Agenda and minutes

            The Chairman welcomed the Members to the first meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee following the Local Government Elections held in May.

            The minutes of the meeting of 15th April were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 3rd May, subject to:

(i)      the omission of the minute under the heading “Recruitment of Head of Information Services Belfast” which, at the request of Alderman Browne, had been taken back to the Committee for further consideration; and

(ii)     the omission of that portion of the minute under the heading “Recruitment of the Post of Director of Finance and Resources” in so far as it related to the appointment of the selection panel which the Council had agreed be deferred until after the Local Government Elections.

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“Background information

      The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Council and its corporate priorities through the development of the corporate plan.  The Committee is also responsible for allocating resources to ensure that corporate priorities as agreed in the corporate plan are implemented.

      At the meeting, Members will receive a presentation from officers which is intended to inform Members about work underway to support the Committee in fulfilling this role and to allow Members to begin to consider the ways in which they wish to shape the future direction of the Council and the city. This paper is intended to act as context to the presentation and to highlight some of the key processes which exist to help the Committee get things done.

The Corporate Plan

      The Council is the largest local authority in Northern Ireland, employing over 2300 people with an annual expenditure of around £168 million.  It has 6 operational departments delivering a wide range of services from street cleansing and refuse collection to running the city’s parks and leisure facilities.  It has a wide regulatory role, involving services such as environmental health and building control and works in partnership with other organisations to tackle issues such as community safety and health improvement.  The Council plays an important role in supporting local economic growth, the arts and tourism and promoting the development and regeneration of the city.  It is consulted on key issues impacting upon the city and its people and communities, including local area planning.

      In short, the Council is a large and diverse organisation which plays an important role in shaping, developing and investing in the city and local areas.  A key role of the SP&R Committee is to provide overall direction to this work, to make sure that the resources are available to deliver it and to hold officers to account for making it happen.  The corporate plan and processes linked to it, including the setting of budgets and the development of the capital programme help the Committee to fulfil this role.

The Corporate Plan – current status

      The corporate plan, helps Members get things done by setting out:

·         The Council’s vision for the city and its priorities – based upon engagement with local people and analysis of data about the city;

·         The key actions that will implemented in the year ahead;

·         Performance indicators, allowing for regular review of progress;

·         Financial information, setting out how resources have been allocated across the Council to ensure that things get done.

      The Council’s previous corporate plan covered the period 2008 – 2011.  A key task for the coming year will be for officers to work with the Committee to agree the Council’s priorities and plans and how resources will be allocated to these for the remainder of the Council term. A detailed project plan, outlining a timetable and process for developing the new plan will be brought  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

            The Committee was reminded that, in 2002, the Northern Ireland Executive had initiated the Review of Public Administration, with the aim of modernising how Public Services were provided in Northern Ireland.  As part of that Review, the Executive had, in 2008,  taken a decision to reduce the number of Councils from twenty-six to eleven new larger Councils and to transfer a number of new functions from Central Government departments to Local Government.  Under the Review of Public Administration proposals and, as a result of the recommendations which had been put forward by the Independent Local Government Boundary Commissioner, Mr. Dick McKenzie, it had been proposed that the new Belfast City Council boundary incorporate a small part of the adjacent Lisburn and Castlereagh areas, resulting in the City’s population increasing from 268,000 to over 300,000. 

            The Chief Executive explained that, whilst the initial timetable for the Review had sought to have the new eleven Councils in place and operational as from the May, 2011 elections, discussions on how the Review of Public Administration Local Government Reform would be progressed had concluded on Monday, 14th June, 2010, with the Northern Ireland Executive not having reached agreement on the way forward.  It was understood that there had been no agreement or decisions taken on important implementation issues such as:

·         the new Local Government boundaries;

·         how the Reform Programme would be funded; and

·         the implementation timetable for reform.

            He pointed out that, subsequently, the May, 2011 Local Government Elections had proceeded on the basis of the current twenty-six Councils and not the eleven Councils as recommended under the Review.  In short, the Review of Public Administration had been placed in abeyance awaiting the formation of the new Northern Ireland Executive.

            The Chief Executive explained that, despite the ongoing uncertainty and stop-start nature experienced with the Review of Public Administration, the Council had proactively engaged in the process at both Elected Member and senior officer level.  The Council had been represented on the regionally established Review of Public Administration Policy Development and Implementation Structures and the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had been designated as the Belfast Review of Public Administration Voluntary Transition Committee and had been given the responsibility for overseeing, co-ordinating and managing the Council’s own preparations for the Review of Public Administration. 

            He indicated that it was now understood that the new Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, was seeking to submit for the consideration of the Northern Ireland Executive in June, 2011, a paper which set out recommendations on the proposed way forward for the Review of Public Administration process.  Based on discussions with officials from the Department of the Environment, it was understood also that the proposals would include a 2015 timeline for the formal establishment of the new eleven Councils and the transfer of functions from Central to Local Government, with a shadow Council period being introduced from 2014.  A detailed report in this regard would be submitted for the consideration of the Committee when further clarity had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members may recall that, in adopting the Council’s Governance Arrangements in 2007, it was acknowledged that the Standing Committees would wish to appoint short-term Working Groups to focus on issues of particular relevance.  In addition, the Council had agreed previously to adopt the following principles in appointing Working Groups:

·        Working Groups should be established only if they are considered to be essential for the achievement of effective and efficient decision?making;

·        such Working Groups should be appointed only for a fixed-term and for a specific purpose;

·        the Groups would not have decision-making powers but rather would produce a report with recommendations for consideration by the appointing Committee;

·        after the Working Group has fulfilled its remit it would cease to exist; and

·        Working Groups should be formed on the basis of All-Party representation with nominees sought from the leaders of the Political Parties.

