Organisational Design

Aberystwyth Town Council is inviting quotations for professional services to undertake a review the organisational structure of the Council, and make proposals for improvements or alternatives as appropriate.

Brief

The role and remit of the Council has changed significantly in recent years, however its organisational structure has remained largely the same. The Council is now seeking to appoint a professional service to undertake an independent review & assessment of this structure to ensure it is fit for purpose, efficient, and proportionate to its growing responsibilities and capacity.

As an outline, we expect this work to involve the following

• Reading and review of the following key documents, to gain a general understanding of current structures:
• Standing Orders;
• Financial Regulations;
• Scheme of Delegation;
• Committees’ terms of reference;
• A sample of recent meeting minutes;
• Staff structure & roles.

(N.B. Staff roles are to be assessed in relation to integration within organisational structures only.)

• Undertake interviews with the following key individuals, to develop understanding of internal dynamics, gain feedback and views on the current system’s effectiveness, and gather visions/aims for the future:
• Town Clerk (and/or other officers, if deemed necessary);
• A sample of councillors.
• Provide a written report to summarise findings from the above, particularly:
• An executive summary of the current structure (to demonstrate understanding thereof);
• The internal feedback and perceptions of the organisation’s structure, and its effectiveness;
• The internal vision and aims for the future of the Council;
• An independent assessment of the effectiveness of current governance and organisational structures;
• The areas requiring attention from all of the above;
• Any other key findings.
• Provide written proposals for the improvement/change/overhauling (as appropriate to address the findings above) of organisational structures, for example:
• Overhauling of meeting / committee structures;
• Amendments to existing committee responsibilities;
• Improvements to delegation arrangements;
• Changes to integration of staff within governance structures.