Agenda item

To present options for the Commission’s Work Programme for 2019/20.

The Commission considered its work programme for 2019/20. Councillor Alan Law introduced the report which set out a list of topics suggested by Officers, including his own addition. He had discussed the topics with the Leaders form the Opposition and Minority Groups. While the Commission had additional resource, topics would need to be prioritised and align with the three strands identified by the Commission; corporate effectiveness, policy effectiveness and partnership effectiveness. Three suggestions had been received from the Vice-Chairman on behalf of the Opposition Group in respect of planning enforcement, Highwood Copse School and the school meals contract. Planning was outside of the Commission’s scope and Councillor Law requested further information on what outcomes might be achieved by a scrutiny review of the other two suggestions.

Councillor Law set out an aspiration to develop a Work Programme of a dozen topics to cover 18-24 months including a few in-depth items. He also sought a balance between retrospective and proactive issues. He outlined six topics which had achieved a consensus:

1.    London Road Industrial Estate: a task group had been established to conduct this review.

2.    Council Strategy Delivery Plan and target setting. Councillor Law felt that the Commission should have an opportunity to review whether appropriate targets were set.

3.    Shared Services: a look back at existing ones and research options for the future.

4.    Inequalities/ social mobility: looking at how the Council’s policies addressed inequalities.

5.    Commercialisation: the Capital Investment Strategy and commercial opportunities.

6.    Digitisation: promoted as an opportunity to realise efficiencies through invest-to-save projects.

Councillor Owen Jeffery asked whether a pan-Berkshire piece of scrutiny could be undertaken regarding electrification of the railway line. Councillor Law suggested the Shared Services piece could cover this topic.

Councillor Jeff Brooks expressed his disappointment that the Commission was not further resourced as there was scope that it could identify efficiencies. He stated that all topics suggested were worthy of scrutiny and requested that at the next meeting the Work Programme was brought back which presented a consensual view. Councillor Law stated that there appeared to be a consensus on all topics.

Councillor Brooks suggested that all New Ways of Working Reviews should be challenged on invest-to-save proposals. Councillor Law proposed that a small group be established to work on this in more detail. Jo Reeves reminded the Commission that a review scope into IT and Digital transformation capacity had been agreed at the previous meeting. Councillors Law, Brooks and Tom Marino would be involved in this work when scheduled.

Councillor Garth Simpson expressed the view that big national projects such as electrification should not fall under the remit of the Commission which should focus on the Council and its immediate partners.

Councillor Law concluded that he would liaise with officers to produce a work programme including timescales to send out to Members for comment. There would be flexibility to add topics which arose throughout the year. He agreed that he would like the Commission to be better resourced and noted that 0.5fte was an improvement.

Resolved that the changes to the work programme be noted.