Blog - Page 3 of 4 - Dave Mckenna Solutions

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

The seven scrutiny superpowers ✊

30th May 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Capacity, Conversations, Integrity, Participation, Scrutiny, Transparency

As many new councillors are getting to grips with their new roles and many more old hands are getting back up to speed, here’s a reminder of the superpowers that scrutiny councillors have to change

Triangulation: A helpful technique for better scrutiny

5th February 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Conversations, Public governors, Scrutiny

Triangulation is a key technique for anyone involved in a public scrutiny role. If you are not familiar with the concept here is a short introduction that I hope you will find helpful. As a

It takes two to dance the scrutiny tango

31st January 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Conversations, Public governors, Scrutiny

Tango is a great metaphor for good scrutiny. Whether you are a councillor, a school governor or any other member of a public body, thinking about what tango involves (the dance not the drink of

How to move the conversation from problems to solutions

8th January 2018 Dr Dave Mckenna Conversations, Solution focussed

Here are three questions you can use to turn your conversations from a negative problem focus to a constructive solution focus. These are particularly handy for the chairs of committee and board meetings to have

The TAPIC framework: A really useful governance map

5th December 2017 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Capacity, Frameworks, Integrity, Participation, Transparency

If you are looking for a method to organise your governance work, the TAPIC framework is one of the most robust in research terms and one of the simplest to use. Drawing on an extensive

The International Framework: A great option for your governance review

30th October 2017 Dr Dave Mckenna Accountability, Capacity, Frameworks, Integrity, Participation, Public governors, Scrutiny, Transparency

If you are reviewing the work of your public body and thinking about how your review should be structured, the International Framework is a great option for you to think about. It sets out seven key principles of

Good public governance needs good conversations

17th October 2017 Dr Dave Mckenna Conversations

As a councillor, school governor or member of a public body, you want to feel confident that you are doing the right things in the right way. While professional advice and good practice guides are

Improve public engagement by noticing what you do well

9th October 2017 Dr Dave Mckenna Participation, Scrutiny, Solution focussed

Looking elsewhere for good practice may be useful but it’s not always necessary. By noticing the things that work for you already, you can do more of what works and get inspiration for new things to

Zero to ten scales – simple, useful and solution focussed

5th October 2017 Dr Dave Mckenna Solution focussed

Zero to ten scales are a really useful technique for any governing body (or anyone else for that matter) to have up their sleeve. They are simple to understand, can help you to notice what