Council 8 August 2022 Item 14.1
ITEM NUMBER 14.1
SUBJECT Councillor Workshops / Briefings
REFERENCE F2022/00105 - D08620758
FROM Councillor Michelle Garrard
That Council endorse an amendment to the Councillors Workshop and Briefing Session Policy and Procedure to reflect:
1. Workshop/briefing session presentations be provided to Councillors a minimum of 2 days prior to the Workshop/briefing session.
2. For Councillors who have requested, have hard copies of the Presentations be made available at the workshop/briefing sessions.
BACKGROUND
1. For Councillors to be fully prepared for workshops receiving content in advance allows Councillors to adequately prepare.
2. For committees of council this presentations agenda and content are provided in advance.
3. Receiving the information in advance allows councillors to be across content which should mean workshops/briefings will run smoother, opposed to the current process where we are trying to absorb the information presented at the time.
4. I have informally made this request on numerous occasions and it is still not happening as practice in all instances.
STAFF RESPONSE
5. Council staff acknowledge the provision of presentation materials in advance of workshops/ briefings can be of benefit to enable Councillors to better digest information intended for presentation at workshops/ briefings.
6. In most instances, Council Officers aim to provide presentations prior to the workshops. This generally occurs via email on the day of the workshop.
7. However, there may be instances in which the material is better suited to be provided during or after the workshop. For example, some information, particularly around contentious or high-profile matters, is best presented with additional context a facilitator can supply during a session. In other instances, material is not always ready for distribution until the day of the session.
8. Further, briefing notes are typically provided more than two (2) days prior, containing a prelude to the subject matter of each session.
9. For these reasons, it is not recommended to amend the policy to mandate the provision of all workshop/ briefing session presentations a minimum of two (2) days prior to the session. However, should Councillors wish to consider mandating this, it is recommended this timeframe be specified in Step eight (8) in the Procedure supplementing the policy.
10. Council
Officers have recently committed to providing four (4) hard copies of
presentation materials at Councillor workshops/ briefings. This commitment can
be expanded to provide copies of presentations to Councillors upon request,
should this number exceed four (4), without amending the policy.
However, should Council wish to formalize the requirement for hard copies to be
provided to Councillors who make a request, it is recommended the procedure
attached to the Policy can be updated to include this as an additional step in
the process.
11. Council may seek to do this by including an additional step, with the facilitator being the responsibility holder, between Steps ten (10) and eleven (11) in the Procedure, which states:
“Supply four (4) hard copies for Councillors in attendance OR should more than four (4) Councillors request a copy, supply each Councillor who has put in a request with a copy, whichever is the larger”.
12. The policy is intended to set an overarching framework for the facilitation of Councillor workshops and briefings, rather than a prescriptive step-by-step guide. Accordingly, any changes considered by Council are recommended to be made in the Procedure supplementing the Policy.
FINANCIAL AND RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
13. There are no unbudgeted financial implications associated with the preparation of this staff response.
Michelle Garrard
Councillor
John Angilley
Chief Financial and Information Officer
Brett Newman
Chief Executive Officer
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Councillors Workshop and Briefing Session Policy |
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