Council to undergo Peer Review

Thanet District Council will be taking part in a Peer Review this spring, in partnership with the Local Government Association.

A Peer Review is an external review of the council’s activities. It will focus on:

• understanding the local context and priority setting
• financial planning
• political and managerial leadership
• governance and decision making
• organisational capacity

For Thanet, there will also be a particular focus on Economic Development and the council’s customer services approach.

The purpose of a Peer Review is to help the council improve and to ensure there is capacity to continue to deliver local priorities in the current financial climate.

The Peer Review includes an on-site visit to Thanet District Council between 11-13 March with a team of Councillors and senior officers from other councils.

Cabinet Member for Business, Corporate and Regulatory Services, Cllr. Michelle Fenner, said: “This is a great opportunity to have some external perspective on what we do and how we do it. It will help us to identify the council’s strengths, highlight areas for improvement and will help us to inform our future plans.

“We are proud of our achievements regarding our careful financial management and our ethical procurement of services and goods. We are not complacent and welcome any constructive criticism given by experienced representatives from other Councils.”

Since 2011, nearly a third of local authorities (105) have undergone a Peer Review. This is expected to rise to more than 180 councils by the end of 2014.