Key Issues

      The range of Working Groups, which had been in established during the previous Council term, ceased to exist on 5th May, coinciding with the Local Government Elections. Therefore, it is now a matter for the Committee to consider whether it wishes to reconstitute the following groups whose remit falls under the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee:

1.   Accommodation Steering Group

      Established by Policy and Resources Committee on 19th January, 2007, this Group’s original remit was to oversee the arrangements for the refurbishment of the City Hall. Since the completion of the work to the City Hall, meetings of this Group have been called periodically by the Director of Property and Projects to address staff and Political Party accommodation issues.  In particular the Group’s remit is as follows: 

·         to consider and advise upon future occupancy and accommodation requirements at the City Hall / Cecil Ward Building / Adelaide Exchange, together with outlying Council properties, and, in the case of the City Hall, in regard to public access and facilities; and

·         to act as a communication channel to Political Parties and Members in general and ensure that issues regarding accommodation issues are fully understood.

      Previous Membership

      One representative from each Political Party.

      Anticipated Life Span

      Should this Group be reconstituted, it will meet on an ad hoc basis under the guidance of the Director of Property and Projects.

2.   Audit Panel

      The purpose of Audit Panel, which was established by the Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 20th April, 2007, is to provide impartial assurance on the adequacy of the Council’s risk management framework and associated control environment. It meets on a quarterly basis and provides independent scrutiny for the Council’s financial and non-financial performance and highlights areas of concern which exposes the Council to risk and weakens the control environment. The Panel also oversees the Council’s annual financial accounting process.

      Previous Membership

      One representative from each Political Party Grouping together with an external member appointed by the Council.

      Anticipated Life Span

      It is anticipated that this Panel, if reconstituted, will meet on a quarterly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            The Committee considered a report in relation to the distribution of the Special Responsibility Allowance and it was

            Moved by Alderman Browne,

            Seconded by Alderman Crozier,

      That consideration of the matter be deferred to enable a further report on revised figures to be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled to be held on 17th June.

            On a vote by show of hands thirteen Members voted for the proposal and six against and it was accordingly declared carried.

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a report in relation to the allowances for the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and the High Sheriff to enable the matter to be considered in the first instance by the Budget and Transformation Panel, with a further report thereon being submitted to the Committee at its meeting on 17th June.

            The Committee was advised that the Department for Regional Development had published a revised Regional Transportation Strategy which set out a range of high level aims and strategic objectives mapping out the future direction for transportation in Northern Ireland beyond 2015, when the current transport plans would expire.

            The Committee was advised that the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, in conjunction with the Department for Regional Development, was holding a consultation event specifically for Councillors and officers on Wednesday, 15th June, 2011, in order to examine the proposals included in the revised Strategy.  The event, which was at no cost to the Council, would be held in the Glenavon House Hotel, Cookstown, commencing at 9.30 a.m. and finishing at 1.00 p.m.

            The Committee authorised the attendance at the consultation event of any Member who so wished.

            (Ms. J. Minne, Head of Human Resources, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Purpose of report

      To constitute the selection panel for the recruitment of the Director of Finance and Resources.

Relevant Background Information

      The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee gave approval to recruit the post of Director of Finance and Resources on 18th March, 2011.  At that meeting, the selection panel was given delegated authority to offer the post to the recommended candidate, with the outcome being reported back to Council on 4th July, 2011.  Given that elections have taken place since then, there is a need to agree the elected members from Strategic Policy and Resources Committee who will constitute the selection panel for this recruitment exercise.

Key Issues

      All recruitment in local government is regulated by the Local Government Staff Commission’s (LGSC) Code of Procedures on Recruitment and Selection.  As agreed with the LGSC, the constitution of selection panels for director level posts in Belfast City Council should comprise the Chair and Deputy Chair of the controlling committee (or their nominees), another elected member from a political party not represented by the chair or deputy chair,

the Chief Executive and a chief officer.  Given the nature and significance of this post the LGSC has agreed that up to two elected members in addition to the chair and deputy chair may sit

on this selection panel.  Committee are asked to decide whether they wish to nominate one or two additional Members for the Panel.  An observer from the LGSC and a professional assessor may also be in attendance but with no voting rights.  All panel members need to be trained in ensuring equality of opportunity with the recruitment and selection process and the entire panel should be balanced in terms of gender and community background. 

      The post of Director of Finance and Resources was advertised on 5th and 6th May, 2011 with twenty-three applications received by the closing date of 25th May, 2011.

      The advertised schedule of dates for this recruitment campaign are as follows:

(i)      Selection panel short-list meeting on Monday, 6th June, 2011 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (to determine which candidates to attend preliminary interviews);

(ii)     Preliminary interviews held by Executive Search Consultants on Wednesday, 8th, Thursday 9th and Friday, 10th June, 2011;

(iii)    Selection panel meet to review the outcome of the preliminary interviews on Tuesday, 14th June, 2011 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. (to determine which candidates should be invited to assessment centre);

(iv)   Short-listed candidates attend an assessment centre on Tuesday, 21st June, 2011;

(v)    Members’ briefing meeting on Wednesday, 22nd June, 2011 from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. (to agree outcome of assessment centre and agree which candidates are invited to interview); and

(vi)   Selection panel interviews to be held on Thursday, 30th June, 2011 from 9 a.m. (times to be confirmed).

Recommendations

      Members are asked to:

1.      agree the elected members’ nominees to comprise the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.