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This template aims to help Authority Members that sign up to aspire to the principles of the South East Charter for Fire Authority Member Development. It provides a guide for self assessment and for drawing up the action plan that must accompany the statement of commitment. Authority Member's wanting to use their own self assessment format should do so.

Whichever style of action plan is produced it should identify:

· future planned action

· when action is expected to be completed

· who is responsible for the action

· who has overall responsibility for monitoring implementation of the action plan

In terms of pulling the action plan together, Fire Authority's may find it useful to have a team of people, such as the all party member development group with officer support.

Those responsible for drawing up the action plan should look at each point on the `Guidelines' and `What this means in practice' and ask

1. `What evidence do we have that suggests we are following good practice?'

2. What action do we need to take, if any, to follow good practice or continuously improve? (Taking account of any resource implications and constraints)

3. When will this action be taken by?

4. Who will be responsible for the action?

A named person should be identified as being responsible for monitoring the action plan.

The `Examples of Evidence' given in the Good Practice Guidance may help in identifying action to take, however the examples are not a requirement and Authority's must decide on action that best fits their particular circumstances.

Accreditation - Good Practice Guidelines

1. Commitment to member development

1.1 Member and Senior Officer commitment to development of elected members

1.2 Policy statement

1.3 Equality of opportunity and access to learning and development

1.4 Budget

1.5 Officer resource support

1.6 Dissemination of learning

2. Strategic approach to member development

2.1 Member led strategy

2.2 Linkage to Authority corporate plan

2.3 Member roles clearly set out

2.4 Process for identification of needs at individual and Authority wide level

2.5 Structured and timely approach to promoting development opportunities

2.6 Appropriately learn with external partners

2.7 Strategy for Induction

2.8 Addresses political leadership and team development

2.9 Mechanisms for evaluation, and informing future plans, identified

3. Member learning and development plan in place

3.1 Addresses development priorities

3.2 Identify what development activities should achieve

3.3 Sets out how, when, where and who is responsible

3.4 Takes account of access to development opportunities

3.5 Linkage between Individual plans and the Authority's corporate and other plans

3.6 Representative members consulted

4. Learning and development is effective in building capacity

4.1 Members learn and develop effectively

4.2 Learning is shared with other members and where appropriate with officers and stakeholders

4.3 Investment in learning and development is evaluated in terms of benefits and impact

4.4 Identifies (and implements) Improvements to learning and development activities

5. Member Development promotes work life balance and citizenship

5.1 Assists those with family responsibilities

5.2 Reviews how Authority business is conducted to allow for equality of access to key political decision making mechanisms

5.3 Holds events for the community to encourage people to become community leaders

1. Commitment to Member Development

GUIDELINES	WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE	EVIDENCE	ACTION	BY WHEN
1.1 Top political and managerial leadership commitment to development of members	The political and managerial leadership can describe strategies put into place to develop members in order to improve the Authority's performance	· Member development policy has existed since Sept 2007. Evidence: HFRA Member Awareness Framework · September 2008 - HFRA committed to working towards SE Charter for Elected Member Development Evidence: HFRA Minutes Sept 08 · Achieved Level 1 Investors in People December 2007. Working towards re-accreditation for Investors in People (IiP) using the Profiles Framework which incorporates Members Development - Indicators 2 etc · Members Induction Pack provided on appointment to Authority · Established all party training - the Member Development Steering Group · Strategies in place to support member development - Evidence: Induction process and HFRA Member Awareness Framework and Member Awareness Sessions · The top political and managerial leadership - Member Development is led by our HR Committee and is a standing item on Authority meetings · Members confirm that strategies and action described by the top political and managerial leadership take place	· Agreed Member Development L&D Strategy · Named member and officer accountabilities for training and development	May 09 May 09
1.2 Policy statement	The Authority has a written statement, issued to all members, specifying its policy on member development in terms of equality of opportunity, priority development areas and named member and officers responsible		· Elected Member L&D Strategy	May 09
1.3 Equality of opportunity and access to learning and development	The political and managerial leadership can describe specific actions that they take to ensure equality of opportunity, and access to learning, in the development of members.	Questionnaire to gather ethnicity after June 2009 elections	· Elected Member L&D Strategy · Fire Authority Demographic Profile · Alternative methods used to meet learning needs and preferred style of learning · Timing of events takes account of cultural and personal circumstances	May 09 September 09 December 09
1.4 Budget	The Authority has allocated a budget for member development which is adequate to address priority and other development needs.		· Identify specific budget commitment for Member Development · Identified budget to be held and managed by the Member Development Steering Group	April 2009 April 2010
1.5 Officer resource support	An officer of the Authority has responsibility, which is time resourced and in their job description, for co-ordinating member development		· Review Head of T&D job description · Production of Members' Handbook, intranet or other information source	April 2009 Sept 2009
1.6 Dissemination of learning	The political and managerial leadership can provide examples of learning amongst members, and of promoting exchange of information, as part of encouraging a learning organisation culture.	· Feedback to Fire Authority on Members' Learning from development - case studies, reports on conference attended etc · Mentoring arrangements - new members mentored by CMT Member · Member champions in certain topics / functions	· Standing Item on HFRA Agenda for feedback from Member Development Activity · We will create an information sharing area for members on the intranet	December 08 April 2010

