This week marked the first meeting of the local government reference panel, a group of nine council representatives set up by the National Audit Office to consult on value for money in public services.
The panel is to be chaired by Carolyn Downs, chief executive of the Local Government Association, and will meet twice a year to debate issues in local government. Members will contribute to the NAO's value for money studies, and help to gauge the impact of its work within local communities.
After the first meeting Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said:
"The National Audit Office is committed to working with local authorities as we develop our local government work. The establishment of this panel is a positive step towards achieving that aim. Our focus is going to be on issues across the whole local government sector and how they can best be addressed."
The panel comprises representatives from local government, academia, the voluntary sector and the NAO, including:
• Carolyn Downs, chief executive, Local Government Association
• Joanna Killian, chief executive, Essex county council
• Mike More, chief executive, Westminster city council
• David Buckle, chief executive, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils
• Adrian Lythgo, chief executive, Kirklees council
• Dave Kempson, head of finance, Luton borough council
• Steve Freer, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
• Chris Naylor, corporate director of resources, Tower Hamlets council
• Brian Roberts, director of corporate resources, Leicestershire county council
• Tony Bovaird, professor of public management and policy, University of Birmingham
• Lucy DeGroot, chief executive, Community Service Volunteers
• Bob Palmer, director of finance, Epping Forest district council
At the first meeting, panel members discussed the NAO's current report into communication between central and local government and topics for future studies.
So what do you think the panel should look at? Should the NAO ask the group to scrutinise how spending cuts are affecting local public services? What about issues of local transparency? And is there someone you feel is missing from the line up?
Share your thoughts in the comments box below or join the conversation on Twitter at @GdnLocalGov.
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