Guidance Note

A Guidance Note is currently available for English Authorities, Welsh Authorities, and for Scottish Authorities. An Interim Guidance Note is also available for Police Authorities and Forces in England and Wales.

A Guidance Note has been developed to accompany the Framework. It provides practical assistance to authorities in:

• considering how they might go about reviewing their governance arrangements
• developing and updating their own local codes of governance
• demonstrating compliance with the principles of good governance.

The Guidance Note outlines how good governance principles have evolved and looks at how the ‘governing body’ operates in local government. The Guidance Note also provides good practice examples and case studies, and includes examples of the systems, processes and documents that might be cited by an authority as evidence of compliance with good practice. Further help is also offered on developing and maintaining effective audit and standards committees, the scrutiny function and risk management.

View the contents: Word (13KB) | PDF (7KB)

Framework

Each local government body operates through a governance framework which brings together an underlying set of legislative requirements, governance principles and management processes. Delivering Good Governance in Local Government : Framework defines the principles that should underpin the governance of each local government body. It provides a structure to help individual authorities with their own approach to governance. The Framework is intended to be followed as best practice for developing and maintaining a local code of governance and for discharging accountability for the proper conduct of public business, through the publication of an annual governance statement that will make the adopted practice open and explicit.

In England, the preparation and publication of an annual governance statement in accordance with the Framework will be necessary to meet the statutory requirement set out in Regulation 4(2) of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003, as amended by the Accounts and Audit (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006 for authorities to prepare a statement of internal control in accordance with ‘proper practices’.

The supplement to the Framework serves to define such ‘proper practices’. In Wales, it will also be necessary similarly to meet the requirements of the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2005. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the preparation and publication of an annual governance statement in accordance with the Framework will satisfy the requirements of Chapter 7 of the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom: A Statement of Recommended Practice.

Whatever form of executive arrangements are in place, authorities are urged to test their structures against the principles contained in the Framework. The Framework presents authorities with an opportunity to set a new standard for good governance. Good governance is important to all involved in local government. However, it is a key responsibility of the leader of the council (or equivalent) and of the chief executive (or equivalent). This document will be of particular importance to them, to other members of the leadership team and to the full council or authority, and also to all those responsible for monitoring and providing assurance on governance arrangements.

Additional copies of Delivering Good Governance in Local Government: Guidance Note at £20.00 each

A set comprising one copy each of Delivering Good Governance in Local Government: Framework and Guidance Note at £70.00

Additional copies of Delivering Good Governance in Local Government: Framework at £10.00 each