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Governance Framework

Rochford District Council is committed to the seven principles of Good Governance as stated by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE).

These are set out in the CIPFA / SOLACE publication “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government”

Our Local Code of Corporate Governance is underpinned by these principles and is comprised of a framework of policies, procedures, behaviours and values by which the Council is controlled and governed.  The Rochford Local Code of Corporate Governance can be viewed via the link shown.

The documents that make up the framework provide the structures and guidance that our members and employees require to ensure effective governance across the Council.

The principles associated in the Local Code of Governance are

A.    Behaving with integrity, demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values and respecting the rules of law
B.    Ensuring openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement
C.    Defining outcomes in terms of sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits
D.    Determining the interventions necessary to optimise the achievement of the intended outcomes
E.    Developing the entity’s capacity, including the capability of its leadership and the individuals within it
F.    Managing risks and performance through robust internal control and strong public financial management
G.   Implementing good practices in transparency, reporting, and audit, to deliver effective accountability

Some of the Policies and documents associated with the delivery of good governance are set out in the links to relevant pages as shown in the Related Content section.

Some key documents are not specifically shown in the list but can be found within the links. These include;

  • In Constitution of the Council
    • Scheme of Delegations (Page 3.29)
    • Financial Regulations (Page 4.46)
    • Contract Procedure Rules (Page 4.63)
    • Member Code of Conduct (Page 5.1)
    • Officer Code of Conduct (Page 5.21)
  • In Current Committees
    • Council and Committee Terms of Reference, Agenda, Reports & Minutes
  • In Financial Information
    • including Annual Financial Report (which contains the Annual Governance Statement)
    • External Audit Report and
    • Budget Book
  • In Freedom Of Information
    • Includes Guide to Information (Publication Scheme)
  • In Policies, Plans and Strategies
    • including Anti-fraud & Corruption Policy, Whistleblowing Policy
    • Corporate Debt Policy
    • Pay Policy Statement