Question Sheet and Recommendation Guidance

 

Maidstone Borough Council

Economic and Commercial Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee

25th November 2014

Twilight Economy Review

 

While reading the following report you may want to think about:

  • What you want to know from the report;
  • What questions you would like answered.

Make a note of your questions in the box below.

Questions I would like to ask regarding this report:

 

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As you read the report you may think of other questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Guidance note - Making Quality Overview and Scrutiny Recommendations

 

Scrutiny recommendations should seek to make a real difference to local people and the services provided.  Recommendations that note a change or request further information fail to resolve problems or make changes.  The scrutiny team have identified the following criteria for quality recommendations, they:

·        affect and make a difference to local people;

·        result in a change in policy that improves services;

·        identify savings and maintain/improve service quality; or

·         objectively identify a solution.

 

One way of checking the usefulness of recommendations is to evaluate them against the 'six Ws' set out below:

 

Good recommendations should answer these questions:

 

 

Why does it need to be done?

 

This will help ensure the outcome is relevant and in the right context – if a meeting is being requested it will ensure the correct people are invited to attend

 

 

Who is being asked to do it?

 

Without this nothing will get done (no one will take ownership)

 

 

What needs to be done?

 

 

Needs to be clear and specific

 

HoW will it be done?

 

Again, needs to be clear and specific, what is the expected output- for example a report to be written or a meeting to be arranged

 

 

Where does it need to be done/go?

 

 

If it’s a meeting – where is it needed

If it’s a report – where is it to go, who needs to see it

 

When does it need to be done?

 

 

Crucial to have a timescale – without a deadline it will never get done

 

Thinking about these points will help ensure the outcomes of scrutiny are effective and will aid monitoring.