Roles and Responsibilities of an Elected
Member
Members are elected for a four-year term of office, to represent
both the interests of the Ward and the wider interests of all the
citizens of North Wiltshire – this can be quite a juggling
act.
There are a number of different roles that a Member will be expected
to play during their term. Over the last few years there has been
a radical change in the way that local government and its representatives
have been asked to operate, and include:-
 Community
Leadership: This role is all about getting out into the
wider community and finding out what people really want from their
local council. It requires an ability to balance the needs of the
whole community, both now and for future generations, and to work
in partnership with other local groups – public, private,
voluntary.
Policy maker: Every organisation
needs to have guidelines to follow in the course of its work –
the direction it should go in, how it should operate, what it can
and can’t do. This part of the role is to ensure that the
Council has the correct policies in place so that it can operate
efficiently, effectively and legally.
Representative: Members are elected to represent a division, dealing with the day-to-day problems that arise with constituents, being their mouthpiece in local affairs. Members should meet with local residents on a regular basis, maybe holding surgeries, or networking – getting to know key people in local organisations such as community groups, community police, local schools.
Steward: The idea of a steward
is to "oversee" the Council, looking at how well the services
it delivers are performing, and challenging when standards are low.
Most of members will be involved in some kind of scrutiny role,
whether it is on a particular committee or panel, or through a Best
Value Review or the Comprehensive Performance Assessment process.
A steward is also responsible for preserving the essence of things
for future generations – not in a "this is the way we’ve
always done it" sense, but ensuring that viable systems and
resources are in place for subsequent Councils to work with and
improve.
Politician: Finally, members
have a role in representing their political party at a local level. |
