Meeting documents

            Meeting: Implementation Executive (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 1a - 04/04/2008 10:00:00 AM)

                  Item: A7 Programme Update, Members Induction and Reporting Proposals

         

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Report of: Brian Dinsdale, Interim Programme Director, LGR Programme

Purpose

This report provides an update to the Implementation Executive on the continuing progress being made within the LGR programme

Members are also asked to consider and agree the induction and initial learning programme for Councillors and Cabinet Members during the critical period after the elections, which will help to focus the work of the programme boards and workstreams.


Progress

At the last meeting of the Implementation Executive members were advised of the progress being made through the workstreams established by six programme boards who are currently examining existing service provision, and are preparing the ground work for option appraisals relating to the services for the new council.

The workstreams have been tasked by the programme boards with three phases of work: baseline current service provision, develop principles for change and identify options for change.

The current priorities for the workstreams has been to establish a robust starting point including defining the scope of the work, the timetable and key deliverables and to understand the critical risks which we may face over the coming months. Programme boards have now signed off the majority of the workstreams project initiation documents (PIDs) which detail the scope of the workstreams and are well advanced in developing the plans and risks.

Much of the work which the workstreams are doing will in practice be utilised by Directors appointed to the unitary council later in the year. However, high level elements of this work are required at a much earlier stage in the process to enable the new Cabinet/Council to make crucial decisions on its vision, values and top management structure.

This report suggests a process through which key decisions on a limited number of key issues can be taken in June/July 2008 though workshops and themed meetings with Cabinet Members, facilitated through the IDeA Compass programme. This is linked to the induction programme which has been developed for Members after the election in May.


The Proposed Programme

The Behaviours, Values and Skills Sub Group of the Democracy Workstream has produced an induction and initial learning programme for the new Councillors and Cabinet Members. In addition the programme proposals were considered by the Joint Member Development Group on 18th March 2008.

This programme of themed interventions involves four stages:


Stage One - Development of an on-line skills audit for use with newly appointed Councillors

New Councillors will complete this e-tool during their induction period either supported by Council staff or working independently away from the County Hall location. The audit is built around the I&DeA Political Skills Framework and enables Councillors to review their current level of knowledge and skill around these indicators.

The result will be the opportunity to glean common generic development needs of the new Councillor team and also will allow for individualised differentiated learning programmes to be produced.


Stage Two - Development of a Councillor Compact outlining the mutual expectations of officers and Councillors

Building upon the work stemming from the Councillor Commission document entitled ‘Representing the Future’ and research work and recommendations made by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation the work group, in conjunction with the Member Development Group, has produced a Councillor Compact.

The Compact aims to bring some clarity about the role as a Councillor, how the Councillor performs their duties, and their approach to exercising those responsibilities. Just as importantly, it contains a commitment about the support; advice and guidance that will be provided by the Council to help the Councillor effectively fulfil that role.

The content of the Compact will be explored with Councillors during the induction period.


Stage Three - Design and implement a transformational, fit for purpose Councillor Development and Support Programme

The induction and initial learning programme being produced has taken into consideration the Durham County Council ‘bid’ document, the changing role of the modern Councillor depicted in the IDeA Political Skills Framework, together with an analysis of the immediate development needs of the new Councillor.

The programme covers:

· Getting to Know You and You us
· You as the Modern Councillor - What does this mean?
· Supporting You as the Modern Councillor

Each topic area is delivered during the day and then repeated in the evening. In addition some sessions are to be repeated at the weekend and are available in a variety of learning formats. This will enable those councillors who are unable to attend the input sessions to receive the learning material for study in their own time.

Upon completion of the induction programme Councillors will be offered a more detailed learning programme covering a variety of topic areas considered important for their first year of appointment.


Stage Four - Developing the vision and values for the new Council and the consideration of key strategic decisions

The proposal is to break the work into three ‘high level exercises’ during June/July 2008 to enable the new Cabinet/ Council to:

· Establish its vision and values for the new authority.
· Establish its top management structure.
· Establish those parts of the county proposal that can be delivered by vesting day.

