10 questions to ask for a combined authority scrutinising economic development
This paper is designed to support councillors sitting on combined authority overview and scrutiny committees to understand the pressures and opportunities that CAs face in tackling economic development and recovery. It has two parts. The first introduces the overall policy environment around economic development for CAs. In many respects this is similar to the policy environment for individual councils.
However, there are important differences and distinctions, and understanding these distinctions is important in ensuring that scrutiny, at CA level, can carry out work of value. The second part introduces a list of ten questions – key matters which we think will form the basis of effective scrutiny in this area.
The questions deliberately focus on CA’s central strategies on growth and economic development – the high level, strategic documents underpinning wider plans on economic development on growth. The document focuses on the use of broad strategies, often tied to devo deals, to determine how local economies will be developed.
About the Author: Ed Hammond
Ed leads CfGS's work on devolution, transformation and on support to councils and other public bodies on governance and accountability.
