The LGA has started discussions on an assurance framework for local government.
It is working with the sector, professional associations, and other groups to map the different elements that currently provide assurance of the performance of local government, in the interests of clarity and transparency and to help understanding of how they all fit together. This follows a recommendation from the LGA’s recent corporate peer challenge.
Once the system-wide mapping of the different assurance elements has been completed, there will be an opportunity to consider whether any of the current checks and balances could be simplified, improved or enhanced to provide greater assurance for the sector.
Cllr Abi Brown, Chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “Councils challenge and support each other continuously to improve, supported by the LGA. For example, LG Inform provides benchmarking information so that councils and the public can compare any council’s performance with any other council or group of councils.
“Our Corporate Peer Challenge programme provides robust, strategic and credible challenge and support to councils, and these reports are all published.
“But there is nothing that brings these different strands into one place, or demonstrates how they fit together.
“It is right therefore that the local government sector works together to describe and clarify the assurance framework so that the public and councils themselves can better understand how to gain assurance of the performance of local government.”