Delivering Good Governance

South Ayrshire Council is committed to the highest standards of governance in the way that it is organised, managed and operates. To help achieve and maintain such standards, it adopted the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) 2016 Delivering Good Governance in Local Government Framework.

This Framework sets out the main arrangements and procedures that the Council has in place in relation to the seven 'principles' of governance, as set out in summary in the table below:

Core Principle Arrangements and procedures
A Behaving with integrity, demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values, and respecting the rule of law Behaving with integrity
Demonstrating strong commitment to ethical values
Respecting the rule of the law
B Ensuring openness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement Openness
Engaging comprehensively with institutional stakeholders
Engaging with individual citizens and service users effectively
C Defining outcomes in terms of sustainable economic, social, and environmental benefits Defining outcomes
Sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits
D Determining the actions necessary to optimise the achievement of the intended outcomes Determining actions
Planning actions
Optimising achievement of intended outcomes
E Developing the Council’s capacity, including the capability of its leadership and the individuals within it Developing the Council’s capacity
Developing the capability of the Council’s leadership
F Managing risks and performance through robust internal control and strong public financial management Managing risk
Managing performance
Robust internal control
Managing data
Strong public financial management
G Implementing good practices in transparency, reporting, and audit to deliver effective accountability Implementing good practice in transparency
Implementing good practices in reporting
Assurance and effective accountability

Within the Framework document Delivering Good Governance Framework there is further detail as to what would be expected and what the Council actually has in place. This has been prepared to not only describe the arrangements and procedures, but also to allow officers, councillors and the public to access these arrangements through hyperlinks to published documents and reports.

The Framework is never static and over the course of each year it is subject to ongoing review and development. The principles are regularly reviewed by Council's Audit and Governance Panel and a year-end assessment is signed off by both the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council.