Agenda item

The proposals in the report are necessary following the full retirement of the Monitoring and Returning Officer (AI09) who is responsible for the statutory roles of Monitoring Officer, Registration Officer and Returning Officer.  The changes in the report will look to maintain a robust and resilient structure and suitable Corporate Governance arrangements.

Recommendation

That the Executive recommends to the Council that, with effect from 1 July 2016:-

1.         the post of Monitoring and Returning Officer (Post AI09) be deleted from the establishment;

2.         the Head of Paid Service (Executive Director) be appointed to the statutory roles of Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer;

3.         the Director of Operations and Director of Finance and Resources be appointed as Deputy Returning Officers; and

4.         the following changes to reporting lines be approved:-

i.          Senior Manager – Elections and Special Projects to report to Executive Director;

ii.         Internal Audit Client Manager to the Director of Finance and Resources, with dotted reporting lines to the Executive Director and Monitoring Officer;

iii.        Corporate Complaints Officer to the Corporate Policy Manager; and

iv.        Mayor’s Secretary to the Democratic Services Manager.

The Executive has agreed to RECOMMEND to the COUNCIL that, with effect from 1 July 2016:-

1.         the post of Monitoring and Returning Officer (Post AI09) be deleted from the establishment;

2.         the Head of Paid Service (Executive Director) be appointed to the statutory roles of Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer;

3.         the Director of Operations and Director of Finance and Resources be appointed as Deputy Returning Officers; and

4.         the following changes to reporting lines be approved:-

i.          Senior Manager – Elections and Special Projects to report to Executive Director;

ii.         Internal Audit Client Manager to the Director of Finance and Resources, with dotted reporting lines to the Executive Director and Monitoring Officer;

iii.        Corporate Complaints Officer to the Corporate Policy Manager; and

iv.        Mayor’s Secretary to the Democratic Services Manager.

[This item is recommended to the Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure]

[Reason: to make changes to the staffing and reporting structure]

156.1  The Monitoring and Returning Officer took flexible retirement in 2013 and has announced his intention to fully retire from the Council in the week ending 1 July 2016.  The postholder currently works 2 days a week throughout the year and increases his hours to prepare for and manage elections.

156.2  One of the aims of flexible retirement is to assist with the smooth transition when the employee retires fully.  With this in mind, the Council, when advertising the post of Head of Democratic and Legal Services (now Head of Policy and Governance), stated its expectation that the Monitoring Officer role be transferred to the newly recruited postholder.  In the light of this, the Head of Policy and Governance has been appointed to the role of Monitoring Officer from 1 July 2016 as anticipated.

156.3  For the last twenty years at Waverley, and in common with many Councils, the roles of Electoral Registration and Returning Officer have been carried out by the Head of Paid Service.  However, in December 2013, recognising the particular experience of the Monitoring Officer (then called the Head of Corporate Governance), these roles were allocated to that post, with the Head of Paid Services (Executive Director) taking the Deputy Returning Officer role. Following the full retirement of Monitoring and Returning Officer, it is proposed that the roles of Electoral Registration and Returning Officer revert back to the Head of Paid Service.

156.4  The role of Electoral Registration Officer is to manage the preparation and maintenance of Waverley’s Electoral Register.  The role of Returning Officer is to lead the electoral process for all levels of election in Waverley.  It involves assuming personal responsibility for successful conduct of all elections.

156.5  In terms of the other aspects of the vacated role of the Monitoring and Returning Officer and the particular skills of staff across the Council, there is the opportunity to reallocate these tasks to other officers.  These tasks are:

·        Internal Audit

·        Corporate Complaints

·        Mayoralty Support

156.6  The Director of Finance and Resources, as the statutory Section 151 Officer, is required to make arrangements for the proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs.  A sound internal audit function is an essential part of those requirements.  It is proposed that the Director of Finance and Resources becomes the line manager for the operational Internal Audit Client function. This was the arrangement that worked well until 2010 and is a relationship duplicated in many local Councils such as Elmbridge in Surrey.  To further demonstrate the independence of internal audit from financial services, the new structure proposes a reporting relationship for the Internal Audit Client manager to the Executive Director and Monitoring Officer, represented by dotted line reporting, for use as required.

156.7  The proposed structure will continue to fulfil the Council’s statutory requirements and further strengthen resilience, with the two Directors being designated Deputy Returning Officers as part of their core responsibilities. The key proposals are:

156.8     The reallocated reporting lines will be as follows:

* With a dotted line directly to the Head of Paid Service, the Executive Director.

156.9  The changes to the current structures are set out at Annexe 1, with changes shown in white boxes.

156.10  In preparing this report, the external auditor Grant Thornton and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Audit Committee have been consulted about the Internal Audit proposals and their views are reflected in the report.

156.11  The principal aim of this report is to propose a robust, resilient structure to carry out the functions highlighted.  The salary budget, including on-costs, for the Monitoring and Returning Officer post AI09 is £32,800.  Due to the departure of this experienced senior officer, there will need to be a review of the staffing structure of the Elections Team and an assessment of any necessary training and job evaluations linked to these proposals.  Therefore, whilst the whole salary cost will not be saved, the outcome of the review may identify a net saving in the 2017/18 Star Chamber.  The immediate transferred costs agreed in December 2013 from the Monitoring and Returning Officer to the Executive Director would be:

Registration Officer          £3,990

Returning Officer               Statutory Returning Officer fees – vary according to the type of election as determined by the appropriate body. e.g. Electoral Commission. These fees are reimbursed in full by whichever body is holding the election i.e. Surrey CC, Towns & Parishes, Electoral Commission, Waverley’s election fund, and the cost does not fall on Waverley’s ongoing budget. 

156.12     In addition, if Members agree to the changes in this report, pay details on the Council Website will be updated to reflect additional payments in accordance with the Waverley Pay Policy 2016/17.

156.13     The Executive now

RECOMMENDS that, with effect from 1 July 2016:-

78.       the post of Monitoring and Returning Officer (Post AI09) be deleted from the establishment;

79.       the Head of Paid Service (Executive Director) be appointed to the statutory roles of Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer;

80.       the Director of Operations and Director of Finance and Resources be appointed as Deputy Returning Officers; and

81.       the following changes to reporting lines be approved:-

i.          Senior Manager – Elections and Special Projects to report to Executive Director;

ii.         Internal Audit Client Manager to the Director of Finance and Resources, with dotted reporting lines to the Executive Director and Monitoring Officer;

iii.        Corporate Complaints Officer to the Corporate Policy Manager; and

iv.        Mayor’s Secretary to the Democratic Services Manager.

[Reason: to make changes to the staffing and reporting structure]