Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0     Relevant Background Information

 

1.1        As Members will recall, on 31st March, 2008 the Environment Minister, Arlene Foster MLA made a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on the final recommendations of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) and the future shape of Local Government within Northern Ireland. In her speech, the Minister stated that the current 26 District Councils would be reduced to 11 and a range of additional functions would transfer to Councils.

 

2.0         Key Issues

 

2.1         Members will accept that we are rapidly approaching a critical stage in the RPA process and in defining the future shape and role of local government in Northern Ireland. There are a number of issues which need to be considered in moving the RPA process forward.

 

2.2         Critical Path

 

2.2.1      It is important to recognise that the key driver over the next 6 months will be the need to meet the necessary legislative timetable.  The critical path works back from the Local Government Bill which will give affect to the new local government structures.  The key milestones in the RPA process are outlined below:

 

·         Boundaries Commissioner appointment released - April 2008

 

·         Boundaries Commissioner appointed - July 2008

 

·         Establishment of Transitional Committees – July 2008

 

·         Instructions to legislative Counsel – August 2008

 

·         Report of Boundaries Commissioner - June 2009

 

·         Local Government Miscellaneous Bill – Mid 2009

 

·         Report of District Electoral Area Commissioner - July 2010

 

·         Local Government Legislative Bill in place - January 2011

 

·         Local Government Elections - May 2011

 

2.2.2      DoE has indicated that there is an immediate requirement for policy development in the areas of governance, community planning, central/local government relations, HR and estates as instructions to Legislative Counsel are required by August 2008.

 

2.3         Delivery Structures

 

2.3.1      In terms of delivery structures, Members will be aware that it is intended that a two-tier model will be developed consisting of a Strategic Leadership Board and three Policy Development Panels.  It is proposed that the Strategic Leadership Board should fulfil the role of Council providing overall direction to the process and the Policy Development Panels should fulfil the role of Council Committees.  A series of task and finish working groups will be established principally comprising of officers from both central and local government. The working groups would be tasked with undertaking the detailed work programmes and reporting back to the Strategic Leadership Board and Policy Development Panels (PDP).

 

2.3.2      Members will accept that the current level of capacity within the Local Government sector to engage appropriately within these structures is limited.  Therefore, there is an opportunity for the Council, if deemed appropriate, to nominate relevant officers onto the respective work streams of the PDPs.  Initial officer suggestions are outlined in Appendix 2 and are based on the Council’s engagement in the original RPA Working Groups.

 

2.3.3     In terms of making political nominations to the PDPs, it is intended that the NILGA nominating officers, through discussions within their respective Party Groups, will lead this process. Accordingly, each Party Group leader within the Council has been encouraged to engage at a Party Group level to ensure adequate consideration is given to Belfast Elected Members within the nomination process for the PDPs.

 

2.3.4      Members will note that, at best, the Council may secure one officer place on each of the PDPs and, therefore, it is intended that appropriate internal support mechanisms would be put in place to ensure emerging issues are given due consideration and a corporate position articulated.

 

2.3.5      Consideration needs to be given to the resource and capacity implications of the Councils participation on the SLB and PDPs given that business as usual and other internal reforms must be delivered.

 

2.4         Belfast as the Continuing Authority

 

2.4.1      Members will accept that the circumstances for the Council are unique given the position of Belfast City Council as one of the only local government bodies that will provide a degree of continuity throughout the change process.

 

2.4.2      In terms of transitional arrangements, Belfast is somewhat ahead of the game given the fact that it will not need to give significant consideration to the amalgamation of the Council with other surrounding local authorities, but rather can focus its consideration and efforts on how the transferring functions are to be integrated within the Council and the impact this would have on organisational structures, systems and processes.

 

2.4.3      In this regard, it would be appropriate to focus potential testing of transferring functions or initiating pilots on Belfast as the closest representative example of the form of local authority structure that will exist, post RPA, under the 11 Council model.

