The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS)

11:00 am - 12:30 pm Scrutiny reviews (or task and finish groups) often don’t follow one fixed formula – but the strongest ones share common ingredients, inlcuding: Member ownership A well-defined scope The right evidence and witnesses to get beneath the surface of an issue.

Financial strain, political change, and rising public expectations are reshaping what good governance looks like. At this year’s CIPFA Public Finance Live conference, our Chief Executive Mel Stevens joined Hamid Ali, former Leader of Croydon Council, on the panel stage to make the case for what strong governance, scrutiny and organisational culture can do when councils are under this much pressure and what it takes to build genuine resilience rather than just survive the next crisis.

Every council’s constitution sets the framework for effective decision-making, good governance and democratic accountability. This session unpacks what the constitution contains, why it matters, and how it shapes day-to-day council business. Suitable for councillors at any stage – whether new to the role or looking to refresh existing knowledge – the event covers how to use the constitution as a practical, working document rather than a shelf-bound rulebook.

In 2021 the CfGS and Localis published the ‘Governance risk and resilience framework’ to popular acclaim across the sector. In the intervening five years, the pressures we initially took as the original framing for ‘Decline and fall: understanding how and why local government fails, what leads to central Government intervention, and what comes after’ have only exacerbated across the sector.

In this role, you’ll help councils strengthen governance, scrutiny and democratic accountability through consultancy, improvement, facilitation and practical support 10 July 2026 Local government is under pressure. Financial strain, devolution, reorganisation, rising complexity and changing expectations are reshaping the environment in which councils and public bodies operate.

In this new role, you’ll be part of a team helping councils and public bodies strengthen governance, scrutiny and democratic accountability. 10 July 2026 CfGS is a small national charity working with one of the most important – and fastest-changing – parts of democracy in England: local government.

SLCC Conference, Harrogate 3 July 2026 Keynote speech Members of the Society of Local Council Clerks gathered in Harrogate for their annual conference, closing two days of discussion with a keynote from Mel Stevens, Chief Executive of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS).

CIFA's flagship annual conference The pressures on the public sector have never felt more acute. Funding constraints, rising demand, acute recruitment difficulties, and febrile political environments are combining to create conditions in which sound governance is simultaneously harder to maintain — and more essential than ever.

CfGA and Localis are proud to announce the launch of a renewal of the Governance Risk and Resilience Framework. We’ll be gathering at a special drinks reception at the Local Government Association conference from 6pm to 7pm on Wednesday 8th July.

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Back by popular demand, we are putting this event on again for anyone who didn’t make it to the first one. New to scrutiny? Or feel like you could use a refresher? Join us for a practical, friendly 90‑minute lunchtime learning session to help you feel more confident in your scrutiny role. Taking place online on 30 July at 12.30pm, this interactive learning event uses live polls and discussion to get people talking about what really makes scrutiny work.