Council Reform

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Council Reform damp squib or new dawn?
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• NILGA TODAY AND TOMORROW
• 1. Vision for Local Government
• 2. Sustainability of Local Government
• 3. Development of elected members in Local
  Government
• 4. Lobbying for Local Government
• 5. Communicating on behalf of and within Local
  Government
• 6. Improvement and representation of Local
  Government
• 7. Collective development and capacity building
  for Local Government
• 8. Working with members and councils to determine
  a Programme for LOCAL Government

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RPA has risen from the dead!
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The Current Context

• Councils with limited powers and influence
• Complex public sector picture at local level
  too many cooks
• Reform programme gathering speed - very different
  capacities between and within councils
• Devolution and a developing regional legislative
  Assembly
• Economic downturn limited resources
• Reform is a target in the Programme for
  Government
• Changing social agenda e.g. welfare reform
• Wanting more, delivering with less, ratepayer,
  media and government demands on the increase with
  50 resource cuts and job losses in GB and
  similar draconian cuts in Ireland for councils

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The Existing Vision (2008!!)

• A vision for Strong Local Government, where the
  council will be
• A dynamic, responsive and accountable leader in
  shaping, maintaining and promoting inclusive
  communities that are healthy, prosperous, safe,
  vibrant, sustainable and people-centred.
• March 2008, NILGA Corporate (and Ministerial)

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Local Government Reform Timetable

• Statutory Transition Committees August 2013
  May 2014
• Local Government Bill scheduled for introduction
  to the Assembly on MONDAY?? Passed by Executive
• Elections to Shadow Councils (22nd May 2014)
  NIO legislation now out for consultation
• Shadow councils May 2014 end March 2015
• 1st April 2015 new councils go live (and
  existing councils wound down accounts closed
  off)

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Statutory Transition Committees

• Duties
• Draft corporate plan
• Develop proposed governance arrangements
• Financial, HR and ICT tasks (Awaiting guidance on
  borrowing!)
• Draft service delivery arrangements for existing
  and new functions
• Appointments of new Chief Executives

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Local Government Bill

• New duties and powers
• Community Planning
• General Power of Competence
• Key policy proposals
• Governance
• Ethical Standards
• Performance Improvement
• Central Local Partnership Panel
• LOTS of Subordinate legislation guidance

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New functions - transferring

• Area planning development management
• Urban regeneration and HMOs
• Local economic development
• Local tourism
• Off-street car-parking
• Delivery of EU rural development programme

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Key Opportunities

• Community Planning
• Better integration
• General Power of Competence
• Local and central government working in
  partnership
• Northern Ireland NEEDS a Programme for Local
  Government
• Greater collaboration e.g. through ICE programme,
  systems convergence, procurement toolkit

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• Community Planning

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FROM THIS....
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TO THIS?
Themes such as economy, health, education,
community safety
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Councils are...

• Closer to people and best placed to meet
  community needs
• Democratically accountable at local level
• Providers of a sense of place and local identity,
  with an in-depth understanding of local needs,
  priorities and difference
• The junction box of local delivery at the
  centre of transformation and improvement
• Providers of local and tailored interventions,
  that are innovative, efficient and effective.

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Outcomes focus

• Local councils will work together with local
  people, organisations and businesses to improve
  quality of life and economic competitiveness, to
  create places which are
• Active, inclusive and safe
• Well run, with accessible services
• Environmentally aware and sustainable
• Well-designed and built
• Well connected
• Economically thriving
• Well-served - participation and governance
• Fair for everyone

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Council Role

• To create the conditions for growth and
  sustainability, supporting the key
  characteristics of competitiveness, councils will
  perform a number of key roles
• Leader - helping create local ambition and
  confidence
• Service provider - local service provider and
  integrator
• Partner of choice - convening and co-ordinating
  joint solutions to the big issues impacting on
  communities
• Place-shaper - improving quality of life for
  everyone
• Investor - helping to stimulate the economy

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Central - Local Partnership

• Local Government has never been better placed to
  be an active partner in delivering the outcomes
  that all parts of public service must work
  together to achieve for Northern Ireland.
• Councils will play a key part in the solution
  required to address the current challenging
  economic climate.
• Local Governments vision is for a statutory
  central/local partnership which enables
  meaningful collaboration in the achievement of
  shared outcomes, facilitated and underpinned by a
  strong approach to community planning.

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Key Reform Issues

• Funding reform cost implications of change
• Rates convergence
• Clarity on Transferring functions assets,
  budgets, staff, funding mechanism
• Capacity building need for skilling up of
  members and officers e.g. planning finance
• Making community planning WORK

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Problems can be overcome more easily if we all
work together!
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• Councils improvement, collaboration and
  efficiency initiatives preceded and will succeed
  Reform. RPA is a legal process to a mechanical
  end. ICE is a culture change which will
  transform based on the biggest change factors in
  history
• Austerity
• Leadership
• Customer demand

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Conclusion

• Reform IS going to happen
• Substantial progress has been made so far
• There is still a long way to go, with some key
  issues outstanding
• NILGA is taking a positive approach
• Strong liaison with STCs and members
• On-going liaison with DOE Minister and Officials

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• THANK YOU!