Through these exercises the Cabinet/Council will also have a full understanding of LGR financial and human resources (HR) implications.

Vision, values and strategic principles

The first ‘high level exercise’ must enable Members to debate and agree (or otherwise) the vision and values in the proposal and make clear:

· The principles and extent of transformation that can in practice be undertaken by vesting day, through front office and back office integration and devolution of service provision to localities.
· Those parts of the proposal that can/should be left until after vesting day.
· Members’ views on ‘service provision’ v ‘service commissioning.’

To prepare for this exercise will require significant personal involvement of JIT members in April/May, using high level reports from programme boards on these issues, and the support of IDeA through customisation of their COMPASS programme.

Top management structures

The second exercise must enable Members, in light of (1) above, to agree a top management structure for the new Council. This will require:

· A composite recommendation from the JIT on optimum service groupings to best achieve the 6 unitary outcomes - with a high level appendix from each programme board giving appropriate justifications, based on the work of the workstreams.
· A report on organisational/HR principles appertaining to the top management structure. 3. Financial/HR implications

The third exercise must enable Members to understand fully the financial and people implications of the programme to guide service design, through comprehensive reports from the Corporate Services and Internal Challenge Boards.

Attached, as appendix 2, is an extract from the draft programme plan which outlines the dates for the work outlined above.

Also attached as appendix 3 is a proposal from IDeA for this work.

The above proposals have been discussed by the JIT and recognition made that the timescales to produce the above are tight, but must be pursued to achieve success.

If this proposal is agreed arrangements will be made to brief all workstream leads early in April.

Funding

A successful bid was made to the Improvement Partnership for £25,000 which will contribute towards the direct costs associated with the programme.

Recommendations

The Implementation Executive are asked to:

1. Note the continued good progress being made with the LGR programme
2. Comments on the timescales suggested
3. To agree the induction and initial learning programme for Councillors and Cabinet Members
4. To agree the process outlined for the vision and values for the new Council and the consideration of key strategic decisions Local Government Reorganisation

This report outlines a process to allow the new members following the election in May to provide strategic direction and details the induction programme to support the newly appointed Councillors

Finance

A successful bid was made to the Improvement Partnership for £25,000 which will contribute towards the direct costs associated with the programme.

Staffing

The delivery of the programme is coordinated via the Development and Performance Team and through the use of internal and external presenters/exhibitors. Each of these has been contacted to ensure their availability.

Equality and Diversity
N/A

Accommodation
N/A

Crime and Disorder
N/A

Sustainability
N/A

Human Rights
N/A

Localities and Rurality
N/A

Young People
N/A

Consultation
N/A

Health
N/A

Appendix 2: Extract from draft Programme Plan

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Appendix 3: Proposal from IDeA

Vision, Values and Direction
Proposed Support for the New Council Executive and other Leading Members

This note outlines our proposed approach, following a series of conversations between Brian Dinsdale, Roger Goodes and Annette Stansfield, IDeA Regional Associate, around how IDeA might work with you to design and deliver an intensive programme of support to the newly elected Executive and other leading members in June and July this year.

Your Requirements

You now have a transitional support structure of six boards and eleven cross-cutting workstreams that will shape ways of working and service delivery in the new council. The timescale and delivery pressures are already tight, so it is vital that the new Executive debates and continues to shape the vision and values for the new council (as outlined in the county proposal) and endorses the approach of to establishing the new council as soon as it is elected.

You wish to offer leading councillors an intensive programme of support that will equip them to rise swiftly to the challenge of being able to agree with the new chief executive what type of new council they want to form and lead. They will also need to make a series of key decisions in June and July around the extent of transformation that can be undertaken by vesting day. These workshops are likely to focus in particular on developing a shared view on the right balance between service provision or commissioning arrangements, the new council’s approach to public access to services, the extent of back office integration needed, devolution of service delivery to localities as well as broader issues linked to ethos, potential contractual arrangements and future delivery models so the work programme can intensify through the autumn. Once the new chief executive is appointed on May 23rd, the cabinet needs to work closely with him or her to shape new executive management team arrangements.

