Accounts Commission: Best Value 2

Proposals for consultation – March 2009

Please return this questionnaire by 
31 May 2009.

Which organisation(s) do you represent?      
     

Risk assessment and joint scrutiny planning	
1. How do you view our proposals for shared risk assessment and joint scrutiny planning as a basis for streamlining the scrutiny of local government and ensuring that BV2 is more proportionate and risk- based?	

2. Are there other factors that we need to take into account?

1. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Self evaluation	
3. Do you believe self-evaluation should be at the heart of the risk-assessment process?	

3. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Self evaluation	
4. How do you view our approach to the use of self evaluation evidence within the BV2 audit process? How might we change or further develop it?	

4. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Good practice / support for improvement	
5. How do you view our proposed approach to capturing and disseminating good practice and strengthening improvement support as part of BV2?	
6. What other actions should we take beyond those proposed?	

5. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

6. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Single corporate assessment	
7. How do you view the proposed corporate characteristics of a Best Value council as set out in appendix 1?	

7. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Service performance	

8. We propose broadening our service and outcome evidence, and relying more on locally available data and improved joint working with inspectorates. What else should we do to improve service reporting within BV2?

8. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Partnerships	
9. What are your views on our proposed approach to auditing partnership performance, and the longer-term direction of travel that we are signalling?	

9. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

SOAs and BV2	

10. Is our proposed approach to considering SOAs as part of BV2 an appropriate reflection of their current status and maturity? If not, what more should we be doing?

10. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Citizen focus	

11. What more do you think the Commission should do to take the views of citizens into account as part of BV2?

11. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Peer involvement	

12. What issues, if any, would you like to raise about our proposals for officer and member peer involvement as part of BV2?

12. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Grading/scoring	
13. What are your views on the proposal to introduce formal judgements on ‘direction and pace of channge’ and ‘capacity for future improvement’?	

14. Which of the options for reporting set out in Appendix 4 do you favour?

13. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

14. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

The role of the Accounts Commission	

15. What changes, if any, would you like to see in how we handle Best Value audits and our relations with councils?
	
16. What comments do you have on any other aspects of the Commissions work?	

15. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

16. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Audit fees	
17. What changes, if any, would you like to see to the fee regime for BV2?	

17. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Sustainability	
18. What further developments of our approach to auditing sustainability would you like to see introduced as part of BV2?	

18. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Equalities	

19. What further developments of our approach to auditing equalities would you like to see introduced as part of BV2?

19. Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Other Comments
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Thank you for taking time to complete this questionnaire.

Please return the survey by 31 may 2009 to
BV2@audit-scotland.gov.uk 

or by post to:
Ian Metcalfe, Freepost RLXZ-UJTY-HCAU, Audit Scotland, Edinburgh, EH2 2QU