Combined Authorities Governance Network
The background
The Combined Authorities Governance Network (CAGN) is a network established and facilitated by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny using funding from HM Government, to bring together members and officers with an involvement or interest in governance and scrutiny in combined authorities, and to contribute to improvement.
Its establishment dates back to the organisation by CfGS of a series of roundtable meetings in 2017/18 to bring together combined authority governance professionals, initially to discuss the establishment of new scrutiny arrangements. CAGN was established to provide a permanent space for those conversations, and to lead on the sharing of practice and insight across the arena of governance and decision-making more generally.
What we do and the impact
Over the past five years, CfGS has organised and facilitated CAGN meetings, provided a help-desk style guidance offering, and has undertaken several pieces of research relating to governance issues across different policy areas. More recently, CAGN members have been involved in the development with Government of the Scrutiny Protocol.
We continue support the combined authorities through the provision of training and networking opportunities. The network provides an opportunity for common issues and solutions to governance challenges to be identified by practitioners and provides a way to share good practice. CfGS also gives a voice for those involved in combined authority governance on the national stage.
If you are involved or interested in combined authority governance and scrutiny, and would like to join the CAGN get in touch by emailing ed.hammond@cfgs.org.uk.
About the Author: Kate Grigg
Kate works across the CfGS research and consultancy programmes, supporting projects in local government and the corporate sector, and facilitating the combined authorities goverance network.
