Blog - Dave Mckenna Solutions

Seven ideas for improving scrutiny’s ability to challenge constructively

12th March 2019 Dr Dave Mckenna challenge, Scrutiny

The power of challenge is one of the seven scrutiny super powers. Scrutiny acts as an important and constructive check on the decision making process, helping to ensure that final decisions are better. Here are

Seven ways to improve the problem solving power of scrutiny

7th February 2019 Dr Dave Mckenna Capacity, Scrutiny

Scrutiny has seven superpowers and one of them is the power of solutions. By taking time to explore difficult and challenging issues in depth, scrutiny has the ability to find solutions to the most difficult

Promoting public participation: Seven scrutiny power-ups

31st January 2019 Dr Dave Mckenna Participation

Participation is one of the seven scrutiny super powers because scrutiny can act as a doorway for the public to get involved in council business. Scrutiny is flexible, one step removed from the decision makers

Seven scrutiny power-ups to boost accountability

16th January 2019 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability

Accountability is one the seven scrutiny superpowers. By requiring cabinet members and other decision makers to give an account of themselves in public and by asking the questions that citizens want answers to, scrutiny is

Seven scrutiny power-ups for making the council more transparent

8th January 2019 Dr Dave Mckenna Transparency

Transparency is one of the seven scrutiny superpowers. By asking questions and publishing the answers, by asking for reports and putting them in the public domain, scrutiny has the special ability to make local government more

Six frameworks to help demonstrate the impact of scrutiny

7th December 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Capacity, Frameworks, Integrity, Participation, Scrutiny, Transparency

Thinking about how you demonstrate the impact of your scrutiny work? Wondering how you might improve? Well, there are frameworks that can help. This post highlights six. No doubt there are things you are already

How to live tweet a council meeting

16th November 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Transparency

If you are thinking of tweeting a council meeting, or maybe you are already tweeting meetings but thinking about how you might improve, here are some ideas that you might find helpful. Tweeting council meetings

The four conversations of good public governance

19th June 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Conversations, Public governors

Whether you are developing a strategy, designing a work programme or solving a problem, there are four conversations the you should be having; the public, regulatory, corporate and partnership conversations. Good conversations are the cornerstone

How to design a scrutiny work programme

18th June 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Capacity, Conversations, Participation, Scrutiny, Transparency

This post sets out my take on how to design a scrutiny work programme so that it’s focussed on the right issues and has the support of everyone involved. Designing a work programme is

The seven scrutiny kryptonites ☢️

7th June 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Capacity, Integrity, Participation, Scrutiny, Transparency

When I wrote about The Seven Scrutiny Powers, I had a reply on twitter mentioning kryptonite. And I thought, yes, we should be talking about this – aspects of local government culture that neutralise the

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