 

2.4.4      This would also provide the Council with a strong platform to take forward accelerated work around local government modernisation and make bids for associated modernisation funding.  This work would need to be considered within the context and align with the Council’s own ongoing modernisation work.

 

2.4.5      The commencement of pilot initiatives and the development of necessary policy frameworks would form the logical preparatory stages of any transitional or shadow process associated with the full transfer of functions. It would also provide the opportunity to strengthen institutional and working relationships with transferring departments in the immediate future.

 

2.4.6      The Environment Minister, Margaret Ritchie MLA, has indicated her willingness to investigate trial-blazing pilots with Belfast around the transfer of Urban Regeneration functions.  Consideration should be given to the possible extension of such pilots to give expression to the wider community planning agenda and addressing the quality of life issues which affect our city and its people.

 

2.4.7     This approach would have to be predicated on more detailed consideration of the potential structures and processes necessary for the assimilation of the new functions into the current Council organisation.

 

2.4.8      The Council, at both political and senior officer level, need now to start thinking strategically of how the Council could take full advantage of and engage with the RPA and local government modernisation processes and how the transferring functions will be incorporated within and managed by the Council.

 

2.4.9      There is a compelling need for political engagement between the Council and the Ministers responsible for transferring functions.  It is therefore suggested that once the Council’s Corporate Plan is agreed, the Chair of Strategic Policy and Resources should request meetings with relevant Ministers for a cross party delegation comprising the Committee Chair and a representative from the Alliance and PUP to discuss alignment of the Council’s Corporate Plan with the Departmental Plans of relevant Ministers.

 

2.5         Potential Impact on Organisational Structure

 

2.5.1      The RPA as outlined in the statement by the Minister in March 2008 will involve a different set of relationships and functional responsibilities for local government in Northern Ireland.

 

2.5.2      The approach to these changed relationships and potential operations will be critical in shaping a new structure for local government that has both the ability and powers to deliver the enhanced responsibilities envisaged under the RPA.

 

2.5.3      If the Council is to demonstrate that it is an organisation ‘fit to lead and serve’; it needs to get its own house in order and clearly define its desired outcomes from the RPA. Greater clarity and understanding is required to enable the Council to move forward and pursue an approach that seeks to integrate transferring functions in a manner that supports the development of broader Council agendas around community planning and area based regeneration.

 

2.5.4      Consideration must be given to the necessary changes to the existing Council structures and processes to ensure that the transition and integration of new functions is managed and the implications and opportunities arising from the published RPA proposals align with the emerging corporate priorities.

 

2.5.5      There is a clear need for the Council to progress the internal consideration and processes that will prepare the organisation and lay the foundations for increasing engagement and integration of transferring functions (e.g. Planning, Urban Regeneration, Community Planning), in advance of statutory transfer. It is essential to develop an approach to the assimilation of the functions that presents a coordinated engagement, consistency and relates to an overall vision or objective for the Council.  In so doing, the Council could call for a more meaningful and accelerated process for the transfer of functions.

 

2.5.6      In preparing for the statutory transfer of functions, it is equally important that a corporate approach be taken to engaging with transferring Departments.

 

2.6         Change Strategy & Readiness

 

2.6.1      Rather than seeing all the different strands of the RPA as separate and competing elements, a corporate approach will be taken to bring all the pieces of the jigsaw together. Discussions on corporate priorities will provide a basis for deciding how the change process is managed through the implementation of a comprehensive change management plan and, importantly, how the new functions are to be integrated into the Council’s structures.

 

2.7         Programme Management

 

2.7.1      Members will note that work is already underway within the Council to develop an effective Programme Management model that aligns with the new approach to corporate planning and performance management.

 

2.7.2      Members will note further that early discussion with the DoE RPA programme management team has revealed alignment in the approaches being taken by both the DoE and Council. This will be further developed by the Council’s Strategic Programme Manager in liaison with Chief Officers and elected Members.

