Author: Jacqui McKinlay
Now is the perfect time to check your governance
Please note: this article was originally published on the Local Government Chronicle website here. Most councils are in a good place for reviewing and implementing improvements that will help improve governance resilience. September and the start of autumn always brings with it an air of change and renewal, particularly this year as people return, […]
Our renaming
Today (29th September 2020) sees the Centre for Public Scrutiny change our name to the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny. This change reflects the wider scope of our work and expertise in governance, whilst being clear that we are still the experts in local government scrutiny, with an unrivalled wealth of knowledge and experience. We are proud of our long […]
Building corporate trust by building in scrutiny
Public Trust Boards – what they are and how they work The issue of trust in our institutions and decision-makers is something we are struggling with as a society. Alongside the usual suspects of greedy corporates, politicians, journalists and lawyers, others, who have previously occupied a higher moral space, have found themselves on the public […]
A year in review
CfGS’s performance in 2016/17 Finding the time to step back and review a year’s worth of activity is never easy but it’s important to reflect on what went well, not so well and recognise the hard work and commitment of everyone involved. The last year or so has been challenging on so many fronts, however […]
Our full submission to the CLG scrutiny inquiry
Jacqui McKinlay, CfGS Chief Executive, summarises our submission to the Communities and Local Government (CLG) committee. As you would hope, at the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny we care about scrutiny in local government. Involving others leads to better decisions – improving lives and places. We therefore leapt at the chance to contribute to the […]
Scrutinising scrutiny
Jaqui McKinlay on why now is the time to shout about scrutiny successes The Communities and Local Government Committee (CLG) inquiry into local government overview and scrutiny (O&S) is certainly overdue. A model which was first introduced nearly two decades ago has so far avoided much scrutiny itself, with most broadly accepting that it was […]
Role of councillors report
The Councillors Commission, launched by the Local Government Research Unit in partnership with the De Montfort University and the Municipal Journal, has produced an interim report on the role of councillors based on the 20 round tables and 147 written submissions. The report identifies the constant themes with which councillors are continually engaging, such as […]
Democracy, governance and the truth
Democracy, governance and the truth Understanding the past – improving the future A national conference for local government Thursday 1st December 2016Holiday Inn, London, Bloomsbury, WC1N 1HTPrices from £149 + VAT Democracy, governance and the truth. Now that is a conference title! We debated long and hard about this title as the word […]
“Proper scrutiny” and the Panama Papers
I run an organisation that promotes scrutiny. I’m also a communications professional by trade. It is therefore little surprise that the leaked Panama Papers have been high of my radar. It has been fascinating to see how often the words ‘scrutiny’ and ‘transparency’ feature in the reporting of the fall out. Whilst watching the media […]
Looking bright for 2016
The first working day of 2016 seems like a perfect time to launch a new look for CfGS. New Year, new look and a refreshed passion to achieve our vision of excellence in governance and scrutiny leading to better public services. Much is often made of new logos and many thousands have been […]