2. Strategic approach to member development

GUIDELINES	WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE	EVIDENCE	ACTION	BY WHEN
2.1 Member led strategy	Representative members are involved in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of member development strategies, possibly through an established all party task group or other all party committee	· Member Development Steering Group in place	· Member Development Steering Group involved development of L&D Strategy	May 2009
2.2 Linkage to Authority corporate plan	Political and managerial leadership are actively involved in identifying priority organisational development needs which link Authority's aims and objectives to the development of members.	· HFRS L&D Strategy identifies Member Development as a key priority · Specific development activities provided within standing committees	· Develop Member L&D Strategy in conjunction with Fire and Rescue Plan · Ensure that Authority Strategy and L&D strategy is reviewed concurrently	January 2010 January 2010
2.3 Member roles clearly set out	The various representative roles of members are clearly specified and members are able to describe how they contribute to achieving the Authority's objectives.	· Member political skills framework - I&DeA Political Skills Framework has been adopted · Extracts from Constitution or other Authority documents outlining member roles Is there a role description within their Authority	· Development of Elected Member role description · Members Handbook · Completion of political skills framework questionnaire by all members	October 2009 Ongoing First Draft and accepted by Group Sept 2009 April 2009
2.4 Process for identification of needs at individual and Authority wide level	The Authority has a structured process for regularly assessing member development needs at the individual and Authority wide levels.	· Current Induction Process contains a Skills Register	· Review of Induction process for Elected Members · Introduction of Training Needs Analysis to include outcomes of political skills framework	January 2010 September 2009
2.5 Structured and timely approach to promoting development opportunities	Members confirm that they receive appropriate and adequate notice of development opportunities to allow them to plan in advance · Members can give examples of how they receive appropriate and adequate notice of learning opportunities	· Pre-planned Member Awareness Sessions. · CO Member Updates (monthly) · Development within HFRA Committee Meetings · CMT Meetings - bi monthly	· Develop timetable of learning opportunities · Members' development Intranet area · Improved link into the CO Member updates	January 2010 July 2009 - Ongoing April 2009
2.6 Appropriately learn with external partners	Political and managerial leadership can provide examples of action taken to encourage joint development opportunities for members and external partner organisations.	· Cross authority / external party event programmes - SEFIP E&D Conference in 2007 · Members receive learning and development from their parent Authority in addition to HFRA training · Peer support/development with Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority Invite Members to attend	Programmes using external (partner) support for developing members · Development opportunities for cross-service training and development with other bodies such as health, police, environment, voluntary sector and other community representatives.	Ongoing Ongoing
2.7 Strategy for Induction	· Members who are new to the Authority, and those new to a particular role, confirm that they received a structured and effective induction.	· Induction strategy - Part of the Member Awareness Framework · Induction programme of events - all new Members participate in the Induction Process. This includes CO Meeting, overview of the Service and an induction process	· Complete review of the Induction process to include member handbook	January 2010 Ongoing
2.8 Addresses political leadership and team development	Top political leadership are actively involved in defining the Authority's approach both to effective political leadership (for current and prospective leaders) and to team development	· Programmes of joint events with top management · Lead Fire Authority Members have attended the I&DeA Member Training Events . · The Member Awareness sessions are Officer/Member led. · Service Managers Conferences.	· External programmes accessed to support political leadership · Programmes supporting development of community leadership skills for all members	Ongoing April 2010
2.9 Mechanisms for evaluation, and informing future plans, identified.	The Authority has systems in place that effectively evaluate the benefits from member development and identify areas for improvement.		· Annual review of Member Development activities · Introduce an evaluation process for Elected Member Development (L&D Strategy for Elected Members) · Introduction of Training Needs Analysis for Elected Members	October 2009 July 2009 September 2010

