The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report, in order to present the Committee with proposals for:

(1)   A Personal Development Review (PDR) process that will be made available to all Elected Members;

(2)  The Personal Development Review process to be recommended to Council for approval at its meeting on 28 March 2018.

He reminded Members of the wide range of roles and responsibilities which they were expected to undertake, adding the PDR process would assist Elected Members to identify any support that may be required to fulfil their role effectively. Attaining an appropriate level of knowledge, skills and experience identified as part of the PDR process, would enable them to support also each of the Corporate Priorities of the Council, as detailed in paragraph 2 of the report.

The report then provided some background information, confirming that at its meeting on 6 September 2017, Council approved that a submission be made to the WLGA for the Charter for Member Support and Development. This report identified that one of the criteria for achieving the Charter, was the need to provide a PDR process which could be offered to all Members, and which must be undertaken by all Senior Salary holders. It was optional however, for other Members.

In terms of PDR documents, 3 PDR interview template options were considered during the last administration, and subsequently reviewed and updated accordingly. These were a Comprehensive PDR Document (Appendix 1 to the report); an Intermediate PDR Document (Appendix 2), and a basic PDR Document (Appendix 3).

The report gave further details as to what extent of information was required to be inserted in each of these documents.  It outlined in the process that would be required to be undertaken in order to produce PDR’s.  Appropriate training would also be required in order for Members, and in particular new Members, prior to them completing PDR’s.

It was also proposed that reviewers of PDR’s be determined by each political group that comprises the Council.

The report concluded by confirming the timescales that were required, in order to meet the deadlines for the submission for the WLGA Charter; the approval of the PDR process, its implementation, and the successful completion of PDR’s by Senior Salary holders (i.e. which was mandatory).

The Head of Democratic Services asked Members which of the 3 PDR interview template options they preferred to put forward as an agreed template.

Members felt that as it was a new term of office, and due to the fact that there were a number of new Members, the best option of the PDR template options, may be the most basic one to complete. This process could then be reviewed in 12 months.

RESOLVED:               That the Committee:

(1)  Selected the standard Personal Development Review Document attached at Appendix 3 to the report, as a vehicle for progressing the PDR process in BCBC.

(2)  Approved the proposed activities and timescale as shown at paragraph 4.5.1 of the report.

Agree that a review of the suitability of standard Personal Development Review Document be taken following the completion of the process in 2018.