Strategic Policy Committees.

What are strategic Policy committees?

Strategic Policy Committees were introduced as part of an ongoing process of local government reform and in keeping with the policy of broadening involvement in the local government through participation by community and sectoral interests.

The role of the SPCs is:

To formulate policy proposals, evaluate and report on policy implementation for consideration
Provide policy centred committees which can harness the experience of external bodies in the formulation of policy

How are they structured?

The SPCs which consists of elected members of Longford Local Authorities and others who are nominated by / or representative of the sectors relevant to the work of the particular SPC. Each SPC must have a minimum one third of the membership drawn from the sectoral interests.

The Chairperson of each Committee is appointed from the full Council, from amongst the Councillor appointees to the SPCS. i.e. the Cathaoirleach is a member of the Council. Each Chairperson holds the office for the life time of the Council.

SPC membership for Councillors will be for the lifetime of the Council. A member ceasing to be a Councillor will cease to be a member of the SPC. Councillors may not be nominated to represent sectoral interests.

Longford County Council has in place 4 Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs):

Recent Review of SPC’s

A national review of the SPC system was carried out by the Institute of Public Administration in 2003/2004 in consultation with representatives of all involved, i.e. elected members, sectoral interests and officials. It focussed on establishing examples of best practice in the operation of SPC’s and made recommendatios in the areas of procedures, policy support and development, media and training and linkages between SPC’s and other elements of local government.

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