3. Member learning and development plan in place

GUIDELINES	WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE	EVIDENCE	ACTION	BY WHEN
3.1 Addresses development priorities	The Authority draws up plans to meet, training and development needs identified as a priority in helping it to achieve corporate aims and objectives.		· Elected Member L&D Strategy · Training Needs Analysis · Evaluation process	May 2009 September 2009
3.2 Identify what development activities should achieve	The Authority can demonstrate that member training and development activities have well defined and focused objectives.		· Elected Member L&D Strategy · Individual development plans that clearly indicate what is expected from training and development activities · Programme outlines with stated purpose and objectives that focus on expected results · Develop an annual TNA for Members to develop training plans linked to the FRS Plan, L&D Strategy and their specific responsibilities	April 2010 September 2010
3.3 Sets out how, when, where and who is responsible	The member training and development plan follows a developed planning process including who is responsible for implementing, monitoring and evaluating the plan.		· L&D Strategy · Training Plan · TNA · Evaluation	April 2010 September 2010 September 2011
3.4 Takes account of access to development opportunities	The Authority organises events at various times, to allow for access by those with work or family commitments, and utilises a range of methods to meet learning needs.		· Training programmes indicate development opportunities available at a range of times allowing access by different groups including those who have work commitments · Examples of a range of ways members can learn, and training on offer, that responds to individual member needs and learning styles including E- learning materials · Equality of Access to Training contained in the Elected Member L&D Strategy	September 2010 July 2010 From July 2009 onwards
3.5 Linkage between Individual plans and the Authority's corporate and other plans	Individual members can describe their learning needs and how these link into function and corporate aims and objectives.		· Training needs analysis or reports summarising individual needs with corresponding planned activities and the linkage to service function and Authority aims · Sample of individual development plans clearly linking learning to the members role in delivering the Authority's corporate and other plans	Sept 2010 Sept 2010
3.6 Representative members consulted	The Authority has an open and constructive relationship on member development with representatives from the various political / non-political groups	Elected Member Development Steering Group in place who contribute to identification of training needs and plans	· Reports, minutes of meetings etc showing representative members from political parties and non-political groups are consulted on the member development plan	Quarterly Meetings

4. Learning and development is effective in building capacity

GUIDELINES	WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE	EVIDENCE	ACTION	BY WHEN
4.1 Members learn and develop effectively	The top political and managerial leadership can consistently give tangible examples of how development of members has improved the performance of the Authority, functions and individuals.		· Review of the current induction process for newly elected members · Comprehensive Evaluation process which will provide evidence - capturing effective outcomes of learning · Extracts / quotes on member development from external inspection reports	January 2010 September 2011 September 2011
4.2 Learning is shared with other elected embers and where appropriate with officers and stakeholders	Members can give examples of how they have been encouraged to learn, and to share the learning with others, so as to improve their own performance and that of others.	· Mentoring arrangements: CMT · Members mentoring new HFRS members · External event/visit reports circulated to appropriate others: Standing Item on HFRA Committee Meetings	· Introduction of a Comprehensive Evaluation Process · Opportunities/systems in place to share learning such as on the intranet, papers in members rooms, workshops etc	January 2010 December 2009
4.3 Investment in learning and development is evaluated in terms of benefits and impact	The Authority can demonstrate that it periodically evaluates the cost and benefits of member training and development and the impact it has on performance		· Extracts/quotes on member development from external inspection reports · Introduction of a comprehensive evaluation process · Reports to top political and managerial leadership showing regular analysis of costs of and benefits from member training and development · Cross reference evaluation	Sept 2011 January 2010 April 2010 January 2010
4.4 Identifies (and implements) improvements to learning and development activities	People confirm that the Authority is genuinely committed to the continuous development of members and can give examples of relevant and timely improvements that have been made to development activities.		· Reviews of training and development strategies, to support the FRS Plan in conjunction with the T&D Strategies to ensure continuous improvement	September 2009

4 Elected Member Development promotes work life balance and citizenship

GUIDELINES	WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE	EVIDENCE	ACTION	BY WHEN
4.1 Assists those with family responsibility.	The Authority regularly assesses how it can assist those with family responsibilities in terms of suitable allowances and support		· Elected Member L&D Strategy to encompass accessibility to learning and development · Members handbook including arrangements that support those with family responsibilities	Sept 2009 - ongoing
4.2 Reviews how Authority business is conducted to allow for equality of access to key political decision making mechanisms	The Authority regularly reviews how it conducts its business, in terms of when meetings are held and access based on a clear understanding of diversity, so that members or potential members, are able to take part in the democratic process.	· Achieved ESLG Level 3 · IIP Status · People Impact Assessments (L&D PIA refers)	· Authority diary - scheduling meetings should take account of major cultural and faith commitments of authority members as per Diversity demographics referred to earlier · Authority diary - times of meetings include both day and evening so that members can discharge their duties in such a way so as not to sacrifice family and employment responsibilities · Minutes of meetings show that the Authority regular reviews the number of meetings and is mindful of work life balance and recognises that members are often involved in external meetings and activities in other community roles	November 2009 Ongoing November 2009
5.3 Holds events for the community to encourage people to become community leaders.	The Authority actively encourages citizenship, and publicises the role of elected members as community leaders, as part of promoting local democracy and encouraging under represented groups to take up office	· Attendance at community forum events, and targeting under represented groups, to promote the role of Authority Members -	· Improve Member Engagement with Group Managers to involve elected members in the Community activities/events · Open days Prospective Member events (Member Open Days within PCC, HCC, SCC?) · Prospective Member materials, role descriptions - recruitment packs · `Day in the life of an Authority Member' feature in newsletters (Exchange Magazine)	Ongoing September 09 - Ongoing December 2009

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