Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | The Development of Overview and Scrutiny in Local Government

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

The Development of Overview and Scrutiny in Local Government

APPENDIX 1
Research Methodology

The research methods adopted for this project were:

CASE STUDY RESEARCH IN TEN AUTHORITIES

Ten authorities were invited to participate in the case study element of the research. These authorities were selected using the following criteria: political control; type of authority; length of time operating ‘shadow’ or experimental arrangements; diversity of ‘cabinet with leader’ models; structures adopted for overview and scrutiny; approach to overview and scrutiny; knowledge of good practice authorities; involvement in the previous DETR/IDeA evaluation of new political structures; and, mixture of well known examples and less well known case studies. Using these criteria, the following authorities were approached and agreed to participate in the study:

Barnet London Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Bedfordshire County Council
Brentwood Borough Council
Bristol City Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Eastleigh Borough Council
Haringey London Borough Council
York City Council

Within each authority a period of 3-4 days of intensive research was undertaken, involving:

  • Semi-structured interviews and/or focus groups with overview and scrutiny chairs, vice chairs and ordinary members, co-opted members of committees, leaders of political groups, cabinet members, chief executive and other senior officers, officers directly supporting overview and scrutiny, officers responding to – or appearing as witnesses in front of – committees and any other key players;

  • Observation of overview and scrutiny committee meetings;

  • Document analysis of key documents, such as terms of reference, scrutiny protocols, annual reports, scrutiny reports, committee agendas and minutes, press articles and so on.

From this a case study profile was prepared which summarised developments within each authority (these can be found via the OPDM website). This case study research represents a substantive evaluation of the development of overview and scrutiny in ten authorities.

WIDER SCANNING OF GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLES

In addition to the case study research, wider scanning of good practice examples from across local government was undertaken. This involved:

  • Analysing published secondary material on overview and scrutiny, in order to identify potential case study examples;

  • Using the considerable collective knowledge of the project team to identify innovative practices;

  • Producing an information leaflet on the project, which included: a brief summary of the purpose and nature of the project; a short, focussed list of issues where further information on good practice examples was wanted. This leaflet was widely distributed across local government, through the following methods:

  • Forwarded to OPDM Modernisation Team for response, mid-January 2002;

  • Included in SOLACE’s weekly email bulletin to chief executives, late January 2002;

  • Distributed at an IDeA lunchtime seminar on January 11th, 2002;

  • Item included in Modern Members Magazine in February 2002, which is widely distributed to councillors;

  • Place on IDeA Knowledge Website, early February 2002;

  • E-mailed to all past participants on INLOGOV’s extensive seminar programme for new political management arrangements;

  • Placed on INLOGOV’s website;

  • Distributed at appropriate INLOGOV seminars;

  • Sent out to all chief executives of local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland, with explanatory covering letter, mid-January 2002;

  • Request for information included in short piece in Local Government Chronicle, late January 2002.

The leaflet produced a very good response from local government, with a number of authorities sending in good practice material to meet the deadline of mid-March 2002 (though this was extended for a number of authorities).

It is important to make the point that, although the case study research was conducted in a rigorous and systematic manner, the wider scanning of good practice was a useful tool to gather information and does not represent good practice in research methods since:

  • The information provided was self-selected;

  • There was no resource available within the team to undertake rigorous quality assurance of the material sent in by authorities.

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Published 17 October 2002
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