Programme 41 ● New Coat of Arms for Miss Catherine Middleton and her Family 43 ● Instrument of Consent 45 ● Gifts 46 ● Wedding Website 54 ● The Royal Wedding Online – On the day 55 ● Visitors to London 57 ● Ministry of Defence Royal Wedding Commentary 58 ● The Royal Wedding Policing Operation 88 ● Media logistics 91 ● Biographies o Prince William 92 o Catherine Middleton 95 o The Prince of Wales 96 o The Duchess of Cornwall 99 o Prince Harry 100 o Clergy 102 o Organist and Master of the Choristers, Westminster Abbey 105 ● The British Monarchy 106 o The Queen 106 o The Prince of Wales 107 o The Royal Family 108 2 The Service The marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April 2011. The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton, and the Bishop of London will give the address.
    [Show full text]
  • Power: a Practical Guide for Facilitating Social Change
    Democracy and Civil Society Programme Raji Hunjan and Jethro Pettit POWER: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR FACILITATING SOCIAL CHANGE 1 Acknowledgements The Carnegie UK Trust and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation are grateful to the Trust for London (City Parochial Foundation) and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust for their active participation in developing our work on Power, by contributing funds, working closely with us to share the learning, and by encouraging their grant recipients to try out different approaches to power analysis. We would also like to thank Charlotte Flower, who facilitated all the workshops for 2009, Maro Pantazidou who co-facilitated workshops and gave invaluable support to participants in London during 2010, and Soumountha Keophilavong, who helped us to develop our work on power during her time as a Research Analyst at the Carnegie UK Trust. We would also like to thank John Gaventa at the Institute of Development Studies; Valerie Miller, Lisa VeneKlasen and their colleagues at Just Associates; Jo Rowlands at Oxfam Great Britain, and Irene Guijt of Learning by Design for all their inspiring efforts to develop new ways of understanding and shifting power. Most of all, we are grateful to the organisations that took part in the project for trusting us with the process of strengthening their own work and also advising us on how power analysis could help many more in the future. These organisations were Shpresa, Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum, Naz Project London, Eaves Housing, Spare Tyre Theatre Company, Praxis, Disability Action Islington, Fitzrovia Youth Project, Women and Girls Network, Forward, Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Organisation, African Women’s Support Project, Roots, Huddersfield Pakistani Muslim Association, JUST West Yorkshire, Clover Leaf Advocacy, and the Refugee Forum Leeds.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Promoting the Councillor Role to Employers'
    ‘Promoting the councillor role to employers ’ A Report for the South Yorkshire Improvement Programme To look is one thing To see what you look at is another To understand what you see is a third To learn from what you understand is still something else To act on what you see is all that matters Taoist proverb Paul Wheeler Director Political Skills Forum December 2008 1 Summary and list of Recommendations Councils in South Yorkshire would benefit from increasing the number of councillors in employment. They would add to the knowledge and experience in the Council Chamber and enhance the reputation of the council with partner organisations and central government. However a number of barriers exist to ensuring a higher proportion of councillors who are in employment and these need to be addressed. 1 Leadership of each local council to explore options for member meetings outside core hours of 9-5 with specific reference to scrutiny committees and meetings with Directors/Heads of Service. 2 Local Councils to develop publicity programme in council and external publications to promote the community leadership role of councillors. 3 Annual review, led by members, on use of member time and level of support for member role. 4 Research ‘governance map’ detailing allowances paid to those in local governance role in health, further education and other public sectors. 5 Improvement Board to research ‘jury service’ compensation system for small firms with employees involved in day time meetings for council duties. 6 Briefing note prepared by local councils and endorsed by LSP outlining the importance of the member role for the council and wider community.
    [Show full text]