LGA releases guidance on how councillors can bolster assurance and corporate governance

According to the LGA, using the framework, titled 'Councillor's guide: Improvement and assurance framework for local government', could reduce the risk and costs of statutory or non-statutory intervention.

"Not all of the components of the system are currently working as well as they should," the document warned.

"In the context of the continuing crisis in local audit, it is more important than ever that councils should undertake their own assurance activities effectively."

The LGA said the framework, which is applicable to unitary, county, district and borough councils in England, focuses on corporate areas and overarching governance rather than including every service-specific source of assurance.

The guidance details what councillors should expect of officers, briefly touching on the 'golden triangle', made up of the monitoring officer, chief executive officer, and chief finance officer.

It also describes the role of members in overseeing effective governance and accountability in relation to the powers and responsibilities of the audit committee, scrutiny committee, cabinet and full council.

Elsewhere, the guidance breaks down how other organisations, such as ombudsmen, regulators, central government and the judicial system, can hold authorities to account.

It also lists the following 'key principles of good assurance and accountability':

1. Clarity: understand who is accountable for what.
2. Proportionality: assurance activity must add value, be cost-effective and be proportionate to the level of risk.
3. A whole-council approach: All members have a responsibility to oversee effective governance, and all officers have a duty to comply with good governance and provide information to demonstrate that compliance.
4. A culture of assurance and accountability, with a low tolerance for poor governance/ performance: 'The culture of any organisation is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate' (School culture rewired, Gruenert and Whitaker).
5. Monitoring against standards, benchmarks and local targets: some elements of what good performance looks like change over time: understanding how the authority performs in terms of value for money should be a constant endeavour.
6. Credible, quality data and information: elected members and the public can only be assured where they are confident in the quality of the information on which assurance judgements are based.
7. Transparency, accessibility and intelligibility of information: a commitment to transparency is a fundamental element of good governance.
8. Seeking and engaging with external challenge and support: there are multiple opportunities for peer challenge and support at (sub)regional and national levels, for individual services and at a corporate level.
9. Independent assurance: assurance should be proactively sought from a variety of sources.

The full document can be read here.

Adam Carey