MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Member and Employment and Development Panel

9 JULY 2014

REPORT OF Head of HR Shared Service

Report prepared by Catherine Harrison,

Learning and Development Manager

1.           Members' Development Budget

1.1        Issue for Decision

1.1.1   To review the programme for Member Development for 2014/15 including any additional new needs.

1.2        Recommendation of the Head of HR Shared Service

1.2.1   That the budget allocation as set out in Appendix A be agreed.

1.3        Reasons for Recommendation

1.3.1   Currently Member Learning and Development activities are planned by the Learning & Development Shared Service Manager in consultation with Members and Key Officers.  Due to the nature of the Council and the way that the elections take place, many of the same learning activities, including conferences, need to be provided each year.

1.3.2   This being said, there are many more learning activities that are required in line with the needs identified by Members themselves, legislation, central government and those that arise from our commitment to partnership working and our desire to learn from each other and best practice.

1.3.3   The plan aims to address as many learning needs as possible, for example:

·           Individual skills building

·           Legislative requirements

·           Role related

·           Corporate requirements

·           Networking and keeping up-to-date

·           Knowledge and future focus

1.3.4   It is proposed that the key areas for Member Development this year are:-

·         Support and build on existing skills for their role in the community now and in the future

·         Support and build on existing skills for the various roles undertaken within and on behalf of the Council

1.3.5   It is important to ensure that an effective planning process is in place for all learning activities and that this planning process involves Members.  With a continued commitment to provide value for money in all aspects, it is imperative that careful thought is given to how the Member budget is spent to ensure that maximum value from each activity is achieved.

1.3.6   The responsibility for ensuring value for money rests with everyone and it is vital that all learning is shared effectively with all Members and disseminated widely.

1.4        Alternative Action and why not Recommended

1.4.1   An alternative would be to only book activities and events on an ‘ad hoc’ first come, first served basis.  This is not recommended as this will eliminate the possibility for taking a strategic approach to Member training.  It is necessary to take a wider view in order to establish which conferences/learning activities will have the biggest impact on supporting the effective performance of Members in their role and/or the greatest impact for all Members.

1.5        Impact on Corporate Objectives

1.5.1   Effective Member development supports the delivery of the Council’s corporate objectives.

1.6        Risk Management

1.6.1   The Council has made an on-going commitment to provide Members with the required tools and development to effectively equip them to perform their roles.  This part planned and part emergent approach gives reassurance that member learning needs are being identified and met, resulting in better delivery of the services to constituents.  Adapting to the changes faced by members and planning for some aspects of learning to be done in a more emergent way, means that the risk of ‘getting it wrong’ by training on areas that are not yet fully clear is mitigated

1.7        Other Implications

1.7.1    

1.7.2   Financial

         The annual budget for Member Development is £11,100.  This budget will be used to resource the proposed programme set out in Appendix A.

1.8        Relevant Documents

1.8.1   Appendices

Appendix A – Member Development Budget Plan 2014/15

1.8.2   Background Documents

None