Stages of a Review

Once the Review Committee has chosen a subject and decided whether its review will be conducted by the whole Committee or by a smaller project team of Councillors then the following tasks /actions take place:-

The topic is scoped and a project plan prepared

This is where the terms of reference are agreed and what will be looked at as part of the investigation and more importantly what will not be looked at is decided. The initial decisions on what documents will be required and also who should be contacted to provide evidence are also made. Finally, timescales for the various stages of the review are agreed and documented.

Publicity/website

A key feature of any Review is the involvement of the public. The current topics being reviewed are detailed on a separate web page, which provides details of how you can become involved in a review.

Research

Research into the topic is undertaken locally within the Council's area and when appropriate, nationally to obtain corresponding data to assess the level of the problem or to establish best practice.

Consultation

Every item of correspondence received relating to a review forms an integral part of the evidence that the Committee considers.

Witness contributions

The people who have been identified in the first stage of the process are asked for their input. This can either be at a formal meeting of the Review Committee or by way of informal meetings with members of the project team. In all cases details of their evidence is recorded and will be referred to when the final report is produced.

Recommendations

Once all the research and evidence has been completed then a report with recommendations will be prepared for consideration by the Review Committee.

Final Report and recommendations

Once the Review Committee has agreed the recommendations a final report will be produced and shared with the relevant Council Policy Committee and other interested parties.

Follow up

After the Review Committee has made its recommendations it will revisit the topic at a later date to see if they have been taken up and what difference has been made.