Issue - meetings

This report completes the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brings forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and seeks a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also makes recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

Members received a report which completed the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brought forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and sought a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also made recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

The report was being considered at an Urgency Committee because decisions on the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s Department needed to be implemented without further delay, particularly given the imminent departure of two chief officers. 

The information in the report was set out in the following nine sections:

·        Section 1 – Background and introduction;

·        Section 2 – Current structure and functions of the Chief Executive’s Department;

·        Section 3 – Combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources;

·        Section 4 – Proposals for overall chief officer structure;

·        Section 5 – Transfer of functions and resources to other directorates;

·        Section 6 – Portfolios and detailed staffing structure;

·        Section 7 – Financial and other implications;

·        Section 8 – Other issues left over from stage one of the Council organisational review;

·        Section 9 – Summary of recommendations.

The report set out the following options for the overall chief structure:

OPTION 1

 OPTION 2a

 OPTION 2b

              OPTION 2c

The structure set out in Option 2c was for a combined directorate comprising the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources.  This was the option recommended in the report.

In response to the representations made on behalf of Unison (minute 8 refers), the Chief Executive explained that the proposals brought forward in the report were not considered to be so fundamentally different from the original proposals as to constitute a brand new set of proposals, requiring a brand new consultation exercise.  Members confirmed that where in principle decisions were being taken, consultation could continue and the decision be brought back for review by the Chief Executive.

With regards to paragraph 7.5 of the report, Members noted that redundancy and early retirement costs for schools were met from a corporate budget and requested that the Director of Resources provide them with a briefing note detailing the current situation and how this might change now that the Dedicated Schools Grant had been introduced.

It was proposed that the recommendations in the report be agreed, with amendments to recommendations 9.12, 9.17 and 9.26 to defer the appointments to the new posts of Partnership Officer, Safe City Co-ordinator and Scrutiny Officer pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006.

Councillor Merrett outlined his concerns regarding the proposal to transfer responsibility for the Local Strategic Partnership and other partnership work to City Strategy as a key part of the Chief Executive’s role was providing strategic direction for the Council and the transfer could create confusion amongst external partners as to where this responsibility lay.  Councillor Galloway expressed the view that the transfer of responsibility would allow the Chief Executive greater opportunity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9