Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive, which set out proposals for the Resources Directorate following the agreement to delete the post of Executive Director of Resources.

The Committee noted that a number of options had been considered for managing the deletion of the Executive Director post including the creation of one or two senior Director Posts directly reporting into the Chief Executive and in effect to maintain the status quo for the Resources Directorate. 

Each of the scenarios would require the deletion of current posts within the directorate and would unintentionally place other members of staff ‘at risk’.  Creating additional senior Directors posts was counter to the organisation’s aim to reduce management layers and it would maintain senior management costs at the current level, which was unacceptable in the current climate of budget reductions and ongoing ER/VR programme. 

It was therefore proposed to leave all the current Resources Directorate job roles as they were at present, transferring the functions currently sat within the Resources Directorate to the remaining Executive Directors of Place and People.   This would allow the deletion of 1 Executive Director post (cost saving of £150k) and 2 senior posts (cost saving of circa £200k).

The two remaining Executive Directors would absorb the leadership and strategic corporate duties of the Executive Director Resources.  In addition, the two most senior posts (currently in receipt of enhanced payments) of Assistant Director ICT Transformation and Customer Services and Assistant Director Finance and Corporate Services currently reporting into the Executive Director of Resources would absorb the operational line management of the functions within the Directorate including the allocation of 151 Officer and Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO).  These job roles and responsibilities would need to be revised / adjusted in light of the realignment, and would be evaluated to ensure that any changes to scope, size and impact were appropriately recognised and rewarded.  Where the evaluations resulted in proposed salary packages exceeding £100,000, the salary packages would be subject to the approval of the Audit and Procurement Committee.

It was acknowledged that due to the significant organisational shift set out in the proposal, reducing from three to two Executive Directors, it would be prudent to carry out an assurance process.  An Appointments Panel to be chaired by the Leader of the Council comprising nominated elected members (including Opposition members), the Chief Executive and the Executive Directors, would be convened to meet with the two most senior post holders Assistant Director ICT Transformation and Customer Services and Assistant Director Finance and Corporate Services in the current Resources Directorate and seek confidence that this proposal could be safely implemented at this time. 

The report set out the main realignment of post title / line management proposed and it was noted that the appointment of the section 151 Officer must be confirmed by full Council.  Officers would prepare a report to the next meeting of Council on 21^st February 2017 to confirm this appointment and any changes required as a result of these proposals to be made to the Officer Scheme of delegation within the Constitution.

For consistency, it was also proposed that all Assistant Director posts within the Place Directorate will be renamed as Directors. At this stage, this would be a change to job titles only and not to their terms and conditions.

Appendix 1 of the report showed the proposed movement of the two new Director posts under the Executive Directors of Place and People and it was noted that the direct management responsibility lines from Place Directorate had been omitted from the structure and would mirror those set out for People Director.

RESOLVED that the Audit and Procurement Committee:-

1.  Confirm the proposal for the realignment of services as set out in the report submitted, subject to the evaluation of the new Director roles and completion of the assurance process referred to in Paragraph 3.2 of the report.

2.  Commission a review and evaluation of the Executive Director roles and all roles that directly report to the new Director posts.

3.  Commission a review of all remaining Hay Graded staff in 2 stages, firstly grades AD2 and above and secondly SM1-3 to take place from March through to December 2017.

4.  Request officers to bring a further report to Audit and Procurement Committee to approve any new salary packages exceeding £100,000 which are recommended following any of the review / evaluations referred to in 1 – 3 above.