|
What is the purpose of the Committe?
To investigate and advise the Planning Officers Society on issues relating to management, education training and the delivery of planning services.
What does it do?
To anticipate, influence and monitor key issues relating to the responsibilities set out below and to feed into published or draft relevant policy or guidance by Government, the Local Government Association or others, either directly through delegated action or through recommendations to the Society by:-
- Reviewing and researching emerging issues and developing an understanding of them amongst members
- Collecting, co-ordinating and then disseminating best practice, including the production of best practice guidance where appropriate
- Liaising with relevant bodies in order to share views and influence national legislation, regulations and guidance
- Commenting on draft regulations guidance or other documents from Government, the Local Government Association or other bodies
The Committe is responsible to the Society for advice on:
- Management and business practice issues including
- Best Value
- Management systems and processes
- Service and business planning
- Project, contract and financial management
- Management and financial information systems
- Performance indicators
- Competition, benchmarking, market-testing
- Departmental/Directorate structures
- Staff/people issues including
- Investors in People
- Management training
- Performance management, upward feedback, appraisal
- Staff development and training
- Liaison on professional matters, including education, and continuing professional development
- Customer, external relations and quality issues including
- Customer care, satisfaction and feedback
- Quality assurance/management and quality models
- Marketing of services
- Media relations
- Accessibility to services
- Complaints/Ombudsman and probity issues
- Partnership working, empowerment and team working
Who are the members of the Committe?
Membership of the Committe should be open to all interested members of the Society and the Committe will be free to co-opt non-members of Society with specific expertise.
The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Hon Secretary shall be nominated and appointed annually. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman should have Chief Officer status or equivalent and be responsible for reporting to the Society on issues of relevance and accountable for the effective working of the Topic Group.
When does it meet?
The Committe meets at least three times a year at a venue to be agreed, and a timetable of meetings shall be prepared for each Society year as part of the Business Plan.
What are its key priorities?
General
- Develop and implement effective methods of sharing information and promoting good practice amongst members.
- Establish and maintain good working relationships with relevant contacts in other bodies.
Best Value
- Collect, co-ordinate, disseminate and promote best practice in best value, benchmarking, and quality management in relation to planning and related issues.
- Develop, promote and subsequently help introduce improved performance indicators for the planning service.
- Develop improved methods of enabling reliable cost comparisons and accurate assessment of costs to be produced.
Education
- Comment on, investigate, and promote career development initiatives for all planning staff, maintaining good contact with the RTPI and planning schools.
- Support or promote development of a new NVQ for planning support staff.
Probity
- Influence, respond to and then help implement proposals emerging from the Government concerning standards of conduct in the Local Government Planning service.
What are its immediate objectives?
General
- Establish relevant contact names in the following organisations and arrange regular meetings or other methods of liaison with each to promote the above key priorities:
- Local Government Association
- Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
- Royal Town Planning Institute
- Audit Commission
- Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDEA)
- CSS
- Technical Advisers Group
- CIPFA
- Scottish Planning Officers' Society
- Welsh Planning Officers' Society
- Prepare and organise a programme of relevant speakers, including presentations on best practice, for each meeting of the Topic Group.
- Develop any other suggestions to make meetings more attractive to Members in order to increase attendance and widen participation
- Identify examples of good practice to cascade to the wider POS membership through the Regional/County system.
- Significantly increase the extent to which E-mail/the Internet is used to disseminate information to members.
Best Value
- Promote the use of 'A Guide to Best Value in Planning' in order to ensure consistency in approach and methodology and update the guide as necessary.
- Encourage the joining/establishment of benchmarking networks, including making members aware of information sources on benchmarking.
- Maintain an overview of the operation of the new National Performance Indicators for planning and advise POS Members on issues relating to interpretation and monitoring systems.
- Develop a menu of local PI's from which authorities can select for comparison purposes, publish the new local PI's and encourage all planning authorities to use them as part of Best Value reviews.
- Develop the advice given in the Guide on competition/procurement and assist P.O.S. members as appropriate.
- Collate and disseminate the lessons from Best Value reviews undertaken so far around the country.
Education
- Participate in the Planning Discipline Network
- Explore how to engage more closely with local academic institutions in the planning field, especially with a view to assisting in improving the quality of intake to planning courses.
- Establish closer links with the RTPI on educational issues, such as assistance with the process of vetting planning courses.
- Establish/participate in a working party to develop commercial, urban design and other skills required to deliver the Urban Renaissance as outlined in the Rogers report.
Probity
- Respond, after extensive consultation with Members, to emerging Government and Audit Commission proposals within the timescale set.
- Collate and disseminate best practice on Codes of Conduct, Member training and other related issues.
Other
- Analyse from the POS survey any changes in departmental/directorate organisational structures with a particular view to identifying any fragmentation of the planning service.
- Develop a research project relating to cost issues to inform the EPCS bid process and/or to support changes to the planning charges system
Business Plan 2007/08
Contacts
Steve Oxenham - Interim Chairman steve.oxenham@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Dave Ayre - Secretary d.n.ayre@dorset-cc.gov.uk |
