Scrutiny Panel
Scheme of Delegation
This review took place between January 2003 and May 2003 and was carried out by 5 Members and 2 external representatives.
The Scrutiny Panel reviewed how well our Scheme of Delegation was working. The Scheme sets out our functions and who is responsible for making decisions on them (decisions are either taken by the Assembly, by 'committees' such as the Executive, or by Officers). As part of the review:
- A number of Members and officers were interviewed by the Panel to discuss the working of the Scheme
- Lists of officers authorised to take decisions in each department/division were presented together with details of monitoring and audit trails
- Independent advice was sought from officers from the London Borough of Southwark
The Panel concluded that overall the Scheme works well. However, a number of issues were highlighted, particularly:
- The need to ensure standardisation (as far as practical) of the audit trails/monitoring processes held in each Department
- The lack of communication with Members, particularly in relation to issues/decisions taken by officers that affect Members' role as ward representatives
- Concern about a lack of general involvement by Members in certain areas of decision-making
- A need for greater training of officers on political awareness and conflict management
To address these issues, the Panel looked at ways of improving communications with Members, particularly in relation to ward issues.
It also reviewed the levels of officer delegation in relation to planning decisions, to address new government targets aimed at achieving more effective and efficient arrangements for dealing with planning applications.
Scheme of Delegation Scrutiny Report 
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