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Scrutiny reviews are a key part of the overview and scrutiny process. Known as Task and Finish reviews, they are
undertaken by smaller group of Councillors who carry out a specific, time-limited piece of work.
Over 50 reviews have been completed since 2004, and you can view or download completed review reports, and responses
from the Executive from these pages:
- 2012 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2011 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2010 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2009 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2008 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2007 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2006 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2005 Scrutiny Reviews
- 2004 Scrutiny Reviews
Task and Finish Reviews
Task and Finish groups are set up by Overview and Scrutiny Committees, in response to a request for detailed scrutiny/activity
on a topic. To set up a task and finish group there are a number of actions that need to be done, which are explained in full
in the protocol which can be viewed or downloaded from this page.
The Committee setting up the group will decide on the number of members to form the group (typically between three and
six), and seek volunteers from within the Committee’s membership to join the group. The Committee may also decide
to open up membership of the Task and Finish Group to other Councillors, or co-opt other members on to the group from relevant
partners, organisation or community groups.
Members of the Task and Finish group gather information in many ways including by:
- holding public meetings to seek views on an issue;
- visiting other organisations - partners, user groups, other councils; and
- talking to people who are affected by the issue.
At the end of each review a final report is produced, written in plain English, and based on facts collected throughout
the review. It gives a full picture of the issues under scrutiny and reflects the range of views presented to the task
and finish group, containing conclusions and clear recommendations
When the Group has finished its report, the Members of the group present their work to their parent Committee. If
the committee formally supports the document, it will be sent to the Executive (the Cabinet) for consideration and response. The Cabinet gives its response at a public meeting, and the progress against
any actions agreed by Cabinet is then monitored by the Committee.
Spotlight Reviews
Spotlight reviews are similar to task and finish reviews, only they are appropriate for specific topics in a shorter
space of time.
The approach centres on an evidence gathering day. During the course of this day information is collected and collated
via “interviews” and discussion groups with officers, members and other stakeholders. It is anticipated that
spotlight reviews can, when required, be completed start to finish in approximately six weeks or less.
Spotlight reviews are not intended to provide a detailed analysis. They are designed to identify “quick wins”.
They can usefully be established to respond to emerging issues, prompted by, for example, evidence of declining performance
or a policy not meeting objectives, or they can respond to community concern as shown through a petition.
Annual Reports
Each year, overview and scrutiny produces an annual report to try to give a picture of the work that the overview and
scrutiny committees have done throughout the year, and their impact on the services provided to the people of the City. Councillors
want Council services to be of the highest quality and relevant to people who live and work in the City.
Over the coming years we will build on our initial work by continuing to do a wide range of activities from policy reviews
to rigorous examinations of services. While recognizing lessons learned from our earlier activities we will continue
to examine our systems and identify new ways of improving the performance of overview and scrutiny, particularly in relation
to looking at issues from a resident’s point of view.
You can access Task and Finish Group final reports and scrutiny Annual Reports by following the link on this page. You
will need adobe acrobat reader to open the files, which is available as a free download from the Adobe internet site at www.adobe.com