Argyll and Bute Council Constitution - Part B - Policy Leads

6. Role of Policy Leads

The Council recognises that, at a political level, to help facilitate the development of policy, to help inform opinion within and outside the Council including to represent the Council’s interests with Parliament, Ministers and others, additional responsibilities are placed on certain Councillors who are required to act in the role of Policy Leads for groups of Services for which the Council is responsible. These responsibilities include: -

1. Facilitating good communication amongst Policy Leads, the wider membership of the Council, the relevant Executive Directors and Heads of Service, relevant employees and service users.
    
2. Leading on those service matters of political/policy priority at meetings of the Council and other Committees and Short Life Working Groups of the Council, providing opportunities for information sessions on issues and aspects of the work relevant to the service, and by providing Policy Leads reports at Council meetings.
    
3. Supporting the Executive Director and Heads of Service in taking forward the development of service policy issues.
    
4. Promoting an awareness of service strategies, achievements and constraints in consultation with the Leader and Depute Leader of the Council in order to inform the public, Government and other public and voluntary organisations of the Council’s strategies and activities and the reasons for them. To act in a positive manner as an ambassador for the service locally and nationally.
    
5. Maintaining good communications with Council employees, providing a bridge between the Council and employees in a manner that provides a political policy background for, and recognition of, their work.
    
6. Participating, at a political level, in the corporate working of the Council, maintaining regular contact with the Leader and Depute Leader of the Council, other Policy Leads, the Chief Executive and Executive Directors contributing to the development of the Council’s corporate strategies in order to help ensure the development of service policy within the corporate environment.
    
7. Reporting back to the Council on meetings with organisations outside the Council, seminars etc, on Service-related issues either through regular Policy Lead reports or in other ways.
    
8. The remit of a Policy Lead shall be submitted to the Council for noting.

7. Commitments

1. The role of Policy Lead places demands on the skills and time of those who fulfil this role, including and in addition to those set out in paragraph 3 above, for example developing and maintaining a pro-active and detailed awareness and understanding of –
   1. service policy issues in a local and national context.
   2. financial and budget matters related to the Service ensuring these are understood by the Council.
       
2. The Council may appoint Depute Policy Lead to support Policy Leads over part or the whole of their portfolio. The expectation is that Policy Leads, and their Deputies will maintain a close dialogue with Executive Directors and senior officers, meeting regularly to discuss topical Service issues. Depute Policy Leads discharge their portfolio in consort with the relevant Policy Leads and within the policies and strategies of the Council for the Service.
    
3. Policy Leads and their Deputes will work with the Leader, Depute Leader and Senior Officers to promote high standards of conduct and good working relations.

8. Provost

The role of the Provost

The Provost is the Councillor who chairs Council meetings and, in that regard, possesses the powers and duties given to him/her by statute, this Constitution and the common law.

The Provost has precedence, that is to say s/he is the first citizen of the Council area.

The Provost’s functions are –

• to promote involvement in the Council’s activities.
• to act as the conscience of the Council.
• to secure the rights of all Members to participate in the Council’s decision taking.
• to act as a focal point for the whole Argyll and Bute community.
• to carry out civic and ceremonial activities and act as an ambassador for the Council and Argyll and Bute.

The Depute Provost deputises for the Provost across the full range of responsibilities and functions.

9. Leader

The role of the Leader

The Leader –

• provides political leadership and direction for the organisation.
• promotes the interests of Argyll and Bute Council in particular and Scottish Local Government in general.
• represents the Council as its Political Leader at meetings and events.
• works across the Council’s political groups to establish clear political direction.
• develops and manages the general relationship with the Scottish and UK Government Ministers, MPs and MSPs, COSLA, Parliament and other key organisations and individuals.
• leads the Policy Leads/Deputes.
• provides the focus for reputation management at a political level and represents the Council to the media where the importance of the issue demands it.
• provides the key political level link between the officer structure and the political structure and provides day to day political direction.
• promotes high standards of behaviour and compliance with all relevant standards.

Depute Leader

In addition to any other position s/he holds the Depute Leader deputises across the full range of functions and responsibilities.