A new report shows 90% of elected councillors and managers believe being held to account improves transparency and decision making.
The research, commissioned by the Centre for Public Scrutiny, showed strong support for accountability and scrutiny from colleagues resulted in more effective leadership, with 87% of the people surveyed stating this approach added value to their organisation.
As the headline findings from the research were presented at CfPS’s annual conference in London, awards were presented to eight winners for scrutiny projects which added value, made decision-making more transparent and open, and had an impact on the quality of services people receive. The overall impact through scrutiny winner was Cheshire West and Chester, who won for 'Somewhere over the rainbow: scrutiny review of the council’s adoption services'.
Jessica Crowe, executive director of the Centre for Public Scrutiny, said: ‘Our research confirms the important contribution effective scrutiny and accountability make to good governance and reveals encouraging signs that they are valued by leaders and those responsible for governance.
'The awards winners, in particular Cheshire West and Chester, provide tangible examples of that contribution and the impact that effective scrutiny can have in improving and opening up services to the public, listening to service-users and stakeholders, and helping organisations across the public sector innovate and transform what they do in a challenging environment.’