What is Overview and Scrutiny?
Overview and Scrutiny plays an important role in the council decision making process.
Overview and Scrutiny (see 'A Guide to Overview and Scrutiny') panels review decisions made by the Executive (members of the council's cabinet) and make recommendations to ensure that the people of North Lincolnshire get the best out of their public services. Overview and Scrutiny panels also play an important role in helping to develop council policies for the benefit of local people.
Scrutiny Panel meetings will normally focus on one or a combination of the following overview and scrutiny functions:
- Policy review and development
- Overview of policy, procedure and performance
- Added items
- Performance monitoring and assessment
- Improvement and action plan monitoring
- Health scrutiny functions
- Joint scrutiny with other partners
- Councillor call for action
- Crime and disorder committee issues
- Flood management responsibilities
- Call-ins (see 'A Guide to Overview and Scrutiny').
Each panel sets its own work programme. Scrutiny reviews usually involve:
On occasions it may be necessary or desirable to include a mix of these overview and scrutiny functions on the agenda for a single meeting, especially if two or more topics are being scrutinised concurrently.
The panels mainly look at services provided by the council but can also look at wider issues involving partners or agencies, for example health trusts and organisations, Police, Fire and the voluntary sector.
The council has appointed three scrutiny panels (see 'A Guide to Overview and Scrutiny'). Each panel comprises of seven members, and this is politically proportionate of the council's composition.
North Lincolnshire Council's Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report sets out the work of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Panels carried out in 2010/2011.
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All councillors, except members of the Executive, may be members of a scrutiny panel. However, no member may be involved in scrutinising a decision of another of the council's other committees or sub committees of which they are also a member. (This does not include scrutiny panel members who may also be 'lead members', unless they have a clear personal and prejudicial interest, which should be declared in any case).
The scrutiny panels have scheduled meetings every four weeks, (but do meet more often). The may also establish sub-groups. Meetings may involve:
- Questioning 'witnesses' or experts (see Witness Guide of 'A Guide to Overview and Scrutiny')
- Literature reviews
- Site visits
- Consultation exercises
- Written submissions from professionals, businesses and community groups.
Scrutiny panels then consider their findings and all the evidence they have collected before making recommendations to the executive on how services could be improved or developed to best meet the needs of the residents and businesses of North Lincolnshire.
A scrutiny panel's findings and recommendations are published in reports, which are debated and endorsed by the council's Executive/Cabinet. Action plans are approved for implementation of recommendations.
View the library of reports for the period 2000 to 2010 that have been produced by the council's Overview and Scrutiny Panels Scrutiny reports.
You can contribute to Overview and Scrutiny in a number of ways. For more information see How can I get involved in scrutiny and community involvement?
More information