07 April 2006
A council that covers the biggest area of all Scottish local authorities has 'significant strengths', but needs to improve the corporate management of its decentralised structure, a public spending watchdog has advised.
The Highland Council, set up when local government was reorganised in 1996, decentralised its operations to eight former local authority areas whose boundaries correspond with former district councils, the Accounts Commission pointed out in a Best Value report published this week.
It said the arrangement resulted in an emphasis being put on local solutions that often delivered effective arrangements for its residents. The commission added: 'The council needs to do more to bring corporate coherence to its decentralised structures… There is also a need to develop corporate strategic management in the senior management team.'
Commission chair Alastair MacNish said a stronger corporate direction should focus on making the council more cohesive, improving its centralised activities such as workforce planning, and setting fewer, clearly articulated priorities.
'The council needs to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible, given the pressure on its financial resources,' he added.
The commission told the Inverness-based council to produce an improvement plan that addresses the report and the commission's findings.
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