LGA issues good practice guidance on member-officer relations protocols

The guidance on member-officer relations protocols covers:

• How can a member-officer relations protocol help?
• Legislative context
• Principles of effective member-officer relations
• Principle 1: Ethical conduct
• Principle 2: Mutual respect and trust
• Principle 3: Clear and well understood roles and responsibilities
• Principle 4: Visible leadership
• What do member-officer relations protocols include?
• Creating or reviewing the protocol
• Embedding the protocol
• Monitoring the protocol

In the introduction, the LGA says: “Effective working relationships between elected members and officers are fundamental to public service delivery and good governance in local government. They foster mutual respect, clarify roles and enable constructive challenge, which support ethical decision-making, delivery and accountability.

“When these relationships function well, they enable the delivery of high-quality public services which reflect local priorities, fulfil statutory duties and support the authority’s financial sustainability. Ultimately, this collaboration builds public trust and strengthens democratic legitimacy.

“Elected members and officers have vital, complementary roles. Elected members provide democratic leadership, set strategic direction, hold decision makers to account and represent the interests of their communities. Officers bring professional expertise, impartial advice, and operational capability to support informed decision-making and delivery. Together, they ensure that public services are delivered economically, efficiently and effectively, in line with local needs and priorities.”

It adds that statutory guidance on Best Value standards and intervention has identified the maintenance of constructive relationships between members and senior officers as a characteristic of a well-functioning authority.

“Characteristics of authorities with poor member-officer relations include unclear roles, blurred boundaries and a lack of mutual respect, which can lead to poor decision-making, inadequate challenge and weak financial oversight,” the LGA says.

“In authorities with poor member-officer relations there are often blurred boundaries between member and officer roles as well as a lack of trust and mutual respect. This can lead to inadequate challenge, weak financial oversight and ultimately poor decision-making which negatively impacts local residents.”