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Sign up for meetup #18: Advice, training and development: Supporting scrutiny councillors to succeed


Sign up for meetup #18: Advice, training and development: Supporting scrutiny councillors to succeed

Wednesday 14th July ?? 10.00-12.00

Yes, It’s that time of year, new councillors are being offered induction training, more experienced councillors are being offered refreshers, and development sessions are breaking out all over. So we thought now would be a good time to think about how it’s going and what really helps councillors to be more effective in their scrutiny roles.

We will (probably) be using Triz (also known as the anti problem technique) to help generate some fresh thinking. We’ve used it before and it was a lot of fun. Oh, we will (probably) use google jamboards so you might want to check out the best way to access that beforehand. Here is a test board if you want to see if it works.

We will be doing the usual nine minute networking as well of course.

Hope to see you there ??

Dave and Matt

 

Sign up now for scrutinymeetup #15: Work planning for the win ?


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ScrutinyMeetup #15: Work planning for the win ?

2.00-4.00, Thursday 25th March

This topic came top of the poll when we asked participants at the February meetup. And who doesn’t love a good scrutiny work plan?

We’ll (probably) be running this meetup as a Triz – also known as the ‘anti-problem technique’, it follows the idea that sometimes identifying ways to solve the opposite issue to the current one makes it easier to find a new solution. We’ll explain it all on the day when we promise it will make sense. Well, it worked before when we did it, and we had a lot of fun, so we are confident! Oh, and we will be using Google Jamboard again so do check that out if you haven’t seen it before. (If Jamboard doesn’t work for you, it’s still possible to join in so don’t worry)

And there will be nine minute networking of course. We invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of two random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

 

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your spam folder!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

Sign up now for Meetup #14: What are we gonna do with our annual report?


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ScrutinyMeetup #14: What are we gonna do with our annual report?

10.00- 12.00, Wednesday 24th February

We thought annual reports would be a really good topic after we were contacted by Catherine Buckley at Knowsley. It is, of course, that time of the year when scrutiny officers are trawling the internet, looking for ideas to share with councillors. You can read Catherine’s post here.

We are going to run it as a fishbowl. We’ve done this a couple of times before and it’s worked pretty well. We ask four or five scrutineers to talk informally about their experiences of a particular topic for 20 minutes or so. Everyone then gets the chance to discuss what they have heard and suggest questions for the fishes who have another round of discussion before a final round of discussion for everyone.

I’m delighted that, along with Catherine, Camilla de Bernhardt Lane (Devon) and Julia Cleary (Wolverhampton) will be taking part. We have a couple of spare places so, if you might like to be a fish, you can let us know when you sign up.

And there will also be nine minute networking of course.

Please do note the new time – we are having our first ever morning meetup so, you know, adjust your Filofax accordingly.

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your spam folder – we will probably send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

 

Sign up now for Meetup #13: Open space


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ScrutinyMeetup #13: You choose the topics

14.00- 16.00, 19th January 2021

No theme this time. Following a suggestion from a couple of our participants, this meetup will be ‘open space’ – we will give you the chance to choose the topics for the breakout rooms and then decide which breakout rooms you go to. We’ve done this before and it was fun!

So do bring any ideas with you. Oh ,and we will likely be using google docs to capture the learning points – you don’t need it to participate but just, well, just so you know.

We will also have the ever popular nine minute networking of course. We invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of two random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your spam folder – we will send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

 

Sign up now for ScrutinyMeetup #12: Design your perfect scrutiny officer


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ScrutinyMeetup #12: Design your perfect scrutiny officer

14.00- 16.00, 26th November 2020

Following a suggestion from one of our participants, this meetup will be looking at the qualities needed to be a super scrutiny officer.

As you know, this role has many different dimensions. At different times you might be have to be a policy officer, committee clerk, project manager, comms specialist, diplomat or researcher.

But exactly what commitment, skills and experience are required for this multi dimensional role?

How can we make the most of out of supervision, development and recruitment?

Can robots ever really take the place of scrutiny support staff?

To answer these questions, and some others that we haven’t thought of yet, join us at this meetup.

