Agenda item

Dennis Skinner, Head of Leadership and Productivity, introduced the report which detailed the Priorities and Workplan for 2014/15.

In the discussion that followed, members made a number of comments, including:

·         The continued need for sector-led support and improvement and for it to be available for all councils.

·         The Board’s overarching responsibility for improvement across LGA Boards.

·         The need to continue to make effective use of public data as a driver for improvement.

·         The importance of support and training for member peers.

·         The importance of the LGA influencing the current devolution debate.

·         The opportunity to continue to learn from good practice, including that from around the world.

·         Articulating the finance offer as a core area of work.

Members discussed the strategic themes and the Chairman explained that, in previous years, members had been invited to express a preference for involvement in one or more of the five strategic themes to allow for work to take place between board meetings. The Chairman would write to members to ask their preference and also to fill the vacant post as Transparency lead.

Decisions

Members noted the report.

Members agreed the five strategic themes for the board and appointed portfolio holders to lead on each area, as follows:-

Innovation                               Cllr Peter Fleming

Leadership                              Cllr Judi Billing

Sector-led Improvement         Cllr Jill Shortland OBE

Transparency                          Vacant

Productivity                             Cllr Shirley Flint

Actions

·         To take away feedback and further develop the Priorities and Workplan for 2014/15.

·         To write to members regarding their strategic theme preferences.