Introduction

AS Associates is a human resources consultancy that has worked extensively with public sector organisations in Northern Ireland over the last twelve or so years. 

We have been appointed by NILGA to conduct a scoping exercise of NILGA’s future leadership requirements.

Obviously the context for this work is the vacant post of chief executive since Heather Morehead left the organisation earlier this year coupled with the current position in relation to the Review of Public Administration so far as it affects local government and the period of financial restraint ahead.

What we are asked to do

We have been given the following tasks:

• conduct “stakeholder” analysis to identify the key issues, concerns, challenges and drivers facing NILGA, which impact upon the future direction of the organisation and the sector within which the new role of Chief Executive will exist.
• review information, including the examination of the 2006 IDEA report which established NILGA’s current structure with a view to determining if it is still ‘fit for purpose’ in the current climate, and undertake research to inform the future role of the organisation.
• benchmark the future direction of local government in Northern Ireland against the future direction of comparable local government associations on a regional, national and international scale.
• benchmark comparable Chief Executive/leadership roles in local government on a regional, national and international scale. define and articulate the future role of the Chief Executive/leadership in NILGA.
• advise on a job evaluated pay grade for this future role.
• translate the future role of Chief Executive into a written job description, with an employee specification including the competencies that the post-holder must possess in order to be successful in the role.

Our Workplan

This involves the NILGA membership and key stakeholders in defining the role of the organisation and its senior staff and so we want to listen to people with an interest in the future of NILGA.  With that in mind we are arranging some appointments over the next few weeks but time and money impose some limits on our ability to meet people face to face.   With that in mind we have devised a short questionnaire which you can access by clicking on NILGA questionnaire.  We hope that anyone with views on the issues we are commissioned to investigate and report on will contact us either by completing the questionnaire or by getting in touch directly with us.  Our contact details appear at the end of the questionnaire.

We anticipate that this consultation phase will take up the time (which is why we ask for responses to the questionnaire to be sent to us no later than 2 August).  We will also conduct some research with other local government associations in the UK and some desk research.

We will need some time to analyse responses before  we hope to report back to NILGA with our initial findings.  This will be followed by a further consultation period with a target for our final report being produced before the end of August.  Obviously this all spans holiday periods which may impact upon our timetable.

Who will undertake the work?

There will be two consultants from the company who will be most closely involved.  They are Andrew Boatswain and Graham Essex-Crosby.  Both are former local authority chief executives.  Graham was formerly chief executive of a Unitary Council in the North-West of England.  Since he left that post he has undertaken a range of consultancy assignments including posts as an interim chief executive.  Andrew was chief executive of two separate councils, one in England and the other in Wales.

Both have experience of working with local authorities in Northern Ireland.

Keeping you informed

We plan to issue regular up-dates to this website so that you can be aware of our progress.