Our Approach

You feel it would be valuable throughout this process for members to be able to draw on a bank of political peer expertise and sensitively structured support which IDeA is uniquely positioned to provide. We would build in access to a bank of materials that are being developed for the new unitary councils, such as the political skills framework, councillors’ guide and Compass workshop programme, to strengthen the overall programme. The whole programme would be based on a closer assessment of the new council’s particular needs and circumstances, so all materials would be customised in close discussion with yourselves.

The programme would be designed in three phases:

Phase 1 - Individual engagement, leadership style and approach
We would undertake a series of 1:1 interviews with each of the new executive team members and encourage them to complete Myers Briggs and other appropriate profiling exercises to build awareness of their individual strengths and needs, preferred styles of leadership and collective preferences and experience. In these confidential interviews we would also explore with them individually some of the most challenging aspects of the future decisions they face as a team in shaping the approach of the new council. We would complete a team profile to inform discussions at the first workshop.

At the same time as the themed workshops, we would also arrange a further series of individual feedback discussions, also involving a political peer to discuss profiling feedback and any mentoring or development preferences.

We would also offer the new portfolio holders informal individual meetings with accredited political peers to assess with them whether they would find longer-term peer support useful in their new roles. If necessary, political peers could help broker constructive cross-party working arrangements working alongside the Local Government Leadership Centre.

Phase 2 - Compass, vision and values
Drawing on workshop discussions, facilitated by political peers, which have already been taking place in some political groups we would customise the Compass programme to your needs. The programme involves an initial workshop with leading members to confirm and develop their shared view of the key vision and values for the new council and how they wish to steer and shape it. A second larger workshop then tests out some key challenges such as handling difficulties with a major external contract or forming a new management team through practical simulation of experiences in the new council. The final workshop, again for leading politicians, is an opportunity to reflect and build on learning so the vision, values and overall approach can be confirmed and shared with the incoming chief executive and the new management team.

Phase 3 - Service alignment and continued development
Straight after the first Compass vision and values workshop, we would work closely with JIT leads to design and deliver four themed workshops around key challenges facing the new Executive team. These would be facilitated jointly by a leading political peer and experienced consultant and designed to test out the Executive’s agreed approach to the vision and values set for the new council. They would most likely cover:

· Achieving a balance between commissioning and direct delivery of services
· Public access to services and front office arrangements
· The potential for back office integration
· Approaches to devolution and community engagement

The final stage would take place after the Compass programme and involve working jointly with leading politicians and the new chief executive to agree top management arrangements and a structure for the new council.

For those leading members who are keen, we could help develop programmes of on-going mentoring support and link them into specialist networks such as those for childrens, health, scrutiny or adult social care portfolio holders. We would also signpost to the Leadership Academy specialist programmes and facilitate links with leading elected members from new unitary councils.

Finally, we would undertake an impact assessment of the whole programme and make recommendations for the next stage of development.

Resources and Next Steps

The Compass programme, councillors guide and political skills framework will be provided at no cost to the council, as part of IDeA’s commitment to support all councils going through unitary changes.

This would be an intensive programme that would run in a series of tight phases, running broadly along these lines:

May 27th Begin member interviews and profiling

June 6/7th Compass Vision and Values workshop

June 9-13th Run first two themed workshops

June 16- 20th Run second two themed workshops and further set of 1:1 interviews

June 24/5th Compass simulation

June 30 - 2nd July Final Compass learning workshop

4-11th July Workshop with new chief executive to shape management arrangements

Late July Impact assessment



Attachments

 Programme Update Members Induction and Reporting Proposals Item 7.pdf