Consultation strategy

Report: 7
Date: 19th December 2000
By: Clerk

Summary

This report asks the CDO to consider the report on the best value review of consultation recently deferred by the full Authority meeting.

A. Supporting information

1. At the full Authority meeting held on 14 December, it was agreed that consideration of the report on the best value review of consultation should be deferred. The report covered a number of complex issues and, with the late arrival of papers, some members would not have had the opportunity to prepare themselves for a full and proper consideration of the issues. It was agreed that the papers, which update previous reports to the CDO committee, should be submitted to that committee for detailed consideration. The deferred full Authority report, which all members will already have received, see Appendix 1 to this report.

2. Members are asked to consider the recommendations within the deferred report.

3. Members will also wish to consider how they might best bring fellow members, who have not so far been engaged in the details of the best value review of consultation, up to speed before recommendations for taking forward the proposed consultation strategy are taken back to the full Authority. As stated, the proposals cover a range of complex issues, on which many different opinions have been expressed. These need to be understood both in terms of their strategic context and the practical implications of implementing change. It is recommended that a member workshop be held during January to establish a good understanding of the proposed strategy and to address all the key concerns that have been raised by stakeholders before taking the proposals back to the Authority meeting in February.

4. A lot of understandable concern has been expressed about how the consultation strategy proposals might affect administrators already employed to support PCCGs (and other related community activities). Administrators were invited to a meeting with members and the project team to be held on Monday 18th December. This has been postponed whilst members take time to reach decisions regarding the adoption and implementation of the consultation strategy. If and when the consultation strategy is approved, we will ensure that the administrators have the opportunity to receive a full briefing on the strategy; to engage in discussion with members and the project team; and to consider related issues well in advance of any changes that might affect them.

B. Recommendations

It is recommended that:

1. members consider the recommendations in the deferred full Authority report on the best value review of consultation and decide whether or not to agree these in principle;
2. members agree to a workshop on the consultation strategy being held in January for non-CDO members;
3. a briefing and full discussion of proposals is arranged with existing administrators, if and when the strategy proposals have been confirmed.

C. Financial implications

See deferred full Authority paper attached as an Appendix.

D. Review arrangements

See deferred full Authority paper attached as an Appendix.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Ian Gaskell.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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