The role of the monitoring officer (MO) is one that continues to require a strong focus now more than ever, as local government sees changes in political leadership, the formulation of new political groups and an influx of new or inexperienced elected members.
The term ‘strategic leader' is not often used when referring to an MO within a local authority. For a modern and effective MO this should certainly be a prerequisite and should be recognised throughout the organisation.
This requires the instinctive mindset of any MO to embrace the dual responsibility of both traditional duties alongside those necessary to be an effective strategic leader, together with a requirement of executive leadership teams to recognise and utilise the MO in this capacity.
The strategic leader mindset should not in any way diminish the traditional responsibilities of the role. They carry the statutory weight of being the conscience of the council and those responsibilities should naturally feed into the role of an effective strategic leader.
The continued evolution of this role has created different layers of responsibilities. At the very heart of these layers should be the statutory elements: the responsibilities towards maintaining lawfulness, ensuring good governance, delivering best value and the key role as part of the ‘golden triangle' – the triumvirate of senior officers occupying statutory roles who together form the backbone of the council.
Beyond this central layer are further layers that are at times not commonly associated with the role. These are arguably of equal importance and allow the role to be far more effective and beneficial to the organisation. It is these layers that are associated with the suite of responsibilities that come with being a strategic leader and having a key seat at the ‘top table'.
This element of strategic leadership should be baked into the role of every individual who sits at that ‘top table' and who has a key role in delivering the ambitions and objectives of the local authority.
By encouraging, promoting and developing this strategic mindset, there should be a natural focus on outcomes and impact and on addressing complex legal matters with jointly-owned and developed strategic solutions.
Furthermore, it should not be the case that any contribution should be confined within the realms of a legal lens. The outcome-focused skills associated with being an effective MO naturally lend themselves towards the strategic skills associated with every member within any leadership team ‘top table'. This includes areas such as organisational culture change, transformation, policy formulation, risk management, commercial acumen and political understanding, engagement with both internal and external stakeholders – all of which are common activities and considerations for most local authorities.
Equally, as many local authorities navigate through local government reorganisation and devolution, the strategic leadership role of the MO will be crucial.
By embracing this instinctive mindset, it allows the role to be far more effective and the shackles and narrowed perception of the role to be a distant memory. It will also allow MOs to remove Clark Kent's eyewear and propel themselves towards acting as effective strategic leaders and being valued and perceived as such. It will allow them to ‘step onto the strategic balcony' and see the full landscape of the local authority.
Their cross-cutting position gives them a unique position within any ‘top table' to formulate sound solutions, because at the very heart of this multi-layered role lies the discharge of statutory responsibilities and the requirement to act as the conscience of the council.
One personal example relating to the development of a large residential development involved land in council ownership which had remained derelict for several years.
A developer came forward with a proposal that would result in a healthy capital receipt for the council, the regeneration of a large site and, importantly, a potential catalyst for further regeneration.
As the development progressed, the discussions stalled on the scale of various costs and contributions. To overcome this difficult stalemate, I put forward a proposal for an independent assessment. This unconventional approach by the council as landowner was within the strategic mindset.
This assessment facilitated an amicable solution which allowed the disposal to be completed, and importantly, ensured the successful delivery of this development.
This mindset is the catalyst for both an outcomes focus and an innovative approach, with the MO being uniquely positioned to discharge this within any local authority.
The strategic role of the MO within any ‘top table', ensures effective and stronger collaboration between MOs and senior leadership members, and crucially, the delivery of the council's corporate ambitions and priorities.
The role's evolution requires and demands the combination and coming together of both core knowledge and expertise, together with a key focus and role within the strategic leadership of the organisation. It is this mindset and overall delivery that allows the local authority and its wider communities to reap the full benefits.
Aftab Razzaq is director of legal, compliance and assurance/council monitoring officer at Dudley MBC
