Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Programme Director.

The Committee considered a report by the Programme Director on the Implementation Plan for Dorset Council, which included the scope, objectives, planning process, governance, leadership, organisation, risks and resources of Local Government Reorganisation.  The report built upon the Implementation Plan agreed by the Shadow Dorset Council at its first meeting held on 7 June 2018.

Members discussed the review of Task and Finish Groups, which was currently being undertaken by the Interim Head of Paid Service, to remodel each into ongoing working groups with mergers of some responsibilities and closure of others.  It was agreed that delegated authority should be given to the Leader and Deputy Leader to approve the review and for it to be shared and executed as soon as possible.  It was noted that members of former groups where workloads had been merged would have the opportunity to contribute to the work of the new group undertaking that role, such as the Governance Task and Finish Group considering Area Based Decision Making arrangements.  Officers were asked to identify single officer points of contact for workstream activity at the earliest opportunity.  All members of Task and Finish Groups that had met and closed, or had been subsumed as part of the review, were thanked for their work and input to date.

A suggestion was made that the date for the second gateway review in February 2019 was very late and that this should be brought forward to at least mid-late January 2019 to enable more time to resolve any significant issues raised as part of the review.  The suggestion was noted by officers and it was also clarified that assistance in the gateway reviews would be provided by South West Audit Partnership and also through a transformation consultancy.

Decisions

1. That the Plan be adopted and further iterations and updates on progress against the plan will be brought forward and overseen through the Shadow Executive Committee arrangements with updates to the November 2018, January and March 2019 meetings.

2. That the scope statements contained within this document which clarify the current specifics of delivery for vesting day be agreed.

3. That the reporting formats set out in section 15 of the Programme Director’s report be agreed.

4. That the Leader and Deputy Leader be granted delegated authority to agree the Review of Task and Finish Groups report by the Interim Head of Paid Service, to be shared with members and executed as soon as possible.