Planning system - mandatory training for elected members: consultation

7. How will the training be monitored?

Monitoring Completion

7.1 In order to demonstrate that elected members have fulfilled the training requirements and are not prohibited from exercising the authorities specified planning functions it is important that there is some way of establishing and evidencing that the specified training has been completed. This completion could be shown by the provision of a certificate upon completion.

7.2 We propose that the completion of the training will be monitored by Local Authorities as they will be responsible for ensuring that elected members who have not fulfilled the necessary training requirements do not participate in exercising the authorities specified planning functions. To ensure transparency and to meet the overall objective of improving public trust in the planning system, the training completion status of each elected member should be made publicly available. The most effective way of making this information publicly available is through individual Local Authorities' websites and recorded within the Planning Performance Framework (PPF) Reports / statutory annual reports.

Question 10: Should elected member's completion of the training be made available to the public?

[yes/no]

Please add any comment in support of your answer

Question 11: If the completion of training is made public, do you think the information being provided within PPF / statutory annual reports and on the Local Authorities website are sufficient?

[yes/no]

If no, where should the information also be made available?

Long-Term Monitoring of Impact

7.3 We want to ensure that elected member training will have long-term positive impacts on decision-making. Our aim with the implementation of elected member training is to ensure decisions are being made based on relevant planning principles, policies and legislation and overall trust in the planning system is strengthened.

7.4 There is no specific method currently in place which can accurately assess the impact of mandatory training, however, the most direct way to assess impact would be through collating feedback across different users of the system who may be able to see the direct impacts of mandatory training. This would be focused on elected members, planning officers, applicants and communities.

Question 12: Do you have any comments / suggestions on the best ways to monitor the long term effects of the mandatory training of elected members?