Loosely weaving in a tenuous robots theme, we will be using a specially designed activity to help you learn from other scrutineers and soak new ideas.

We will also have the ever popular nine minute networking of course. We invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of three random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your spam folder – we will send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

 

Sign up now for Deep Impact: Demonstrating the effectiveness of scrutiny


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ScrutinyMeetup #11: Deep impact: Demonstrating the effectiveness of scrutiny

14.00- 16.00, 4th November 2020

In this meetup we will be examining that thorny problem of how to show that scrutiny is making a difference (it is of course). It’s been suggested by more than one participant and we know it’s a tricky one.

Loosely weaving in a tenuous disaster movies theme, we will be using a new Liberating Structure called Triz (well, new for us, anyway). This will allow us to ‘create a clear space for innovation’ and ‘invite creative destruction’. Good eh?

We will also have the ever popular nine minute networking of course. We invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of three random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your junk folder – we will send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

Book now for Meetup # 10: It’s an inquiry Jim but not as we know it.


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ScrutinyMeetup #10: It’s an inquiry Jim, but not as we know it.

14.00- 16.00, Thursday 8th October 2020

There’s lots of experience of great scrutiny inquiries but how do they work in a time of Covid? We’ll be giving you the chance to mull over exactly that question with fellow scrutineers at this fabulous meetup.

It will go something like this (probably):

Introduction

Some very brief basics and hellos.

Part One: Nine Minute Networking

A popular aspect of the meetups – we invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of two random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

Part Two: How to make our inquiries work virtually

Well, we haven’t exactly worked this one out yet but it will be interactive and hopefully helpful.

Conclusion

We just like to chill for the last 15 minutes – a chance to ask anything or just chat.

 

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your junk folder – we will send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

You can find more details and the notes from previous meet ups here: https://www.publicgov.co.uk/sc…

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack

 

 

ScrutinyMeetup #9: Executive Protocol


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ScrutinyMeetup #9: Executive Protocol

14.00- 16.00, 16th September 2020

Yes, we like that this meetup sounds like a Tom Clancy novel but strangely there isn’t an actual thriller with this title (I checked Amazon so I know). Anyhow, we will be looking at how to build a better relationship between scrutiny and the executive whether cabinet members or otherwise. When we discussed the conditions needed for effective scrutiny this came up as the condition most were concerned about and with the most potential to be improved. It’s also been suggested as a meetup theme in responses to our recent review so, there you go.

Scrutinymeetups will now be two hours long and this one will work like this:

Introduction

Some very brief basics and hellos. Also, this time we will give you some feedback from the recent meetup review. And we might ask you about possible future topics.

Part One: Nine Minute Networking

A popular aspect of the meetups – we invite you to spend nine minutes in the company of three random scrutineers in two rounds. We suggest a couple of conversation topics but it’s up to you really.

Part Two: Executive Protocols Fishbowl

We know that fishbowls have worked well in the past so we think it would be cool to run one for this topic.

We ask four or five ‘fishes’ to informally discuss their experiences of executive protocols, formal and informal, and then give everyone a chance to discuss what they heard and come up with questions that the fishes try to answer in a second round.

Just so you know will be sharing a video of the fishbowl.

**If you have recently been in involved with developing a scrutiny-executive protocol, or have been working with one for a while, or just have a relationship that works well with our a formal protocol, and would like to volunteer for the fishbowl – please let us know when you book your place!**  

Conclusion

We just like to chill for the last 15 minutes – a chance to ask anything or just chat.

 

Some practical points

Just so you know, we will close bookings the day before and then send out joining details by the night before to everyone signed up. Watch your junk folder – we will send out a separate email to say we have sent the first!

In the mean time, as we will be using Zoom, you might want to sign up / install the app if you can (if you haven’t already) although you can still access through a browser. Details about Zoom here: https://zoom.us

You can find more details and the notes from previous meet ups here: https://www.publicgov.co.uk/sc…

By the way, there are 72 spaces this time.

Hope to se you there!

Dave Mckenna @DrDaveMckenna

Matt Clack @M_ttclack