Scrutiny Forward Work Programmes

Forward Work Programmes outline the areas the Committee plans to look at over the forthcoming year.

Setting the Work Programme for the Scrutiny Committee is an important stage in the Scrutiny process; identifying key topics that will be considered in the coming year. Scrutiny Committee Members set the Work Programme with support from their Scrutiny Officer, early in the Civic year.

Some key principles for setting Work Programmes are:

Topics should add value and support corporate priorities and the Council’s overall budget position
Topics should be selected that will have an impact on the way the Council delivers services to the public
Where appropriate involve partners, stakeholders and the public
Allow some flexibility to enable topics to be included as they arise
Seek improvement in service provision
Be achievable within available resources
Sources of information to identify key topics

Topics for the Work Programme come from a wide range of sources including:

Suggestions made by Elected Members
Suggestions made by Senior Management and their service area business plans
Suggestions made by Scrutiny Officers
The Cabinet's Forward Plans
Corporate performance monitoring reports
Suggestions made by partners and stakeholders
The Council's Corporate Improvement Plan and Single Integrated Plan
Topics from budget monitoring reports and the Council's Forward Financial Plan
Issues from audit and inspection reports
Outcomes of public consultation

As well as the topics identified by Members, Scrutiny Committees have standing items that they regularly consider, such as service area business plans, budget monitoring and performance monitoring.

Once Members have assembled the Work Programme it will be important for them to identify and agree the highest priority topics, those that will add most value through their work. Topics requiring more detailed examination can be looked as part of a ‘Inquiry’ group and be included in the overall Scrutiny Work Programme.