Scrutiny

products

Scrutiny

Responsibilities	Indicators of Effective Practice
Read papers and prepare for formal and informal meetings	Summarises and identifies the key issues in council papers, committee papers, board papers etc. easily and accurately Identifies key issues from reading statistical information in performance reports Understands financial information and in particular, the reasons behind any budget variances
Critically evaluate arguments rather than taking them at face value	Looks at the strengths and weaknesses of arguments that are presented by others and to challenge them where appropriate Delves beneath the surface of an issue or an argument
Ensure decisions of the council have been implemented and are contributing positively to outcomes	Checks that business case plans being delivered as scheduled and are aligned to key strategic plans and outcomes Checks infrastructure projects being delivered as scheduled and are aligned to key strategic plans and outcomes Checks change projects being delivered as scheduled and are aligned to key strategic plans and outcomes Ensures implementation of decisions is in line with agreed policy
Ask constructive questions about council and public service partners' policies and service delivery	Asks effective questions that aid learning and understanding about the topic at hand (If you don’t understand an answer, ask for clarification) Uses the appropriate tone that doesn’t evoke a defensive reaction
Encourage and support honest self-assessment and learning that drives improvement in the council	Ensures that a comprehensive approach to performance management and self-evaluation is being implemented consistently across the council Monitors improvement plans arising from self-evaluation exercises to track progress Supports services to be honest and critical about their performance during a self-assessment exercise

Assessment

What are your strengths in relation to scrutiny?
What could you develop to improve your effectiveness?
What evidence do you have that supports your answers?

Now you have identified your strengths and development needs in relation to your scrutiny role, think about your interpersonal skills. These are the skills which will underpin your ability to carry out the roles of an elected member effectively.

While the skills identified on the handout are not exhaustive, you may have identified your own, these interpersonal skills and their aligned indicators are there to help you consider whether you need to undertake development activities to enhance key interpersonal skills to be more effective in carrying out a role or responsibilities.

Download the assessment question document.