 

2.7.3      At this stage, early recommendations would be that an interim internal programme management board (as part of the development of a wider programme management framework) to be established, chaired by a Chief Officer, to oversee the RPA programme of work.  This group should be supported, as necessary, by working groups and/or technical advisors, for different strands of activity.

 

2.7.4     A critical element in relation to the effective implementation of the RPA is ensuring that appropriate structures are in place to secure the necessary political engagement and ownership of the RPA change process.

 

2.7.5      It will be important that the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is kept updated and have ownership of the change process given their responsibility for the integration of strategic planning within the organisation and for the allocation of resources in the form of finance, people and assets.

 

2.7.6      Members will also be aware that there is a RPA Members Working Group which would be another important mechanism for discussing emerging issues and testing possible solutions in advance of detailed consideration by the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

 

2.8         Capacity and Resources

 

2.8.1      Inevitably, the level of RPA related activity will grow in intensity and scope throughout the transitional period and its management and delivery must be adequately resourced and co-ordinated. A balance must be maintained between ensuring the effective management of the change process and delivering business as usual.

 

2.8.2      It is important to recognise that delivering the Council’s new Corporate Plan, refocusing service delivery on a thematic and area basis and delivering major projects is highly resource intensive. This may be further exacerbated and become increasingly difficult to deliver as the RPA process begins to take pace. The current capacity within the Council is overstretched and needs to be reviewed inline with the Council’s Corporate Risk Registrar.

 

2.8.3      Therefore, it is recommended that consideration be given to the establishment of a call-of list of consultants and interim project managers to assist with the delivery of RPA related projects or alternatively to support the implementation of existing projects and thus releasing Council officer capacity to focus on the RPA.

 

2.8.4      It is important that the level of resources allocated to managing the RPA change process is appropriate to the task. Therefore, Members are asked to consider the establishment of a RPA transition fund, the financing of which would be through the realignment of internal resources. setting the value of such a fund and agreeing on how it would be financed.  It is recommended further that the Council’s Director of Finance would work up detailed proposals on the realisation of such a fund which would be brought back to Committee in June for consideration along with a detailed programme of work (as referred to below).

 

2.9         RPA implementation programme

 

2.9.1      Members will recall that the Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 18th April, had agreed to fund the commission of an independent scoping paper which sets out the key implementation issues for Belfast regarding the Review of Public Administration.  This paper should set out a high-level route map, process and programme of activity on how such issues could be progressed.  The purpose of such a report will be to act as an Influencing Document which will form the basis of the Council’s political discussions with Ministers.

 

2.9.2      It is intended that this initial scoping paper would be brought to Committee in June and form the basis of discussions and engagement with relevant Ministers and transferring function Departments.

 

3.0         Resource Implications

 

              Whilst there is clearly substantial Human Resource and financial implications attached the Council’s ongoing involvement and management of the RPA change process, it will be difficult to quantify until a detailed programme of work is put in place.

 

4.0        Recommendations

 

            Members are asked to:

 

a)   note the establishment of an interim programme management board to manage RPA transition;

 

b)   agree in principle to the establishment of an RPA Transitional Fund subject to further details being brought back to Committee in June;

 

c)   consider the establishment of a interim fixed-term call-of list of possible consultancy support and interim project managers to assist, if required, with the delivery of RPA related projects or alternatively to support the implementation of existing projects and thus releasing Council officer capacity to focus on the RPA; and

 

d)   agree that the Chair of Strategic Policy and Resources and an all party delegation of Councillors seek a series of meetings with relevant Ministers,  DSD, DOE, DCAL, DRD, DHSS to discuss transitional work to support RPA implementation and alignment between the Council’s Corporate Plan and Departmental Plans.”

 

            The Committee adopted recommendations (a), (b) and (d) and agreed to the establishment of an interim fixed-term call-off list of possible consultancy support for the purposes as set out in the report.