The Local Government Association (LGA) is a politically led cross-party organisation, representing local authorities across England and Wales. Its membership includes English councils, fire and rescue authorities, the 22 Welsh councils in corporate membership through the Welsh LGA, National Parks Authorities and Parish/Town Councils via corporate membership with NALC.
The LGA has five Group Offices – Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Reform and Independent with the latter providing support to independent members and smaller political groups. The LGA seeks wherever possible to work on the basis of consensus across all five groups.
The LGA’s mission is to support, promote and improve local government. The LGA’s Peer Programme is a critical part of the Company’s work on sector-led improvement and innovation. It falls into 4 categories:
- Peer challenge (each local authority is entitled to one free corporate peer challenge every three years)
- Mentoring
- Bespoke work with council political groups and top teams
- Internal LGA activity - for example supporting the Leadership Academy.
Along with the LGA Improvement and Innovation Committee of the IDeA, Lead Member Peers lead our improvement work from a political perspective, working closely with their respective Group Office. There are two types of lead peer – national (who cover the whole country) and regional (who work in their own geographical area).
Accountabilities
- To ensure that the LGA’s improvement programme reflects political priorities.
- To work closely with the relevant LGA Group Leader, Group Office, Regional Peers and Principal Adviser to ensure effective management, deployment and development of the peer pool and of individual member peers.
- To work with the Regional Lead Peers to gather intelligence and understand the political and other issues affecting the performance of individual councils.
- To develop and maintain networks and channels of communication with council leaders, council group leaders and local government bodies.
- To identify innovation and best practice that can be shared across the sector.
- To work with the relevant Group Improvement and Innovation mechanism and Principal Advisers to ensure that intelligence and best practice from councils drives improvement across local government.
- To work direct with those councils perceived to be most at risk in conjunction with the relevant Principal Adviser.
- To contribute to the development of the LGA's improvement products and services and to help promote them to local authorities.
- To encourage councils in membership to undertake a peer challenge.
Role description: Regional Lead Member Peers Accountabilities
- To support the National Lead Member Peer to ensure the effective management, deployment and development of individual member peers and the peer pool generally.
- To gather intelligence and understand the political and other issues affecting the performance of individual councils.
- To develop and maintain networks and channels of communication with council leaders, council group leaders and local government bodies.
- To work with the relevant Group Improvement and Innovation mechanism and Principal Advisers to ensure that intelligence and best practice from councils drives improvement across local government.
- To work direct with those councils perceived to be most at risk, in conjunction with the Principal Adviser.
- To identify innovation and best practice that can be shared across the sector.
- To contribute to the development of the LGA's products and services and to help promote them to the sector.
- To encourage councils in membership to undertake a peer challenge.
- Improvement Committee members are precluded from undertaking the role of a National or Regional Member Peer role.
Travel and expenses
The roles will require attendance at meetings in London and travel across the country.
Reasonable travel and subsistence costs incurred by the Lead Peers in the discharge of their duties will be paid by the LGA.
Remuneration
Remuneration is set out in the Scheme of Members’ Allowances.
Expected time commitment: Variable
Regional and National Member Peers are required to complete a Register of Interest form and to update it annually, or when an individual’s circumstances change.